PDA

View Full Version : DVD-A and downsampling


AndyH
14-11-2001, 20:52
Hi all,

My first DVD-A title popped through the letter box today, thanks to amazon.com. Excitedly I put it in my Pioneer 646 and pondered what the amp would make of it (Sony 930).

This particular DVD-A title comes with DVD-A "Advanced Resolution" stereo (which I take to mean at least 24 bit 96kHz), "Advanced Resolution Surround" (same, but in surround) and Dolby Digital surround (for those with only DVD-Video players).

I had already read that Warner master their DVD-A discs so you can't swap between Dolby Digital and DVD-A. I would've been intrigued to compare lossy and lossless, but wasn't too fussed.

However what I wasn't expecting was the stereo mode to make my amp flash "2ch PCM 48kHz" through the digital link, and to do exactly the same when I selected the surround track!

I've since figured out that you need to use analogue 5.1 inputs for DVD-A surround. No probs there (although I can imagine some people being unhappy!), what I'm querying is what you get out of the digital link in stereo mode.

My Pioneer has a couple of settings to establish if your amp can accept 96kHz (it can), but does warn that some discs force a downsample to 48kHz for copy protection reasons.

Is there anyway of knowing this is what is happening, and therefore should I listen to the 2ch DVD-A track through my 2ch analogue link from DVD to amp (which I prefer for normal CDs over the co-ax link). I'm figuring the player should be "DAC"ing 24/96 to those outputs.

Blimey - I realise I've waffled a lot above, but I'd be interested to hear what other people have discovered with their setups!

Cheers,
Andy

Bapapapa
14-11-2001, 20:55
No idea on the khz issue, but I think it's in the current DVD-A standard that it's only output thru the analogue channels and not bitstreamed. Copy protection or something legalese anyway. :D

Ron Hill
15-11-2001, 15:02
Bapapapa is right. DVD-A is decoded in the player to 5.1 analog outs. AFAIK there's no such thing as an external DVD-A bitream receiver. Ditto SACD.

AndyH
15-11-2001, 15:18
OK, pretty much as I thought then - I can be safe in the knowledge that I'm getting what the DVD player reports (24/96) out the analogue outs (2ch and 5.1), and the amp claiming 48kHz through the digital is correct due to copyright issues forcing a downsample.

Good excuse to buy some more interconnects! :)