# What is dts?



## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

Yeah, I'm a novice. I have a home theater and thought the dts would work in the DVDs I have with it, but there was no sound at all. Anyone know why? I thought it was 5.1, but then there's a setting that usually says 5.1 below the dts setting. I'm confused.


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

We'll need a little more info on what kind of equipment you have, how you have them connected and what settings you are using.

DTS is a particular type of sound format...it's like having a secondary sound file on the disk. There really aren't that many DVDs that have a DTS option. IF they do, you have to go in the setup section on the DVD and select DTS as the output.


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

I have an old Sony DVD player & it's hooked up to an RCA HT reciever. That's about it.


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

What sort of cable are you using for audio? You need to use an S/PDIF Digital cable (optical or coax) or HDMI in order to transmit Dolby Digital and DTS. If you are using a pair of RCA cables, then the best you could possibly get would be Dolby ProLogic, ProLogic II or ProLogic IIx depending on the capability of your receiver and DVD player.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The receiver must support DTS processing (Digital Theater Sound) or it will not function. Does the receiver clearly state on the front that is processes DTS? It will have a small DTS logo somewhere on the front.
DTS has a slightly higher bitrate and thus usually will have more dynamics and can have as many as 6.1 channel sound not just 5.1


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

It says Dobly Digital. No dts in sight I'm afraid. I have it connected with the coax cable that came with it, but it looks an awfully lot like a normal video rca cable, yellow instead of orange as the jacks are.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Moviefanatic said:


> It says Dobly Digital. No dts in sight I'm afraid.


Ok then you wont be able to use the DTS audio from the DVD player just use Dolby digital, very little difference.


> I have it connected with the coax cable that came with it, but it looks an awfully lot like a normal video rca cable, yellow instead of orange as the jacks are.


Yup, thats what it is and it will work just fine as its a digital signal and is not subject to interference like analog.


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## Andysu (May 8, 2008)

tonyvdb said:


> Ok then you wont be able to use the DTS audio from the DVD player just use Dolby digital, very little difference.
> 
> 
> Yup, thats what it is and it will work just fine as its a digital signal and is not subject to interference like analog.


That’s right that’s like trying to play Dolby digital onto an dts standalone decoder processor the decoder will not recognize the digital RAW bit stream signal.

Today all the decoding is under one roof where in cinema its all separates since and I’m not sure if there still is format war of the Dolby dts and SDDS going on, it would be sad since this started around 1992-93.

With each digital format if no signal is produced in the form of its soundtrack you’ll hear and almighty loud burst of hissing noise that sounds like (pink noise) it made me jump a few times in the past, scared the living daylights out of me.:scared: :rofl2:

One of few processors I stared with was Cambridge Audio Dolby digital AVP nice looking model. My first AVP was dts Millennium 2.4.6. which I still have and cost around £700 new and managed to get for £300 because other manufacture had produced at the time a more affordable model at £300, the dts Millennium decoder had nicer look as well as specification.

The decoder was used with dts laserdiscs at the time because getting the laserdisc played modified for Dolby AC-3 was dogs dinner.

With dts its optical lead for laserdisc players or optical/coaxial for DVD players and some DVD players had at the time issues with playing dts! Today that issue has been resolved.



hddummy said:


> What sort of cable are you using for audio? You need to use an S/PDIF Digital cable (optical or coax) or HDMI in order to transmit Dolby Digital and DTS. If you are using a pair of RCA cables, then the best you could possibly get would be Dolby ProLogic, ProLogic II or ProLogic IIx depending on the capability of your receiver and DVD player.


The capability LOL I found out the hard way! The dts Millennium would not work or produce a “dts lock” which loosely translates to getting, sod all in the form of a soundtrack!

We tried at least 4 or 5 DVD players at the Hi-fi store where I brought the dts decoder. It was even more bizarre for the staff? We tried each model of DVD player from cheap to expensive and only one worked and I wasn’t going to start shelling out more £££ for the sakes of sigh, sigh, sigh get the picture.

