Plz Explain DD & DTS

[Darkatom]

Could someone please explain how to get dts, dolby digital, ect. from movies. I have a dell X-fi soundcard, which has dts disabled but has DD supported in the sonic cineplayer that dell supplies. The following was taken from the dell blog site.

" There’s still some confusion around the Sound Blaster X-Fi card. Looking at comments on the blog and e-mails that I’m getting, the confusion tends to be centered around the distinction between what’s handled via hardware or software. Before explaining that, want to call out three core points:

Comparing the physical card itself, there is no difference between the Dell version of the Sound Blaster X-Fi and the retail version.
Dolby Digital 5.1 playback is done through software codecs—this applies to both the retail and Dell versions of the card.
We do support Dolby Digital 5.1 playback; we do not support for DTS. More on this below.
The purpose of point #1 is to clarify that we’re not delivering limited functionality at the hardware level. This means like the retail version, through hardware, we support features like EAX (enhanced game audio for games written to support it); the 24-bit crystalizer (a processor that delivers improved audio quality from a variety of sources) and CMSS 3-D (which is a processor that emulates surround sound, for 2-channel environments or headphones).

Regarding points #2 and 3: Dolby Digital and DTS are sound decoders for movies. Even on the retail version of the card, both of these are done through a software codec ultimately licensed through Dolby or DTS. The Dolby Digital 5.1 software codec we use on all XPS 700 systems is licensed through Sonic, whereas the retail X-Fi solution is licensed through Creative. From a customer standpoint, if you have a 5.1 speaker set and a DVD movie that supports Dolby Digital (very common these days), you simply insert the DVD into the drive and play the movie. We don’t support DTS (which is supported through software on the retail card with Creative’s software codecs), not because of any hardware limitation, but only because we don’t install a software codec for DTS. Does this mean that your system won’t support DTS at all? No. If you have DTS-encoded movies and want to hear them that way, you can purchase a DVD player utility that features DTS capability. "

I am just really confused about all this. If I get a retail X-fi will i get all the dolby digitals through power dvd as i uninstalled cine player due to conflicts. Also is 5.1 required ( i know it is for surround) as I have a 2.1 set (logitech z-2300)?

 

[Mister X]

Power DVD will handle both formats so you are good to go.
That is what they told you here---->

If you have DTS-encoded movies and want to hear them that way, you can purchase a DVD player utility that features DTS capability.

Power DVD also has it's own "CyberLink Virtual Speaker" surround mode for two speaker systems, so in theory you are OK there as well.
I say "In theory" because it kinda sucks compared to real multichannel system.

 

[phide]

There is no reason to select either Dolby Digital or DTS if you don't have a 5.1 speaker system. Stereo down-mixes for those with mono, 2.0 and 2.1 are done methodically to ensure that they work properly on these systems. Quad, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 mixes are built in a completely different manner than stereo mixes and are only intended for these systems.

Your DVDs should give you a setup option that allows you to select which mix best fits your speaker system. You want to select the stereo mix (sometimes called the 2.0 mix).

 

[Darkatom]

There is no reason to select either Dolby Digital or DTS if you don't have a 5.1 speaker system. Stereo down-mixes for those with mono, 2.0 and 2.1 are done methodically to ensure that they work properly on these systems. Quad, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 mixes are built in a completely different manner than stereo mixes and are only intended for these systems.

Your DVDs should give you a setup option that allows you to select which mix best fits your speaker system. You want to select the stereo mix (sometimes called the 2.0 mix).

The only option that Power DVD offers is stereo and Dolby Surround. Although when I switch the speaker setting to SPDIF I get a Dolby Digital Bitstream Out Icon on the screen but there is no sound coming from the speakers.

 

[Mister X]

Although when I switch the speaker setting to SPDIF I get a Dolby Digital Bitstream Out Icon on the screen but there is no sound coming from the speakers.

That is because you effectively turned off the software decoder by selecting that setting.

 

[phide]

Alright, here's what you need to do:

A) Select stereo in PowerDVD. You've done this.
B) Make sure that stereo mix is selected within the DVD's menu itself. This is typically the default mix, but not always. This is called the stereo mix, the 2.0 mix or, sometimes, the Dolby Digital 2.0 mix.
C) Enable the digital out (if you are actually using S/PDIF) through the Creative control panels. If not, don't select the S/PDIF option - you don't need digital output to play back Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS (which you're not going to use) because the decoding is being performed in software.