Blu-Ray players that convert DTS to Dolby Digital?
October 26, 2015 10:15 PM Subscribe
My soundbar only works with Dolby Digital, so I'm trying to figure out how to make a Blu-Ray player work with it. Complicated details inside.
I have a Sonos Playbar. My TV doesn't have a TOSlink port, so instead, I use this HDMI switch. My Roku and Blu-Ray player are plugged into it, the HDMI out goes into the TV, and the TOSlink out goes to the Playbar. This setup has been perfect for the Roku, but it's been a big pain with the Blu-Ray player.
DVDs in Dolby Digital work perfectly. But for Blu-Rays in DTS, I keep having to mess with the settings, and sometimes it still doesn't work right (for example, on one disc I tried, I could only hear the sound intended for the rear surround speakers). I tried one mono Blu-Ray of an older movie, and couldn't get any sound at all.
It seems like this has to be a relatively common problem, but when I search online for Blu-Ray players that convert to Dolby Digital, I don't find much of use. I don't know the right keyword to search for. Or maybe there's some other solution I haven't thought of.
This page on the Sonos website recommends three different Samsung models. But after a very long and confusing call with Samsung customer support, I think I learned that on any of those players, you have to use the TOSlink out, not the HDMI. So I guess to make that work, I'd need to get a player with an HDMI input for the Roku.
I'm mostly just really lost. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Assuming I need to buy a new player, I'd love to keep it under $200 if possible.
Thanks.
I have a Sonos Playbar. My TV doesn't have a TOSlink port, so instead, I use this HDMI switch. My Roku and Blu-Ray player are plugged into it, the HDMI out goes into the TV, and the TOSlink out goes to the Playbar. This setup has been perfect for the Roku, but it's been a big pain with the Blu-Ray player.
DVDs in Dolby Digital work perfectly. But for Blu-Rays in DTS, I keep having to mess with the settings, and sometimes it still doesn't work right (for example, on one disc I tried, I could only hear the sound intended for the rear surround speakers). I tried one mono Blu-Ray of an older movie, and couldn't get any sound at all.
It seems like this has to be a relatively common problem, but when I search online for Blu-Ray players that convert to Dolby Digital, I don't find much of use. I don't know the right keyword to search for. Or maybe there's some other solution I haven't thought of.
This page on the Sonos website recommends three different Samsung models. But after a very long and confusing call with Samsung customer support, I think I learned that on any of those players, you have to use the TOSlink out, not the HDMI. So I guess to make that work, I'd need to get a player with an HDMI input for the Roku.
I'm mostly just really lost. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Assuming I need to buy a new player, I'd love to keep it under $200 if possible.
Thanks.
Best answer: I personally would not trust a player that converted a DTS bitstream to Dolby Digital.
Nearly all Blu-ray players will internally decode Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio to an uncompressed stereo PCM audio stream. For this player to internal decode and downmix, you would set the Digital Output to PCM, the Downmixing Mode to Surround Compatible, and DTS:Neo6 to Off. According to the manual (pages 32 and 33), that's the only way you can ensure that the Sonos Playbar will get an audio signal it can decode for every Blu-ray or DVD.
Your sound will be 2-channel only, but because the Playbar is basically a set of stereo speakers anyway, it's probably for the best.
If you make these changes and still have problems, please let me know (and please let me know the Blu-rays and DVDs you have this problem with—I work with discs from time to time and want to avoid this problem/want to make sure these aren't discs I worked on).
posted by infinitewindow at 10:45 PM on October 26, 2015
Nearly all Blu-ray players will internally decode Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio to an uncompressed stereo PCM audio stream. For this player to internal decode and downmix, you would set the Digital Output to PCM, the Downmixing Mode to Surround Compatible, and DTS:Neo6 to Off. According to the manual (pages 32 and 33), that's the only way you can ensure that the Sonos Playbar will get an audio signal it can decode for every Blu-ray or DVD.
Your sound will be 2-channel only, but because the Playbar is basically a set of stereo speakers anyway, it's probably for the best.
