Sony S530D manual What is DTS?, What do I need to play the DTS surround format?, CD/DVD Player

What is DTS?

AC-3 decoder in the Receiver:

5 Speakers

Digital Theater Systems has developed a digital audio compression method similar to Dolby Digital AC-3. DTS processed audio is not as compressed as Dolby AC-3. Therefore it is said to have more surround detail (separa- tion), envelopment and better bass because of less compression (losses).

What do I need to play the DTS surround format?

The DTS source can be a DVD movie or CD. The DTS decoder is com-

monly found in the receiver.

5 Speakers

CD/DVD Player

Digital output

6 Channel Receiver

With DTS Decoder

And AC-3 Decoder

preamp out to

Sub Woofer

Will a 5.1 channel DTS CD play in my CD player?

CD/DVD Player

Digital output

6 Channel Receiver

With DTS Decoder

preamp out to

Sub Woofer

Only digital noise will appear from the L/R analog outputs if not automati- cally muted. There will be digital output from the coaxial and optical ports. Either digital output can be fed to a DTS stand-alone decoder or a re- ceiver with a DTS internal decoder. The DTS receiver will produce the six channels (“5.1”) or be downmixed into two (front L/R) channels depend- ing upon the user menu.

What do I need to play both the AC-3 and DTS surround formats?

The AC-3 source can be DVD or HDTV (future). The decoder can be found in the player or receiver.

AC-3 decoder in the Player: 5 Speakers

CD/DVD Player	6 Channel Receiver
With AC-3 decoder	With DTS Decoder
		preamp out to
Digital Output			Sub Woofer

A DTS CD compresses the six channels of audio into the space originally occupied by the two-channel uncompressed CD audio. In order for six compressed channels to fit on a CD, the data rate must be equal to or less than the rate of a normal uncompressed CD.

Data rate of an uncompressed CD per channel =

16 bits/sample x 44, 100 samples/second = 706 Kbytes/sec.

There are two channels so the rate is doubled. Therefore the data rate of a normal stereo CD = 1,412kbit/sec.

This is just about the same data rate as a DTS compressed CD. The DTS data rate is 1,411kbits, so no analog sound will be output from a DTS CD. For comparison, CD, DTS, and AC-3 data rates are shown:

Data Rate Comparison (44.1 kHz sample rate)

Format		Output Data Rate
CD	Not compressed	1,412 Kbytes/sec.
DTS	Compressed	1,411 Kbytes/sec.
Dolby Digital AC-3	Compressed	384 Kbytes/sec.

2