ac3 vs. dts

[TransformX]

I know it's an old one but still.
I just bought the X-MEN 2 DVD, it comes with both ac3 and dts so I tried them both on my rig (first dts movie I got).
Unlike many comparisons I saw before, I could hear a big difference in sound quality in all kinds of scenes from simple dialog to action scenes.
The overall difference between ac3 and dts is that while ac3 sounded gread, switching to dts was as if I was under a blanket all that time as I have suddenly removed it.
Sound was much more crisp, open, detailed and well positioned.
It's kind of like moving from a 64kbps to 128kbps MP3.
Maybe ac3 simply sucked in this movie or I have a problem with my rig.

My rig:
Software: WinDVD 5 Platinum on Win2k
Hardware: Liteon DVD
CPU: Athlon XP 1800
Soundcard: Hercules GameTheater XP
Connection: Optical
Receiver: Yamaha htr-5170 (aka RX-V795a)

By the way, I loved the movie in the cinema, I love it even more on my rig with my little 17" monitor and BIG dts sound

[Indiana]

Re: ac3 vs. dts

Originally posted by TransformX
I know it's an old one but still.
I just bought the X-MEN 2 DVD, it comes with both ac3 and dts so I tried them both on my rig (first dts movie I got).
Unlike many comparisons I saw before, I could hear a big difference in sound quality in all kinds of scenes from simple dialog to action scenes.
The overall difference between ac3 and dts is that while ac3 sounded gread, switching to dts was as if I was under a blanket all that time as I have suddenly removed it.
Sound was much more crisp, open, detailed and well positioned.
It's kind of like moving from a 64kbps to 128kbps MP3.
Maybe ac3 simply sucked in this movie or I have a problem with my rig.

Well I would say, this is the normal experience, as long as you have good enough equipment - the 64->128Kbps difference seems a bit drastic, but I would say, it's normally like going from 112kbps to 192kbps here - and this in about every DVD I own that has both soundtracks on it (Terminator2, 5th element, some Live DVDs,...)

[TransformX]

Re: Re: ac3 vs. dts

Originally posted by Indiana
Well I would say, this is the normal experience, as long as you have good enough

My current rig (receiver and speakers) is sub $1500 so I guess any one could hear that difference unless he owns an especially crappy rig.

[KvHagedorn]

Dolby Digital aka AC-3 is compressed at a 12-1 ratio, while dts uses, I think, 3:1. This results in more detail and higher fidelity. DTS mixes are usually hotter as well, so it seems louder.

[TransformX]

Damn, dts really does rule.

[Indiana]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
DTS mixes are usually hotter as well, so it seems louder.

Yes, but even with the volume adjusted to equivalent levels DTS is so much "clearer" then DolbyDigital on all DVDs I can compare those two formats...
Sometimes the Dolby digital mixes are more "effectful" though (so there's more "noise" from the back speakers, while the DTS sometimes might sound a bit "naturalistic" for some people..)

[agallag]

As Kv said, DTS is much higher bitrate than straight DD/AC3, therefore it's clearer, higher quality sound. It's not like magic speaker cables, it's simply better

[TransformX]

Hey agallag, don't you dare bad-mouthing my magic speaker cables !

[Jon P. Inghram]

Yeah! Everyone knows that a steep price tag makes audio components sound better!

[TransformX]

Originally posted by Jon P. Inghram
Yeah! Everyone knows that a steep price tag makes audio components sound better!

What a n00b !!! Hahahaaha !!!
I'ts the giftwrap that makes the biggest difference !
Ha ! I like so totally and utterly 0wn you ! Muahahahaha !!!

[J1NG]

TransformX:

Um you haven't been a naughty boy and been put on the couch already have you?

J1NG

[Jon P. Inghram]

The only gift wrapping my stuff came in were FedEx boxes, I guess my stuff just won't sound right.

More on topic, I've got Predator on DVD, and the DTS track sounds quite a bit better than the AC3 one.

[Jammrock]

If you really want to hear the difference pop in the any of the LotR EE DVD's. Even though the AC3 and DTS mixes are the best there are, the DTS mix is significantly better, imo.

Jammrock

[Elie]

Yes as KvHagedorn mentioned, DTS represents the actual recording compressed anywhere between 2:1 to 5:1 !!

DTS audio file however is so much larger than Dolby Digital which is why not many movie DVD's are made with DTS.

I jump at the chance to buy a DVD's with DTS encoding because I am a bit of an audio phile myself .

So if you buy a movie with DTS and Dolby Digital, always pick DTS (if your receiver suppoirts it) and enjoy the best possible audio reproduction.

In fact, I;m starting my own collection of DVD Audio, they are all DTS and rated at 24Bit 96Khz, again simply amazing!!!

Cheers,
Elie

[breezer]

A was a ac3 fan, until I purchased a new amp, the dts soundtracks are so much better.
I believe that it was created is a responce to ac3, to rival it in cinemas an (later) in the home, so it had to have an improved sound.

Breezer