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Marantz's new high-end Blu-ray player
Supposedly Marantz's new Blu-ray player was at CEDIA, but if it was, we missed it. We won't let that happen again next week and we guarantee we'll get our hands-on the new BD8002 at CES next Wednesday. This players seems it may be one of best players ever considering it includes everything we can think of -- as it should with a MSRP of $2,099.99. At the top of the list is the players ability to decode just about every new audio codec out there including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, and output it via 7.1 analog outs or uncompressed via HDMI. The icing on the cake is the inclusion of the 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta video processor, which should help make it the best Profile 1.1 player yet when it's released the second quarter of 2008.
Poll: Can your setup do both next-gen audio formats?
With all the talk of the PS3's inability to take advantage of the benefits of DTS HD yesterday we got to thinking, how many people can actually enjoy both of the latest codecs? While it's easy to just say my setup can do X and that's good enough, the problem is that most titles don't give you a choice when the studios don't opt to include both a TrueHD and DTS HD sound track. So compatibility isn't as much about choice as it is about not having to default to the 1.5Mbps compressed audio from the 90's because your setup can't decode both. %Poll-7761%
Why the PS3 isn't the best Blu-ray player
Not too long ago we asked you what the best Blu-ray player was and as many would expect one of the hottest answers was the PS3. At $400, with the PS3's ability to be updated to support just about any new Blu-ray feature, it seems like the best value; but there's one thing about the PS3 that is often overlooked. No, we're not talking about the lack of IR remote (easily solved with a $15 adapter) we're talking about the limited audio codec support. Sure, the PS3 supports Doby TrueHD decoding internally, but it lacks a big one, DTS HD. For whatever reason, the PS3 does not support bitstream output -- no, not even TrueHD -- only PCM, and since there's no DTS HD decoder built in, that leaves out one of the hottest new codecs. Sure, only ~15% of Blu-ray titles even include a DTS HD sound track, but judging by the upcoming releases from Sony, Disney, Fox, New Line and Lionsgate, we'd say this number is going to get a lot bigger. At this point, the best option is the Panasonic DMP-BD30 and a newer HDMI 1.3a A/V receiver with all the decoders built in, but who knows, maybe Sony will figure out a way to upgrade the PS3.
Hi-Def disc audio demystified
We gave this a go some time ago, but compared to the job Hi-Def Digest did, ours is pathetic. Not only do they go into detail about what every audio format available for both HD disc formats is all about, but they go on to give examples of discs that include them, and to top it all off, how to enjoy them. It's more complicated than you think because not every player or connection method supports every audio format. To be honest it's far more complicated than it should be and we wonder how anyone could make heads or tails of this mess without being very dedicated. Lucky for us, Joshua Zyber is up to the challenge and his article should help clear things up for just about everyone.
Samsung's BD-P1400 gets DTS-HD Master Audio support
In the alphabet soup that is the format war, the latest codec to finally come to fruition is DTS-HD MA. Up 'till now a few Blu-ray titles have included DTS-HD MA tracks, but no one's been able to enjoy them until now. Samsung has released a firmware update for the BD-P1400 -- yes already -- that enables this lossless codec to be sent via HDMI 1.3a to an audio/video receiver to be decoded. As exciting is this may be to some, we suspect that this feature will go unnoticed to most people, as the number of receivers out there right now sportin' this feature is really limited.
Pioneer unveils new Elite SC-09TX receiver
At Pioneer, there's Elite and there's "flagship" Elite. The SC-09TX is Pioneer's first flagship receiver in almost three years, and they've pulled out all the stops. You know the laundry list of goodies is drool-worthy: 1080p upscaling, HDMI 1.3, MCACC auto calibration, DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD, for example. THX Loudness Plus is also onboard, so you can hear all the details in the soundtrack without having to crank it up to THX reference levels. Not that you couldn't get to those volume levels, though -- all seven channels can be driven continuously at 200 Watts via a custom ICEPower (an offshoot of Bang & Olufson) Class-D amplifier. To make sure the signal being fed to the amp section is up to snuff, Pioneer has put their Sampling Rate Converter inside -- think of it as a 192kHz audio scaler. If you want one of these receivers like we do, you've got a few months to save up -- the SC-09TX drops this winter at $7000.
