my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Digital Cinema Forum   » Blu Ray Player with AC3/DTS Deocder?

Author Topic: Blu Ray Player with AC3/DTS Deocder? Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-21-2014 09:45 AM                        Can someone suggest a Blu Ray player that decodes AC3 and DTS and then outputs the multi-channel sound as PCM on HDMI? People are plugging players into media blocks which are then taking the HDMI audio and sending it out the AES/EBU outputs. Since DCI specifies that the AES/EBU outputs out of a media block are PCM, this is causing issues if they the BD player does not output PCM. THANKS! Harold  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-21-2014 10:08 AM                     Unfortunately, the capability to decode the various lossy/lossless codecs to up to 8ch LPCM carries no established feature description in the brochures of these players. Some actually show this option as 'LPCM mixdown', which most people would misunderstand as a 2ch mixdown. I know most recent Sony players do allow the Dolby/DTS->LPCM transcoding to HDMI. Would be good to set up a list of players supporting that mode. Recently, I tend to suggest a PS3 as BluRay player, because it has more audio handling capabilities than all dedicated BluRay Players I know (except analog multichannel output). There is also a wireless/BT remote available, which can be handy in a cinema environment. Unfortunately, the PS3 OSD can not be disabled completely, but it has auto start and from pause, there is only a small 'Play' Symbol visible for 2s in the lower left part of the screen - most of the time masked out anyway in letterboxed flat and scope formats. It is also not that expensive anymore, usually a bit cheaper than mid-range BluRay players. I usually prefer Sony players because they all have a similiar user interface and offer complete OSD disable and unlimited pause. Other manufacturers also support this, but usually only in select models, and you have to read a ton of manuals or do test buys to get this information. Getting precise information on special functions of consumer equipment is a nightmare, even with online documentation available. Some few players actually do DTS->AC3 conversion for coax/optical outputs, so that at least those processors without dts decoding can perform AC3 decoding. Of course, you can always play safe with an Oppo, it's just a bit more expensive, but then you get RS232 control with it. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-21-2014 10:36 AM                     Good luck. I investigated some time ago but it's impossible to know unless you put your hands on the unit. Manuals are usually useless. When I was looking for a player outputting RGB 0-255, I got a reply from a Sony Japanese engineer "our players do not support 0-255", 15 days later I came across a Sony player with two options on the video settings: 0-255 / 16-235.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-21-2014 12:35 PM                     The Oppo BDP-103 will do what you ask. It is the best BluRay player out there and it has all of the outputs...HDMI, coax, Toslink and discrete analog 8-channel.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 07-21-2014 12:35 PM                     I thought that most if not all players can do the encoding internally and output LPCM via HDMI. Every player I've ever used could do that except for some early first gen players. It's the analog output of LPCM that tends to be the most difficult to find, but HDMI should be no problem. I use an Oppo BDP-93. I highly recommend it and its kin, the BDP-103. It's worth the extra money. AJG  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.