HTPC recommendation needed

[i_WaVe]

Dont get confused.

DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD cannot be passed using Optical. It will not work but it will still give you DTS and Dolby only.

It is a 5.1 Signals. If you have 7.1 then this optical option is out.

DTS Connect is a feature from mobo onboard sound. This allows you to convert any signals from a 2ch to a 5.1 channel. But however it isnt real 5.1. You can hear the slight difference.

If going by your connections then yes. IF you go by HDMI route, you can get both audio and graphics signal out from your PC and goes into the AVR. And from AVR output another HDMI to TV or Monitor. But don't forget, if your monitor or TV has sound output, please disable it first from sound panel.

Then from there, you can enjoy DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD for all your RIP blurays that you rip in ISO format. Use Kodi Player.

So just to confirm, mobo that supports DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD is not needed and I can still get DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD output since my receiver supports DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD (using HDMI for video and audio in one single cable).

I've short listed
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H81M-ITX/ - With 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec) <- Better sound perhaps?
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81I.html#hero-specification - With Realtek® ALC887 Codec

Based on what you've explained, both mobo should have the same audio signal right since all the audio signal is passed to the receiver for processing and not process by the sound card in the mobo.

I'm using a 7.1 setup btw.

 

[royfrosty]

Here is my setup.



Mine is slightly different. As i do not wish to go through turning on the PC and AVR all together in order to get my display, as most AVR have only 1 output HDMI.

So what i did was, DVI or DP cable from GPU to Monitor, then the HDMI to AVR.

I do not RIP my Bluray. I use a special sound card, ASUS PCI HDAV 1.3 slim sound card and let the soundcard decode DTS HD and Dolby True HD using my bluray drive.

And that is how i got my DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD signals.

Another way is to get Slysoft ANYDVD HD software.

But since you gonna rip everything to PC then no point for a sound card nor a software. Just need a HDMI cable for that.

 

[royfrosty]

DTS connect is defined by DTS Inc and it is a format that is real 5.1, please do not mislead and sound wise, this is what you get in cinemas.

DTS Connect is a blanket name for a two-part system used on the computer platform only, in order to convert PC audio into the DTS format, transported via a single S/PDIF cable.[10] The two components of the system are DTS Interactive and DTS NeoC. It is found on various CMedia soundcards and onboard audio with Realtek ALC883DTS/ALC889A/ALC888DD-GR/ALC892-DTS-CG and SoundMAX AD1988 chips, as well as several cards based on the X-Fi chipset, such as the SoundBlaster Titanium series and Auzentech's X-Fi Forte, X-Fi Prelude, X-Fi Home Theater HD and X-Fi Bravura cards.

DTS Interactive: This is a real-time DTS stream encoder. On the PC, it takes multichannel audio and converts it into a 1.5 Mbit/s DTS stream for output. Because it uses the original DTS codec to transmit audio, fidelity is limited to 5.1 channel at 48 kHz, 24bit. More than 5.1 channels, a higher sampling frequency or data rate are not supported, due to the lack of support for DTS variants such as DTS 96/24. It can also be found on some standalone devices (e.g., Surround Encoder). Nearly a dozen titles on the PlayStation 2 feature the "DTS Interactive" real-time stream encoder, such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
DTS NeoC: This is a technology based on the DTS Neo:6 matrix surround technology, which transforms any stereo content (MP3, WMA, CD Audio, or games) into a simulated 7.1-channel surround sound experience. The 7.1-channel surround sound is output as a DTS stream for output via a S/PDIF cable port.

Credit from Wiki.

Note that we are talking DTS HD and Dolby True HD from a Bluray standards. DTS Connect is nothing to do with this 2 and yes it definitely sound different and it is not used in Cinema. Cinema is using DTS THX standards.

Sound wise all different.

You can never reach the bitrate of a DTS HD out from SPIDIF. It is simply not enough.

 

[Alphas]

DTS HD can be output from the HDMI, however without DTS connect, you can never get 5.1 channel sounds from optical, even with media player, it will just output 2.1 PCM. So DTS connect is to allow other audio format to get 5.1 encoded signal to the avr, which can be done with an discrete sound card.

 

[royfrosty]

DTS HD can be output from the HDMI, however without DTS connect, you can never get 5.1 channel sounds from optical, even with media player, it will just output 2.1 PCM. So DTS connect is to allow other audio format to get 5.1 encoded signal to the avr, which can be done with an discrete sound card.

Yes. Then this IS correct. But however. There is sound differs from normal DTS vs DTS HD. 1.5Mbit rate vs 6Mbit

DTS HD will benefit him more as he is using a 7.1 Ch setup.

I also understand where you coming from. PCM 2.1 channel. Without the DTS connect you can never get normal DTS.

Lets move on to DTS HD instead.

 

[royfrosty]

So just to confirm, mobo that supports DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD is not needed and I can still get DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD output since my receiver supports DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD (using HDMI for video and audio in one single cable).

I've short listed
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H81M-ITX/ - With 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec) <- Better sound perhaps?
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81I.html#hero-specification - With Realtek® ALC887 Codec

Based on what you've explained, both mobo should have the same audio signal right since all the audio signal is passed to the receiver for processing and not process by the sound card in the mobo.

I'm using a 7.1 setup btw.

Sorry bro. I mixed myself up a little bit. You will still need a entry level GPU to do TrueHD or DTS HD. I was checking just now in order to answer you the most direct possible answer.


