Dolby Digital and DSTV

[Prankst3r]

Ok so i recently hooked up my PVR to my Amp via an optical cable and I must say, there's quite a distinct difference....

Anyways, so I switch to MM1 (which broadcasts in Dolby Digital) and the sound is great except for 2 issues:

1. When I switch to Dolby Digital on my amp, the volume is much lower than when the amp is in 5 channel stereo mode. (I've noticed this on dvd's as well).

2. From my understanding, ONLY voice is supposed to come out of the centre speaker when in Dolby Digital/5.1 mode. When I switch to Dolby on MM1, voice comes from the centre speaker but so does some other background noises from the movie, for example, a car door closing or something.

Is it supposed to be like this or am I doing something wrong?

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Asha'man X]

Hi Prankst3r

The centre speaker is primarily the dialog speaker, but that doesn't mean it won't make other sounds as well. I noticed that when watching a dvd encoded in Dolby or DTS. It creates the soundstage as such, so from time to time other noises will pop up.

As for the softness, I read over on the dstv forums that there were complaints about this. Try maybe using the co-ax cable instead of optical. Make sure the pvr volume is right up. Turn your amp volume up quite high and when you get some explosions, use that as a scale to peg things back.

From what I understand, Dolby will be slightly softer until the action starts getting hectic. To do with the whole soundstage around you thing

Hope this helps

 

[LCBXX]

Dolby Digital/dts tries to produce the sound as realistic as possble.

For instance: A normal conversation will happen at a certain volume. When a gunshot goes off in the same space, it will be perspectively louder, as if it were to happen with you standing there.

Although speech will mainly come from the center speaker in a 5.1+ configuration, it is also the hardest working speaker in the setup, producing the most sound.

 

[Prankst3r]

Aaah thanks man! That does make some sense. However, when I use the optical to the pvr, the volume control only works from my amp and not from the pvr. So i can turn the volume way up or right down on the pvr, it makes no diff.
But yeah, its probably just some issues with dstv.

Thanks for clearing things up. Cheers

 

[LCBXX]

Aaah thanks man! That does make some sense. However, when I use the optical to the pvr, the volume control only works from my amp and not from the pvr. So i can turn the volume way up or right down on the pvr, it makes no diff.
But yeah, its probably just some issues with dstv.

Thanks for clearing things up. Cheers

If your decoder is connected to the amp via RCA (analogue signal) and you change the volume, you change the gain sent down the RCA cable to the amp.

Connecting it via a optical or coaxial cable sends a digital signal to the amp where it is decoded into Dolby or whatever. So unless the decoder tells the amp that via the digital signal that the volume should change as you press the PVR volume buttons, it will not have a effect.