Dolby Digital Plus vs. DTS

[Rsaeire]

I was going through my DVD collection and noticed a few of my DVDs had a DTS 1.5 Mbps track e.g. The Fifth Element, Enemy At the Gates. Has anybody come across a movie on DVD with a high bitrate DTS track and compared it to the Dolby Digital Plus version on HD-DVD?

I ask as it would be interesting to see how the codecs compare on the different formats.

[potnoodles]

Originally Posted by rsaeire

I was going through my DVD collection and noticed a few of my DVDs had a DTS 1.5 Mbps track e.g. The Fifth Element, Enemy At the Gates etc. I currently don't have the HD-DVD version of a lot of my DVDs, so I can't compare, but has anybody compared a high bitrate DTS track with a Dolby Digital Plus version if available?

DTS on SD DVD is the non compressed audio which is the same as the AC3 track - both are 5.1 or 2.1 depending on the source

The dolby digital plus (DDP) will allow 7.1 channel sound so you need a sound system that can play this to even notice any perceptible advantage.

[Rsaeire]

Originally Posted by potnoodles

DTS on SD DVD is the non compressed audio which is the same as the AC3 track - both are 5.1 or 2.1 depending on the source

The dolby digital plus (DDP) will allow 7.1 channel sound so you need a sound system that can play this to even notice any perceptible advantage.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm aware of what formats are and what they entail, I was just asking whether anyone had had a chance to compare a 1.5 Mbps DTS track on DVD to the same Dolby Digital Plus track on HD-DVD.

I'll ask another question; which should be more possible for people to compare. What have people's opinions been on comparisons between the DTS 1.5 Mbps core track and the Dolby Digital Plus track on HD-DVD?

[Racquel Darrian]

Originally Posted by potnoodles

DTS on SD DVD is the non compressed audio which is the same as the AC3 track - both are 5.1 or 2.1 depending on the source

The dolby digital plus (DDP) will allow 7.1 channel sound so you need a sound system that can play this to even notice any perceptible advantage.

I have not got a single HD DVD or Blu-ray in 7.1 DD+.
In fact I don't know if such a thing exists.
I've got some HD DVDs in TrueHD EX but none in 7.1.

Even my T2 tin edition is in DTS HD 7.1.

[paulst10]

Originally Posted by rsaeire

I was going through my DVD collection and noticed a few of my DVDs had a DTS 1.5 Mbps track e.g. The Fifth Element, Enemy At the Gates. Has anybody come across a movie on DVD with a high bitrate DTS track and compared it to the Dolby Digital Plus version on HD-DVD?

I ask as it would be interesting to see how the codecs compare on the different formats.

Hi, assuming both tracks have no frequency responce difference, I really do not think you would be able to tell them apart in a blind test

Also, I have a region 1 DTS (1.5mbs) version of Dante's Peak and also the HD DVD which has 1.5mbs DD+ .. and tbh, I could not notice any difference after a brief test

[Rsaeire]

Originally Posted by paulst10

Hi, assuming both tracks have no frequency responce difference, I really do not think you would be able to tell them apart in a blind test

Also, I have a region 1 DTS (1.5mbs) version of Dante's Peak and also the HD DVD which has 1.5mbs DD+ .. and tbh, I could not notice any difference after a brief test

Thanks for the reply. I never knew, before going through my DVD collection, that DTS even had 1.5 Mbps tracks available on some titles, so I thought it would be interesting to compare with Dolby Digital Plus.

While reading up on all the sound formats, I can honestly say that the amount of formats available from Dolby boggles the mind! From Dolby Mono, Surround and Pro Logic, to Dolby Digital EX, Plus and TrueHD; I can now say that I am well versed on all things Dolby (just don't try test me... I’m still learning) lol

[DeadKenny]

I don't think I've got anything with both DD+ 1.5mb and DTS to compare. Not with the same title.

However, I can say that the DTS core extraction (over optical) of the DTS-HD MA track on the UK Terminator 2 release does sound fantastic!

Given I don't have the ability to properly decode HD audio formats*, the DTS track on T2 pretty much blows away all the DD+ / DD TrueHD tracks on all my other HD DVDs.

* (even though I have the EP35 with analogue output, I am firmly convinced it does not decode HD audio properly now)


But as for DVDs with full-bitrate DTS. Yes, I've got a few. Have to say the difference between half-bitrate and full is pretty noticeable. It's the dynamic range really that's different. Depth and detail, with a lot of power and punch where lower bitrates seem a bit flat by comparison. As all of those full-bitrate DTS DVDs were region 1, I'm thankful now that I have a region free EP35 :D

I have heard some claims that the region 1 DTS version of Apollo 13 is better than the DD+ of Apollo 13 on HD DVD. I've got the HD DVD, but never got the DVD, so can't test that myself.