This is with onboard Realtek


This is with a GPU


Noticed the supported format? Hope it helps.

 

[i_WaVe]

Sorry bro. I mixed myself up a little bit. You will still need a entry level GPU to do TrueHD or DTS HD. I was checking just now in order to answer you the most direct possible answer.


This is with onboard Realtek


This is with a GPU


Noticed the supported format? Hope it helps.

Ahh...it definitely helps. Any idea, if Intel pentium G3240 has got enough power to process all these Blu Ray ISO rips (not using 3D) video and audio.?

 

[Alphas]

Did you hack the realtek driver to output DTS?

 

[i_WaVe]

May I also know your onboard sound card model or mobo model?

 

[Peach Tea]

When you own a HT setup. For what get a seperate decoder? Waste money only. It should channel straight and let the avr settle everything and use its own sound dsp to output sound.

what i meant is what software he using to watch the movie and decode them.
mpc-hc? powerdvd or just play from bluray drive etc......

 

[royfrosty]

Ahh...it definitely helps. Any idea, if Intel pentium G3240 has got enough power to process all these Blu Ray ISO rips (not using 3D) video and audio.?

It should be able to support reading ISO rips. And should have enough processing power on Pentium.

Just remember to buy an SSD for overall responsiveness of the PC.

Did you hack the realtek driver to output DTS?

Nope. Not needed. Its natively already support DTS output. Tested and proven also that you dont really need DTS connect, unless your onboard sound chip is very old.

May I also know your onboard sound card model or mobo model?

I'm using MSI Mpower Max AC.

Onboard sound card is Realtek ALC1150.

I did use this onboard sound to connect it before and output normal DTS and Dolby to my AVR and yes AVR can read and decode it.

But now, since im a fan of bluray movies, ive used my r9 290 to output DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD via HDMI instead.

 

[Alphas]

This mobo does not support DTS connect, and it can only pass DTS signal when the source is in DTS format. However since it does not encode audio to DTS, any other audio source will not be output in DTS.

 

[i_WaVe]

Yup, I've got a ssd for this incoming HTPC.

Check out my desktop as well (Crosshair V formula) with SupremeFX X-Fi 2 onboard sound card. First time installing sound drivers for my desktop lol. Same output as yours.

Ahh...I'm using it for concerts instead of movie. Seems like GPU / good sound card is needed for DTS HD and others...

 

[Alphas]

For DTS HD, select the output to the GPU and it will do the rest. With DTS connect, you have the option to still have DTS encoded format and upmix to the avr.

 

[royfrosty]

Yup, I've got a ssd for this incoming HTPC.

Check out my desktop as well (Crosshair V formula) with SupremeFX X-Fi 2 onboard sound card. First time installing sound drivers for my desktop lol. Same output as yours.

Ahh...I'm using it for concerts instead of movie. Seems like GPU / good sound card is needed for DTS HD and others...

Yeap so that should answer most of your queries by now. Hope you find your way through then. Just get a entry level GPU ba. For the HDMI support for HD sounds.

This mobo does not support DTS connect, and it can only pass DTS signal when the source is in DTS format. However since it does not encode audio to DTS, any other audio source will not be output in DTS.

Yes it does not. I know where and what you are trying to say.

Meaning you just want a DTS sound be it whatever format audio played out. But for me i won't use that software to decode even sounds that are just stereo. I know you can set on the AVR to change it to Stereo output. But i will just conclude here. I do not use it that way, if a source or audio is whatever output other than DTS i let it untouched instead.

And i will go for True HD and DTS HD over normal DTS anytime just for my movie and bluray concert contents.

Also for 4k contents in the near future there is no issues in playing the new bluray with 4k contents in it.

DTS connect is good, but i would say it is time to move on. I was using that a few years back. But i forgo it for future movies and music stuffs.

You have your own personal setup, i have mine. So just keep it that way. Hope you are not offended in any ways. If you do i forgive for that.

Cool..

 

[royfrosty]

For DTS HD, select the output to the GPU and it will do the rest. With DTS connect, you have the option to still have DTS encoded format and upmix to the avr.

Yeap saw this before, and yes this is a so call upmix to give it to the AVR to do it. But definitely it will sound different from DTS HD.

DTS HD on the other hand is different. Till then we can still wait for a true onboard sound that supports DTS HD connect (whatever the name is). Now the only way is through GPU.

 

[Alphas]

I understand your setup, it is just more direct connection to the avr. But hey it is possible to hack the realtek drivers to output DDL and DTS, read it here It is more like a fall back format when the source is not encoded originally in those format. And with both HDMI and optical to the avr, you get the best of both worlds whenever you want.

 

[royfrosty]

I understand your setup, it is just more direct connection to the avr. But hey it is possible to hack the realtek drivers to output DDL and DTS, read it here It is more like a fall back format when the source is not encoded originally in those format. And with both HDMI and optical to the avr, you get the best of both worlds whenever you want.

Interesting. Will give it a try.

 

[Fatfool]

It should be able to support reading ISO rips. And should have enough processing power on Pentium.

But not enough for streaming. From youtube for example. That requires a desktop quad core Haswell. Won't even run smoothly on the Mobile i7-4712HQ

 

[royfrosty]

But not enough for streaming. From youtube for example. That requires a desktop quad core Haswell. Won't even run smoothly on the Mobile i7-4712HQ

Yes. Streaming will be an issue.

I do know that. But he was reffering to bluray iso rips. This should not be an issue.