I have since brought other DVD players and they still produce sod all on the dts Millennium! Its to do with the Motorola chip I was told something to do with the way the chip was produced. No issues with laserdisc and get this no issues with CD dts discs on the DVD player!

Time for this! :gah::gah::gah::gah::bigsmile:You just have to laugh at the end of the day.:rofl2:

But I do have Kenwood KRF-X9050D THX select model that performs handsomely…that was until Pearl Harbour where the sound produced a tapping like sound all the way though the whole running time on feature film only!

Get this the THX introduction played with no issues as that was separate title on the DVD. So I had to resort to analogue track for back-up just as if it was in the cinema and the Dolby digital failed it would switch over to Dolby SR.

Also the same issue came up with The Untouchables second edition DVD (special edition). I just could not believe it! 

Its the sodden Motorola chip :scratch:that holds both the Dolby/dts digital decoding and the way the DVD is authored as well.

I came across a first edition of The Untouchables for less than £10 and was wondering does this have the same technical sound issues? 

It played wow what a relief that was. 

So it’s down to two DVD so far out of nearly over 1000 titles I so far have.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

FYI, we do have a glossary that defines lots of terms like DTS. It won't have the kind of detail that you will get in responses in a thread like this, but it can be helpful.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/glossary/#d


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

hddummy said:


> If you are using a pair of RCA cables, then the best you could possibly get would be Dolby ProLogic, ProLogic II or ProLogic IIx depending on the capability of your receiver and DVD player.


There are about 5 different audio settings: Dolby PL II movie; Dolby PL II music; Dolby PL Emmulation; 3 Stereo; & Stereo. The sound is loudest and subwoofer bass is the best on Stereo. In the set up I chose F Surr Y, whatever that means, and so the back speakers work, too, in stereo. If I choose F Surr N those back speakers do nothing.

And thanks for the link to the glossary, I'll check it out!


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

can we get the model numbers for your equipment


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

Sure: RT2870


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

http://www.1800customersupport.com/productdocuments/RT2870_RCA.pdf

Looks like you've got everything you need to enjoy dolby digital. Again, no mention of DTS in the manual, so stick with DD and you're good.


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

I'm afraid your link didn't go anywhere...


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

The link works fine for me, it goes to the manual for the RT2870.


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

hddummy said:


> Looks like you've got everything you need to enjoy dolby digital. Again, no mention of DTS in the manual, so stick with DD and you're good.


If only that were the case. I took it back; 3 speakers went out, and with the exchange, it just kept on shutting down whenever the volume was high, which means every time a loud sound passed to the speakers it would turn off.

I can't afford a good HTiB, not that there really is a good HTiB.

Thanks for the help anyway. I appriciate it!


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Shutdown with high volume can mean either that you are pushing the unit beyond its ability, too much of a load presented by the speakers, or a short in a speaker wire.


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

It's max volume was 51, but I would only have it at 35-40 at max and it would shut down. My friend told me you really can't get anything of good quality from Wal-mart, which was where I got it from. Only $158, and that's the quality I got.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Actually, some things from Wal-Mart are fine, as long as you know what to lok for and understand the technology. You cannot expect to find the highest quality equipment there, but if you understand the limitations of what you buy, much of it is perfectly fine within its design. There are many thousands of people who are likely perfectly happy with the same product that you found inadequate. 

In general, it has been the case that amplifiers will start clipping with typical music at about half of the range of the volume control. The bottom line is, when you hear distortion, turn it down immediately. That is the case with nearly ANY system.


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## Moviefanatic (Jul 5, 2009)

I never really heard anything like you've mentioned, it only turned off.

Thousands of people may not know that what they're hearing isn't quality, too, right? I think that that receiver I took back was the only type they had.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

If it shuts down, it is either defective, you are asking it to do something that it is not designed to do, or you have a short in your wires or speakers. The point is, if you don't understand the limits of what the unit can do you may never find the right system for your needs.


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