Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Blu Ray Player with AC3/DTS Deocder?

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Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 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

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 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

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 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.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 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.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 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