If you make these changes and still have problems, please let me know (and please let me know the Blu-rays and DVDs you have this problem with—I work with discs from time to time and want to avoid this problem/want to make sure these aren't discs I worked on).
posted by infinitewindow at 10:45 PM on October 26, 2015
Response by poster: Hooray! Thanks a lot, infinitewindow.
I switched it to the settings you recommended. I got really frustrated at first, because only the discs with a stereo sound option worked. Then it dawned on me that the HDMI switch has a button to switch between 5.1 and stereo. When I switched that to stereo, all of the discs worked perfectly.
Your sound will be 2-channel only, but because the Playbar is basically a set of stereo speakers anyway
Is that true? I was under the impression that it could simulate surround sound. And it certainly felt like it on some movies on the Roku. Or was that just wishful thinking?
If and when I decide to get rear speakers and a subwoofer, will I need to switch to a Blu-Ray player with its own optical out (or a new TV)?
Thanks again.
posted by roll truck roll at 11:31 PM on October 26, 2015
I switched it to the settings you recommended. I got really frustrated at first, because only the discs with a stereo sound option worked. Then it dawned on me that the HDMI switch has a button to switch between 5.1 and stereo. When I switched that to stereo, all of the discs worked perfectly.
Your sound will be 2-channel only, but because the Playbar is basically a set of stereo speakers anyway
Is that true? I was under the impression that it could simulate surround sound. And it certainly felt like it on some movies on the Roku. Or was that just wishful thinking?
If and when I decide to get rear speakers and a subwoofer, will I need to switch to a Blu-Ray player with its own optical out (or a new TV)?
Thanks again.
posted by roll truck roll at 11:31 PM on October 26, 2015
If you go to a full surround system you'll want a receiver that takes HDMI as input and can handle decoding the fancier surround sound bitstreams that the bluray player outputs. You'd replace your hdmi switch with the receiver.
Optical can't handle the newer audio formats that bluray supports such as 5.1 (or more) PCM (uncompressed) or the dts master hd, dd truehd, etc. You need your audio processor to support hdmi. A receiver will handle the hdmi switching, audio processing, and be an amplifier for your speakers.
Or theres probably complete soundbar/surround speaker setups that include the necessary audio processing but aren't as flexible as a receiver.
posted by TheAdamist at 3:29 AM on October 27, 2015
Optical can't handle the newer audio formats that bluray supports such as 5.1 (or more) PCM (uncompressed) or the dts master hd, dd truehd, etc. You need your audio processor to support hdmi. A receiver will handle the hdmi switching, audio processing, and be an amplifier for your speakers.
Or theres probably complete soundbar/surround speaker setups that include the necessary audio processing but aren't as flexible as a receiver.
posted by TheAdamist at 3:29 AM on October 27, 2015
Is that true?
Your Sonos is definitely a set of stereo speakers, plus a Dolby decoder and a DSP that can downmix a multi-channel stream into a simulated surround 2-channel mix.
If and when I decide to get rear speakers and a subwoofer, will I need to switch to a Blu-Ray player with its own optical out (or a new TV)?
If and when you decide to upgrade your audio system, I highly recommend you switch to a receiver and a speaker system that supports the latest flavors of HDMI, Dolby and DTS. I've seen what's coming down the road for Blu-ray (think real-time discrete object mixing instead of discrete channel mixing), and Sonos is not likely to make hardware that supports it fully or well.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:50 PM on October 27, 2015
Your Sonos is definitely a set of stereo speakers, plus a Dolby decoder and a DSP that can downmix a multi-channel stream into a simulated surround 2-channel mix.
If and when I decide to get rear speakers and a subwoofer, will I need to switch to a Blu-Ray player with its own optical out (or a new TV)?
If and when you decide to upgrade your audio system, I highly recommend you switch to a receiver and a speaker system that supports the latest flavors of HDMI, Dolby and DTS. I've seen what's coming down the road for Blu-ray (think real-time discrete object mixing instead of discrete channel mixing), and Sonos is not likely to make hardware that supports it fully or well.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:50 PM on October 27, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by roll truck roll at 10:23 PM on October 26, 2015