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[Miguel]

OK, Nikashi claims DTS is just "louder"

Evilore found this little tidbit:
<EviLore> "DD is encoded with built-in equalization that makes it seem "quieter" than DTS"

I love the damned thing, DTS rocks.

Anyone else have a preference when a DVD includes both soundtracks?

 

[Error Macro]

Heh, this debate has been done to death, but yeah, really DTS is just encoded louder, usually around +10 db. Dolby has a more effecient encoder, and if used properly, can achieve identical/better results than DTS. Unfortunately, a lot of 5.1 DD soundtracks on DVDs are mixed so that they still sound ok when someone without a 5.1 setup plays back the track on their TVs, and the DVD player has to downmix the DD track for 2 speakers. It's a shame really.

The only time that you can claim the DTS track actually sounds signifigantly better, is when there are different masters/mixes used for the tracks, all other things being equal. When the DTS company used to handle the mastering process themselves, they "cooked" the DTS tracks so they sounded very different from their DD counterparts. See Saving Private Ryan as a prime example. Also, the Gladiator and Jurassic Park (corrected DTS version) DVDs come to mind.

 

[Miguel]

Heh, this debate has been done to death, but yeah, really DTS is just encoded louder, usually around +10 db. Dolby has a more effecient encoder, and if used properly, can achieve identical/better results than DTS. Unfortunately, a lot of 5.1 DD soundtracks on DVDs are mixed so that they still sound ok when someone without a 5.1 setup plays back the track on their TVs, and the DVD player has to downmix the DD track for 2 speakers. It's a shame really.

The only time that you can claim the DTS track actually sounds signifigantly better, is when there are different masters/mixes used for the tracks, all other things being equal. When the DTS company used to handle the mastering process themselves, they "cooked" the DTS tracks so they sounded very different from their DD counterparts. See Saving Private Ryan as a prime example. Also, the Gladiator and Jurassic Park (corrected DTS version) DVDs come to mind.

Well, the few DVDs I've watched in the past few days (Fast and the Furious/Jurrasic Park II) have sounded much clearer when using the DTS (although, they were louder when I switched over, but at a volume where the decibel levels seemed equal (ie: turning down the DTS a few notches), the DTS soundtrack definately sounded much clearer. At louder volumes, the sharpness of the sound on DTS was magnified.

 

[Mrbob]

Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 DTS >>>>>>>>> Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 DD

Argument over.

 

[Error Macro]

Well, the few DVDs I've watched in the past few days (Fast and the Furious/Jurrasic Park II) have sounded much clearer when using the DTS (although, they were louder when I switched over, but at a volume where the decibel levels seemed equal (ie: turning down the DTS a few notches), the DTS soundtrack definately sounded much clearer. At louder volumes, the sharpness of the sound on DTS was magnified.

I'd have to listen to those DVDs again, but I'm pretty sure that it's a result of the DD track being compromised for 2-channel downmixing in those cases. When you play those tracks, it sounds like the DD is fairly "flat" and compressed. Less dynamics. This is to please those people that buy their DVDs at a grocery store, and play them back on $60 DVD players, with the sound coming through the TV speakers.

 

[DCX]

I always choose a DTS track if it's available. It seems to be a fuller sound , more range...just my opinion.

DCX

 

[levious]

if available, I always set it to DTS cause it's another thing that lights up on my reciever... other than that, I doubt my ears or system are good enough to really tell the difference.

 

[Shompola]

DTS is technically better. But it's up to the people mastering the tracks. Most of the time DD is just as good as DTS. And louder does not equal better. If you're anal about loudness then just amplify your sound thru the receiver. Amplifying the sound thru receiver is not recommended unless the receiver does it thru automatic room optimization. If you have no control of what kind of effect the receiver is producing and go over the limit the receiver can handle it will in the worst case blow up.

 

[Error Macro]

DTS is technically better. But it's up to the people mastering the tracks. Most of the time DD is just as good as DTS. And louder does not equal better. If you're anal about loudness then just amplify your sound thru the receiver.

IAWTP Except that DTS isn't exactly technically better. I could rattle off hundreds of quotes from industry white papers, but that wouldn't do any good. DTS and DD each have their own advantages. I think though, personally, as a whole Dolby has the better encoder. The superior bit-resevoir system alone makes it better, IMO. Now, the monkey engineers that screw these things up when mastering, cannot be avoided, and is the variable that causes extreme problems.

 

[Shompola]

You know I realized my error there. I shouldn't have said technically. But I should have said that DTS should in theory sound better because it's less compressed.

 

[Error Macro]

In theory, if their compression algorithm was up to the level of Dolby's

 

[Warm Machine]

Excuse my lack of proper buzz words but I've found that DTS has more tonal range in the lower frequecies. Basically, the bass has more depth and sounds thicker. The more treble sounding stuff is sharper and cleaner.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

DTS just sounds way richer.

 

[tmdorsey]

DTS

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Unfortunately, it seems there are far more DPL movies than DTS.

 

[Fusebox]

DTS has more 'potential' to be a better sounding soundtrack, but it is all up to the audio department.

For example,the DTS soundtracks of The Rock: Criterion and Scorpion King R4 are way inferior to their DD versions.

 

[Shompola]

DTS just sounds way richer.

Can you say PLACEBO?

 

[Truelize]

if available, I always set it to DTS cause it's another thing that lights up on my reciever... other than that, I doubt my ears or system are good enough to really tell the difference.

LoL. I was thinking about posting the same thing.
I do notice a difference though. Fuller sound is how I would explain it too. I get more repsonse from my rear speakers when I'm using DTS. But honestly I choose DTS because when I bought my reciever I was told it was better than DD. So if a dvd has it, I use it.