DD EX/DTS ES question... - DVDfile.com forum for DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD

Keith · 10-31-2003, 04:59 PM

OK guys, I bought a seperate center channel about a month or so ago than enables me to hear 6.1 sound. As you all are aware, very few DVD's (at least in my collection) are 6.1 compliable. My question is, even if I'm watching a movie that isn't 6.1 (I'll use The Matrix as an example), the readout of my receiver still says Dolby EX, regardless, even though I'm getting nothing from the rear center channel. This is no biggie, just something that bugs me a bit. My receiver is a Pioneer VSX-D812.

snipsnapsappy · 10-31-2003, 06:06 PM

Actually, Dolby Digital EX tracks are encoded in 5.1, not 6.1, so what the reciever does is extract sounds that are placed in mono in the surrounds and it creates an artificial 6th channel. It is similar to the process of turning stereo into surround using pro-logic processing where you extract the center from sounds that are mono in the front channels. That is why DTS ES is 6.1 discrete. It actually has 6.1 discrete channels. No artificial processing is done.

However, Matrix and other 5.1 titles can be processed the same as an official EX title. Most of the time, doing this is beneficial. You can often read reviews that tell you whether or not to enable EX decoding for certain 5.1 titles. DVDfile is good about telling you this, as is www.widescreenreview.com, most 5.1 dvds sound good in EX mode, it is the ones that are secretly in 4.1 that do not sound good because the surround channels are completely mono and all surround sounds are reverted to the back surround instead of the side surrounds.

Hope all that helps to answer your question.

Keith · 10-31-2003, 07:09 PM

Thanks snipsnapsappy, I certainly did not realize that. It makes sense in that context.

10-31-2003, 04:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Keith Actor Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The pit of the Peach State	DD EX/DTS ES question... OK guys, I bought a seperate center channel about a month or so ago than enables me to hear 6.1 sound. As you all are aware, very few DVD's (at least in my collection) are 6.1 compliable. My question is, even if I'm watching a movie that isn't 6.1 (I'll use The Matrix as an example), the readout of my receiver still says Dolby EX, regardless, even though I'm getting nothing from the rear center channel. This is no biggie, just something that bugs me a bit. My receiver is a Pioneer VSX-D812. __________________ People scare better when they're dying.

10-31-2003, 06:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
snipsnapsappy Actor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Shell Beach, CA, USA	Actually, Dolby Digital EX tracks are encoded in 5.1, not 6.1, so what the reciever does is extract sounds that are placed in mono in the surrounds and it creates an artificial 6th channel. It is similar to the process of turning stereo into surround using pro-logic processing where you extract the center from sounds that are mono in the front channels. That is why DTS ES is 6.1 discrete. It actually has 6.1 discrete channels. No artificial processing is done. However, Matrix and other 5.1 titles can be processed the same as an official EX title. Most of the time, doing this is beneficial. You can often read reviews that tell you whether or not to enable EX decoding for certain 5.1 titles. DVDfile is good about telling you this, as is www.widescreenreview.com, most 5.1 dvds sound good in EX mode, it is the ones that are secretly in 4.1 that do not sound good because the surround channels are completely mono and all surround sounds are reverted to the back surround instead of the side surrounds. Hope all that helps to answer your question. __________________ I balked, now the proud owner of both formats. I am now bi-partisan. I enjoy what both red and blue have to offer. My Theater MySpace

10-31-2003, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Keith Actor Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The pit of the Peach State	Thanks snipsnapsappy, I certainly did not realize that. It makes sense in that context. __________________ People scare better when they're dying.

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