I am trying to purchase a new DVD player. My DVD player right now has the older style 5.1 channel analog connections which can be hooked up to a receiver to achieve 5.1 sound. It has no optical or co-axial digital audio, which is why I'd like a new one. (Also, I'm a student, so looking for something very low priced for now...in other words HDMI may be out of my price range) I've got a receiver with optical and co-axial IN ports, so I'm looking for a DVD player that can connect to those, but I'm not sure how the technology works.
Are all DVD players with digital audio out capability (either Co-axial or optical) able to send 5.1 sound out? Or does a DVD player have to Dolby Digital capable in order to send 5.1 sound?
For example, these two DVD players have optical and co-ax outputs:
LG DN-798: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=35471 87&Sku=L49-7002
and the very simple HEC DVD50: http://www.scribd.com/doc/30393796/Haier-HEC-DVD50-User-Manual-22Apr2010
The first one is more expensive and clearly supports Dolby Digital. But both players can output on optical and co-axial lines. Are they both 5.1 ready? Dolby Digital ready? If that's all I'm looking for, can I stick with the cheaper player?
Another question: How does decoding Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, and Dolby Pro Logic 2 work? If my receiver has Dolby Pro Logic 2 capability, does my DVD player also have to have this? Can my DVD player simply be Dolby Digital (or less, in that HEC DVD50 case), but my receiver can still decode Dolby Pro Logic or Pro Logic 2 information from the DVD's I watch, as long as it's sent raw via the optical or co-ax lines?
Thanks so much for reading and for your help, David
sorry I can't answer all your questions I have 2 jobs. Right now I have a bluray player with 7 analog outputs which I'm using and its decoding all the latest codecs,,
formats, dts hd dd hd etc.. my reciever is older does not have hdmi but I still get all the latest codecs does your have reciever have PREOUT INPUTS? left right center etc
right now get a used samsung or panasonic bluray with analog outputs if your reciever will accept it?
Hi again, thanks for your response! I have a different question now...what will happen if I use an upconverting DVD player on a non-HD TV? My TV is 10 years old and has component video inputs, but is not an HDTV. Since there's nothing for an upconverting dvd player to upconvert TO, would using one yield worse results or better than a normal, 480i dvd player? How much worse or how much better?
Sounds like you want more to be able to just hear the DD output of your receiver on your computer. Not that you want to broadcast your show as DD. I would think DD would eat up a chunk of your transmitting bandwidth. Don't know if Skype handles DD. Those hapless users without DD decoders would not be able to hear you. Given that, I figure you just want the audio input from receiver to be heard by your listeners as wav, mp3, Line In /Stereo Mix kinda thing, etc.