DTS-CD Playing DTS disc with Samsung DVD-HD841 - no sound!

[fredblue]

No, I need a DVD player with SACD and DVD-A support, which has 5.1 analog output and an onboard DTS decoder. Then the analog plugs right into my 4-channel quadraphonic receiver. All I have to do is disable the sub and the center channel in the DVD player, and it will mix them back into the front speakers.

Right now with the DVD-HD841, I get 5.1 from SACD and DVD-A just fine, it's only DTS this player has a problem with. Right now I'm looking at a Pioneer DV610AV-S. I can't tell, but it appears to have an aluminum look to the faceplate, and it comes in right at $150. AND it has onboard DTS decoding (downloaded the manual).

Charles.

Charles.

Apologies, I just looked back through the thread and saw you're already eyeing the Pio 610-AV

I have no first hand experience of it but I presume it's just an update of the excellent (for the money) DV600AV.

 

[medkill]

@ piotrus: I agree, as I have this Samsung DVD player (HD841) and found out, last week, that there IS that difference betwen DVD-Audio and DTS 5.1. Years ago when I was buying them, I didn't know there was that difference. (after all, they came in the same type of case). Plus, when I was using my Pioneer 578, I had the digital coax connected to my receiver. When I switched to this Samsung,(the Pioneer quit playing my surround SACD's), i didn't use the digital coax (coax!, I don't need no steenkin' coax!). Last week, I tried playing my Paul McCartney 'Venus and Mars', Moody Blues 'Days Of Future Passed' and wondered why the disc appeared to be playing (timer on the display counting) but no sound output. I spent the next week messing with settings on both the Samsung and the Pioneer receiver. In a final act of desperation, I read the operator manual for the Samsung, where it more or less explained that this unit does not put out anything for DTS on the analog outputs. I located the digital coax cable, hooked it up and voila!, I can now play my DTS discs. Now, since I'm also updating my audio collection inventory, I'll now have to separate DTS 5.1 discs from the DVD-Audio list.

 

[timbre4]

I have one of these players too. More precisely the Samsung player does NOT have DTS decoding on board; using the digital output means that you are letting the amp or receiver handle the DTS decoding task. It does have Dolby Digital decoding on board but DTS decoding was a corner they chose to cut.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I also own the Samsung DVD-HD841 although I haven't used it in years. As others have stated, it does not decode DTS, only bitstreams it for decoding by an attached decoder. I recall reading the Zoran Vaddis chip used for decoding was capable but Samsung either didn't want to pay DTS for licensing or weren't able to implement decoding for some reason. I have continued to use the very similar Samsung DVD-HD950 all of these years which handles DTS in the same manner.

 

[ChopperCharles]

That Pioneer 610AV was a bust -- it can't be used for vintage quad. The menus allow you to set all speakers to large, to disable the center channel and subwoofer... but it doesn't mix that info back into the front channels. The manual says it is supposed to, but it does not. My DVDA Doors box is missing all the vocals when played through the Pioneer.

I've done a little research and this was apparently a problem with an older Pioneer DVD player -- it had to be connected to an active HDMI device for the phantom analog channels to work correctly.

So, I'd avoid Pioneer dvd players at all costs, if you're using a vintage receiver like me.

Charles.