HD200. Will it ever decode DTS?

[autoboy]

My HD200 is connected directly to the TV. The TV does not decode DTS. BDs are mostly DTS now and I can't watch those on this TV because the DTS cannot be converted to 2 channel PCM.

Will it ever be able to decode DTS to 2 channel PCM?

I don't really want to have to buy a receiver for a bedroom TV but I may have to.

Edit: I looked all over for a device that will take DD / DTS and downconvert it to 2 channel PCM or Analog and all I found was a Gefen device that could decode DD but not DTS. Bummer because the HD200 can already decode DD.

[Fuzzy]

only option right not i believe is to convert on the server after ripping. It certainly would be nice to get SOME sort of audio transcoding working on the HD200... but then again.. I don't use them... ;-)

[Lucas]

Some people have tried this

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...JVC#post366322

I am thinking about it but DTS decoding by the HD200 could eventually happen.

[autoboy]

That device is battery powered. It doesn't look promising for permanent use. All I really want to know is a yes it may happen because it is possible so be patient, or no, it is not possible so go buy your used Panasonic receiver and harmony one.

(It needs to be a panasonic because it is a bedroom system and there is only room under the dresser for a receiver and most are too tall and create too much heat. The panny receivers are D-class amps and hence are small and compact.)

[valnar]

There is an AC adapter made for that unit.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

But yes, I'd be much happier if they could just include the DTS decoding into the H200. I'd be happy to pay a nominal charge for the DTS license.

[MitchSchaft]

Brent: Is the need to convert the HD Audio down to 5.1 a hardware limitation on the HD200's?

Jeff: "Yes it's a hardware limitation as the HD200 does not have HDMI 1.3 so it cannot pass through DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD without "downing" it to 5.1. Of course unless you have those extra speakers it isn't going to matter to you. And even then its not going to matter that much."

Brent's interview with Jeff, the owner of Sage.

[stanger89]

That's Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (including Master Audio), he's not talking about standard DTS.

[MitchSchaft]

oops

[Taddeusz]

Jeff also didn't comment whether or not they might be working on decoding high definition formats to 5.1 channel LPCM.

[Brent]

I gotta be honest. I totally flubbed that one as it was meant to be one of my interview questions to Jeff. Because I have this issue on one of my TVs when watching Blu-Ray disks.

Narflex? Any chance you can give us a hint on:
1. is this possible? By this I mean decoding so that my lowly TV can hear DTS?
2. might we ever see it - or perhaps when?

Pretty please?

[Fuzzy]

HDMI 1.1 is capable of 7.1 audio, in LPCM.. just a matter of the HD200 being able to send it out the port. Transcoding should be possible on the server.. just.. isn't.. yet...

[MeInMaui]

Does anyone know what the licensing fees are to be able decode DTS?

Aloha,
Mike

Edit: This isn't a rhetorical question. I'd really like to know.

[autoboy]

Transcoding...

I never really considered that before. That could be a way to overcome the problem if the HD200 is not capable of decoding DTS. But, the chip should be capable of decoding DTS audio because it is the same chip used in BD players.

The truth is probably that it costs some money to decode the DTS no matter where it is decoded. The server still needs the license to decode the DTS. And SageTV figured that since DTS was a specialty audio codec on DVDs, that DTS decoding was not required because you could just bitstream it if you need DTS, thus, saving money. Except, BDs threw a wrench in that because DTS seems to be taking over BD audio and the disks aren't throwing in 2 channel or DD audio streams. I don't think BDs were really in the planning of the HD200. Just a really really nice side benefit.

Brent,

Regardless of you missing that question, your interview with SageTV was excelent and really answered many questions I had. Much of it was a great insight into the real reasons sage has evolved the way it has. All your questions were extremely relevant.

[jarredduq]

Originally Posted by autoboy

Transcoding...

I never really considered that before. That could be a way to overcome the problem if the HD200 is not capable of decoding DTS. But, the chip should be capable of decoding DTS audio because it is the same chip used in BD players.

The truth is probably that it costs some money to decode the DTS no matter where it is decoded. The server still needs the license to decode the DTS. And SageTV figured that since DTS was a specialty audio codec on DVDs, that DTS decoding was not required because you could just bitstream it if you need DTS, thus, saving money. Except, BDs threw a wrench in that because DTS seems to be taking over BD audio and the disks aren't throwing in 2 channel or DD audio streams. I don't think BDs were really in the planning of the HD200. Just a really really nice side benefit.

Brent,

Regardless of you missing that question, your interview with SageTV was excelent and really answered many questions I had. Much of it was a great insight into the real reasons sage has evolved the way it has. All your questions were extremely relevant.

I know it's possible, because if you watch a MKV file with a DTS track with the placeshifter client, it transcodes the audio.

[Lucas]

Yes transcoding is currently done but it's both audio and video so the video quality suffers.

[Fuzzy]

DTS is fully supported by ffmpeg, which I believe is what sage uses for it's transcoding to placeshifters and mvp's. All that is required is for sage to do a capability check, and do a selective transcode. Simply run the stream through ffmpeg, with video to set to 'copy' so it is untouched, and audio transcoded to whatever you need (AC3 if SPDIF out, LPCM if HDMI out, Stereo PCM if Analog Out). This will deliver a complete and compatible stream to the extender for playback.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Yes transcoding is currently done but it's both audio and video so the video quality suffers.

And trying to do audio only opens up the potential for sync issues.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stanger89

And trying to do audio only opens up the potential for sync issues.

Which is why I suggested doing video in copy mode along with the audio. This keeps the stream together, and the timestamps consistent.

[babgvant]

Transcoding/decoding audio takes almost no CPU on a modern PC; as long as the timestamps are maintained in the process and respected by the player, maintaining sync shouldn't be difficult.

Does anyone know how the HD200 gets content from the server in this mode? Depending on how content is served to the device, it might not be possible for the server to insert a processing step into the playback experience.

[stanger89]

It varies depending on type of content. For example DVDs are complicated because there's the chapter/ifo overhead/protocol that goes along with it. Where as something like an standard recording is streamed.