What's the difference?

 

For discs that are playable in the TL:

DVD-A = high resolution audio, typically surround sound, on a DVD
DTS 5.1 = DTS-encoded surround sound audio on a CD

Mike

 

i believe they all support 5.1 channel but dvd-a can holds more data. So less audio quality loss due to encoding in DVD-A than DTS

 

One other notable difference is that the TL's DTS decoding is not the best. Almost all of the DTS discs make a very noticable POPPING noise when played in the TL. I would liken the sound to a large rock hitting the windshield (not very pleasant to say the least).

I have never heard this with any of the DVD-A discs.

 

Odd, I've never heard this with any of the DTS discs I have (and I have about 20). I wonder what the difference is? Which discs are giving you problems?

 

I have several DTS cds and i've never experienced this "popping" sound.

 

I had this problem with The Police Greatest Hits DTS disc only. Needless to say, I don't listen to that in the car anymore. I tride ripping the audio from the DVD collection of videos but that didn't work. I was able to rip and burn the audio in surround but when I played the disc in the car it sounded all choppy and seemed to speed up and slow down. I need to figure out how to make this work.

 

It's hit or miss with DTS CDs. Most of the "store bought" ones work fine in mine. In fact, I can't remember one that did not. However, the home made ones that I have vary.

I still have not been able to pin down what exactly defines a disc that "ticks". Is it the brand of disc? The burner? The speed of the burn? The color of the burn side?

I really would like to figure this out, but I really don't have the time....................

 

It's most likely just a bad read from the disc, which could be a number of things - did the CD skip? Did the media you use have a little piece of dust when it happened to be reading in that area? Etc... nothing serious. I've had it happen once or twice but I was never able to duplicate it, even with the same discs. And then when you're least expecting it, "SCREECH!"

 

I have heard the popping too on my Eagles Hell Freezes Over album. It's DTS and when I first heard the popping, I kept looking up at the moonroof wondering what was landing on my car. I have not heard the popping on my DVD-A discs.

 

Both discs can encode six audio channels of music (5 full frequency, 1 bass = 5.1).

DTS discs use DTS compression of standard resolution (44.1 KHz, 16 bit) music. DTS is lossy and fits an album on one ~700 MB CD.

DVD-A uses Meridan Lossless Packing (MLP) of high resolution (96 KHz, 24 bit) music. MLP as it's name implies is compressed but not lossy and fits an album on one ~9 GB DVD. The DVD-A can also have other audio streams (often Dolby Digital surround or stereo high quality PCM of the same audio tracks) as well as some video.

There are other differences but these are the main ones.

-phil

 

DVD-A, or DVD Audio, is a general specification that dicatates how data is to be represented on the media. DTS 5.1 is an optional surround-sound mix that is placed on some DVD-A (and DVD-video) disks.

It's comforting to hear that others have heard the rock-on-the-window smack that I have also heard when listening to a DTS encoded DVD-A disk. I've heard it very inconsistently on a Don Henly disk.

 

That Don Henley disc is a DTS-encoded CD, not a DVD-Audio. You can prove it to yourself by ripping it on your computer from a CD-ROM just like a regular CD (the tracks will be nothing but noise though).

I've been able to get rid of the "rock on the window" smack (a really good description of the sound, by the way) by ripping it to the computer, decoding it to six .WAV files and then creating a DVD-Audio of it.

There are others, though, such as Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle, that are also DTS CDs, do not exhibit the smack, and that the decoder on my computer cannot decode to 6 .WAV files. I'm thinking perhaps there's some error correction scheme being used on that disc that is not used on the Henley disc.

Mike

 

svtmike,

So, I learned something new today. I hadn't paid that much attention to the Henley disc, but it appears you're correct. It is not a DVD-Audio disc, and if I understand correctly, it cannot be played back on a standard CD player either. It requires at least a standard DVD player?

In addition to my previous statement, I should now add that DTS 5.1 encoding is not limited to DVD-A and DVD-V, but it is also included in DTS Entertainment's Music Discs.

Thanks for the enlighenment!

 

It requires either a DVD player with a built-in DTS decoder, or a DVD player with a digital output and an external DTS decoder such as is found in many home theater receivers.

Mike

 

.........................or a CD player connected to an amp/receiver with a DTS Decoder, or external decoder. Remember, these discs are CDs, NOT DVDs!

:-jon

 

Can the TL play SACD's?

I have only 2 DVD-A's - Metallica & Linkin Park. I want more but have not found anymore that I want to buy. I've heard that SACD's sound awesome. What is DTS 5.1 disc? How is this marketed? As a DVD or CD?

Thanks for your help.

 

You cannot play the surround HiRez tracks from an SACD in the TL. Some SACDs are "Hybrids", and have a redbook stereo CD layer, which you can play in ANY CD player.

DTS Entertainment originally marketed their DTS CDs are CDs, then changed the packaging to that of their DVD-A product and renamed that product as DTS Music Disc. They are just CDs, however, and require a DTS decoder for playback - which the TL has!

:-jon

 

I'm pretty sure the CD player would need a digital output - an external decoder will not find the digital signal coming in on the analog stereo inputs. I left CD player off the list because I've never seen a CD player with a digital output (either coax or TOSLink) but if such a beast exists then yes that would work too.

Mike

 

Mike, you are correct! A CD player would require a TosLink or Coaxial digital output. In fact, there are many that do. It used to be standard on all but the very basic CD players. Now in the world of real cheap players, the low end models do not have the digital out. Still, look at most that sell for over $200 and you should find a fiber or coaxial out.

:-jon