HDMI 1.3 not living up to its promise?
One of the benefits in going from HDMI 1.2 to 1.3 is support of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio streams. The idea goes something like this -- you get your HDMI 1.3 compliant player (HD DVD or Blu-ray flavor), hook it up to your new HDMI 1.3 processor/receiver, and bask in the glory of reference quality audio. The reality? Not so clear. It turns out that at least some standalone players don't support the HDMI 1.3 specification fully, and skimp on streaming these formats either naively or in a PCM format, just like PS3 owners found for DTS HD. Technically, that's fair - manufacturers are not required to implement the full HDMI 1.3 specification to wear the HDMI 1.3 badge. But wasn't HDMI supposed to reduce confusion among consumers? The HDMI Learning Center suggests that "... consumers should ensure that their playback device ... is capable of decoding these new lossless Dolby & DTS audio formats ..." Caveat emptor, friends.
Onkyo's DV-HD805 HD DVD player: coming this fall for $899
Recall that DV-HD805 we caught wind of a few months back? Turns out the whispers were somewhat accurate, as Onkyo's "first HD DVD player" is indeed slated to hit the US market this fall. The unit will feature HDMI 1.3a connections, support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, 24p capability, the HQV Reon VX video processing chipset (which handles upscaling), and an Ethernet port to download firmware updates and utilize any internet-enabled content from flicks. Look for it to take holiday shoppers by storm sometime this fall, but do be mindful of the relatively steep $899 pricetag.[Thanks, Michael]
Latest Yamaha receivers boast HDMI 1.3a / Ethernet / 1080p upscaling
Shortly after Sony unveiled its newly revamped ES lineup of AV receivers, along comes Yamaha with a powerful new duo of its own. The RX-V3800 (140-watt x 7) and RX-V1800 (130-watt x 7) each support lossless Dolby Digital TrueHD / DTS-HD and feature Yamaha's Cinema DSP processing engine, video upscaling to 1080p, HDMI 1.3a, and an Ethernet connection that enables consumers to "access internet radio stations, music files stored on a PC, and the company's MusicCAST audio system server." Furthermore, the units are also compatible with your iPod and XM radio via optional adapters, include Burr-Brown 192kHz/24bit DACs, and will be on display at next month's CEDIA expo. As expected, neither of these devices can be classified as cheap, as the less powerful RX-V1800 will demand $1,299.95, while the higher-end RX-V3800 rings up at $1,699.95.
Pioneer's BDP-LX80 Blu-ray player supports HD audio bitstream output
Pioneer just announced that Blu-ray Disc player with "HD audio bitstream output" they alluded to with the launch of their BDP-LX70. In what appears to be an industry first for BD players, the new BDP-LX80 supports bitstream output of both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD high resolution audio output over HDMI 1.3. Sorry, no DTS-HD Master Audio this time. Still, a worthy update from the LX70 assuming your home theater gear is properly matched to decode that signal. Something you'll want to check, and double-check, before dropping the tax inclusive roll of ¥210,000 or about $1,768. We could be wrong, but the move from the LX70 to LX80 appears to be a firmware change only so why all the fuss with a new model Pioneer? If true, then don't be surprised to find a hacked version of the firmware for the LX70 on the Internets soon enough. No word on a global launch -- Japan-only for now with a local release scheduled for October.[Via Impress]
Panasonic launches $600 DMP-BD10A Blu-ray player, bundles five films
Not too long after Pioneer went and introduced its second generation Blu-ray player, along comes Panasonic to follow suit, but unlike the BDP-LX70, we've got a pricetag as well as a few tempting reasons to pick this one up over the competition. The DMP-BD10A packs an audio upgrade that brings 7.1, Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD on board, and it incorporates Panasonic's EZ-Sync system for "one-touch operation" of your home theater. The overall design doesn't deviate too far from that seen in the first iteration, but you will find 1080p upconversion via HDMI, a 14-bit DA converter with 4x oversampling, support for BD-J, and compatibility between select HD camcorders via the AVCHD (H.264) codec. Notably, Panasonic is giving users two reasons to seriously considering its new offering, as the fairly reasonable $599.95 pricetag looks even better when you consider the five BD films (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Transporter, Fantastic Four, and Crash) you'll be getting right in the box.[Via Impress]
No Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD for PS3 owners? -- kind of
