Blu-ray and High-Def Audio
As an act of total misguided insubordination, I am going to be writing to you today about something a little different than what you may be used to here at Armchair: High Definition Audio. Amazon is leaving the door wide open on this one. Or maybe that's what they want. >:)
So, what is high-def audio? To put it plainly - superior audio content on a Blu-ray Disc, or other high-def mediums. Codecs are used as a way of compressing audio, which then is read, or decoded, by a Blu-ray player or a reciever.--Don't get squeamish! It is important to know a little bit about the technology if you want a complete high-def experience.--
A rundown of high-def audio codecs on Blu-ray. (taken from Blu-ray.com specs):
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) - extension of Dolby Digital, 7.1-channel surround sound.
Dolby TrueHD - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio - extension of DTS, 7.1-channel surround sound.
DTS-HD Master Audio - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio.
Studios can choose to include these High-Def audio encodings on a Blu-ray disc, depending on the title.
So how do know if you're getting the best sound quality possible? Check the specs on your Blu-ray player. Does it support internal decoding for these codecs? If so, then all you need is an HDMI1.1+ receiver to output the high-def audio.
Depending on the specs of your receiver, you can also choose to decode audio through the receiver itself by bitstreaming from your player. You'll have to see what your receiver can then decode internally. Also, HDMI1.3a is a good bet if you choose this path.
Dolby True HD is supported on the PS3, the system widely considered to be the best bang for your buck. Though, if you really want to get serious, check out the Blu-ray.com player comparisons.
Here are some Blu-ray titles that take advantage of high-def audio:
Stomp the Yard - TrueHD
Shine a Light - TrueHD
ZZ Top: Live from Texas - DTS-HD
Heart: Alive in Seattle - DTS-HD
More HD goodness coming in the following weeks,
--Rich
on August 30, 2008 at 09:22 AM
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