[Rsaeire]

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

I have heard some claims that the region 1 DTS version of Apollo 13 is better than the DD+ of Apollo 13 on HD DVD. I've got the HD DVD, but never got the DVD, so can't test that myself.

That’s interesting about Apollo 13. It just goes to show that there still is a noticeable difference, allegedly, between DTS and Dolby even when comparing new HD formats with legacy ones.

Good point about the dynamic range. I take it you're referring to the sampling frequency and bit depth? I have no way of checking my own DVDs to see either; I use PowerDVD to detect the audio format and bitrate, but it can't show the sampling frequency or bit depth.

[DeadKenny]

Originally Posted by rsaeire

Good point about the dynamic range. I take it you're referring to the sampling frequency and bit depth? I have no way of checking my own DVDs to see either; I use PowerDVD to detect the audio format and bitrate, but it can't show the sampling frequency or bit depth.

Effectively yes. Although I'm not sure about the sampling frequency differences in the formats, but to my ears the difference is similar to what I've heard between a regular 44khz 16bit CD and a 96khz 24bit track on a DVD-A (which in fact was also DTS, but that's 96/24 DTS).

Anyway, whatever the technical reasons, it sounds like there's more detail, depth and punch. More than just "one louder", which is what I feel half-bitrate DTS is vs Dolby Digital.

Actually, thinking about it, I do have T2 on DVD as well as HD-DVD. Not sure what bitrate the DVD is, but it's DTS as I recall. Would be interesting to compare that to the DTS core of the HD-DVD.

Also, I've just noticed I've got the R1 of Out of Sight on DVD which I believe was full-bitrate DTS, and the HD-DVD of the same film which I think is DD+. Could compare that when I get time.

[Pecker]

As time progresses, logic would suggest that technology improves. DD+ is far newer than dts, and you'd have to guess that codecs in general have become more efficient between when dts was introduced in 1993 and when DD+ was introduced in 2006.

It'd be bizarre if the latter format were less efficient.

However, please note that in a recent high end demo for a system costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, only DD/dts was used, not any of the HD formats...and no one noticed.

AVForums high end home cinema event

Steve W

[Rsaeire]

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

Effectively yes. Although I'm not sure about the sampling frequency differences in the formats, but to my ears the difference is similar to what I've heard between a regular 44khz 16bit CD and a 96khz 24bit track on a DVD-A (which in fact was also DTS, but that's 96/24 DTS).

Anyway, whatever the technical reasons, it sounds like there's more detail, depth and punch. More than just "one louder", which is what I feel half-bitrate DTS is vs Dolby Digital.

Actually, thinking about it, I do have T2 on DVD as well as HD-DVD. Not sure what bitrate the DVD is, but it's DTS as I recall. Would be interesting to compare that to the DTS core of the HD-DVD.

Also, I've just noticed I've got the R1 of Out of Sight on DVD which I believe was full-bitrate DTS, and the HD-DVD of the same film which I think is DD+. Could compare that when I get time.

If you get a chance, that would be great. Although I have a HD-DVD player and movies, I don't have the ability to avail of HD audio yet with my setup.

[Rsaeire]

Originally Posted by Pecker

As time progresses, logic would suggest that technology improves. DD+ is far newer than dts, and you'd have to guess that codecs in general have become more efficient between when dts was introduced in 1993 and when DD+ was introduced in 2006.

It'd be bizarre if the latter format were less efficient.

I hear you. It would be surprising if DTS full-bitrate was more efficient than Dolby Plus at the same bitrate. It would give some credence to the never-ending comparison between the two company’s formats too

Originally Posted by Pecker

However, please note that in a recent high end demo for a system costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, only DD/dts was used, not any of the HD formats...and no one noticed.

AVForums high end home cinema event

Steve W

That wouldn't surprise me at all. I remember hearing that infamous story of a blind listening test between different cable manufacturers, and even the audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between Monster cables and a wire hanger! lol

A lot of the time, a bit of volume goes a long way to giving that placebo effect of quality. I remember listening to scene in War of the Worlds on DVD; the Tom Cruise version. It was the scene where Tom and Dakota Fanning’s characters were out their back and saw these flashes of lightning in quick succession light up the sky, and heard an almighty thunder rip through the air. During the scene I turned my system up louder than normal and the sound ripped through my room, making it sound as if the walls and ground were shaking.

Clearly not HD audio, but impressive, in my opinion, none the less. I've come across some more DTS full-bitrate DVDs too during my DVD cataloguing; Passion of the Christ to name one.