When the PS3 hit the street it was recognized as one of the most full featured Blu-ray players to date, but it seem now that PS3 owners aren't getting everything they thought they were. It has recently been uncovered that although the PS3 does have an HDMI 1.3 port, the software does not support bit stream audio. What this means for Blu-ray fans is that when they finally pick up one of those new Onkyo receivers with HDMI 1.3, that they still can't enjoy Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD because there is no way to get the bits out of the PS3. Of course the DTS track can still be down mixed and PCM audio is supported, but so much for being the most capable Blu-ray player available. ** Dolby TrueHD can still be decoded inside the PS3 and sent as uncompressed audio to the AV receiver, but if the AV receiver has an integrated decoder it can't be used instead of the PS3's decoder. **** This was confirmed by a Sony representative.**
Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD demystified
There seems to be some confusion about the next generation HD movie discs and audio CODECs. Unlike the video CODECs used on both formats, the new audio CODECs are lossless which simply means without loss, or identical to the original. The three lossless CODECs supported by both formats are LPCM, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA. At this point the question should be, if they are lossless than what is the difference? The difference for the most part is the number of bits. Both Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD use far less bits than LPCM, this leaves more space on the disc for other features. Of course audio is always more complicated than just CODECs, there is also the sample rate to consider and one of the benefits of LPCM is that is supports a higher sample rate than TrueHD or DTS HD, but considering that that sample rate is higher than most studio masters, that benefit is pretty much useless. So how many bits are we talking about here, actually alot. The same 2 hour movie with a 16/24, 5.1 sound track requires 4.14 GB with LPCM vs 1.26 GB for either TrueHD or DTS HD.
DTS licenses DTS HD Master Audio technology to ten IC producers
Although Dolby's TrueHD may be a more well-known moniker, it looks like you'll be hearing (quite literally) a lot more of DTS in the coming months. The firm has landed a deal with no less than ten integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers to incorporate its DTS HD Master Audio and / or DTS HD High Resolution Audio technology (not to mention the DTS HD LBR and encoder / transcoder jazz) into forthcoming chips. These microchips -- designed by Analog Devices, Broadcom, Cheertek, LSI, Matsushita, MediaTek, NEC, Renesas, Sigma Designs, and Sunplus Technology -- will contain DTS's high definition audio standards and will eventually find their way into next-generation HD DVD and Blu-ray players, AV receivers, and pre-packaged home theater systems. Additionally, the technology could even slither into the PC and automobile markets. While neither specific end products nor release dates were mentioned, we do know that devices coming out "in 2007" will be sporting the new protocols, and hey, we've got no qualms when it comes to options in audio (or video).
Fox confirms more 50GB, BD-J and MPEG-4 movie releases for December
Fox already announced it is kicking off its support of the Blu-ray format with several enhanced titles timed to hit at the time of the PlayStation 3 launch, now it's announced more extras for several titles scheduled for the following weeks. From Hell will be a dual-layer BD-50 50GB release, authored in Blu-ray Java and using MPEG-4 (AVC) compression. It also features several commentaries, a lossless soundtrack, a trivia pop up feature and 21 deleted scenes. Flight of the Phoenix, as well as the rest of the releases, is authored using standard HDMV, includes a DTS HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack as well as commentaries and HD trailers. Rising Sun comes to Blu-ray using MPEG-4 compression, the only extras mentioned are lossless soundtrack and HD trailers.The Devil Wears Prada and Transporter 2 both use MPEG-2 compression and will include DTS HD Master Audio lossless soundtracks as well as HD trailers. The Devil Wears Prada is still set for a day-and-date release with the DVD December 12th, behind From Hell, Flight of the Phoenix and Rising Sun December 5th. Transporter 2 brings up the rear with a Boxing Day release of December 26th. All of the announced movies share a $39.98 MSRP. We've been complaining about the lack of extras on many HD releases, while Fox may be a little late to the party, it appears the company is ready to give customers the advanced features -- not to mention (hopefully) enhanced PQ with better compression/bigger discs -- once titles do hit the streets.
