Digital Creature

What is Dolby Digital / Pro / TrueHD, AC3 and DTS?

I would buy a new sound system but have no idea where to start. I'm really confused as to what this Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM / LPCM stuff is. I started researching the codecs in Wikipedia and I think I have an idea of what are these things (there are more MP3 audio only!). However, the DTS and Dolby things are confusing! PS: My friend gave me a Creative X-Fi card and said I can connect it to my receiver (when I get one of course) for 7.1 surround sound. On the field of marketing in the Creative site, I still do not know exactly if it is compatible with this or supports it. This is more confusing then choosing a graphics card!

Okay – Here is a brief description: Dolby Pro Logic – This was a way taking a stereo signal (like a stereo) and the coding of 1 vocal track for a center speaker and 1 track effects for 2 rear speakers. Dolby Digital/AC3 – This is the 5.1 compressed format used by all the DVDs and television programs in high definition. All channels are full range. DTS – This is a competitor to Dolby Digital but not the rule. TrueHD / DTSMaster – These are only available on BluRay discs. They are 5.1 channels of sound – but it is a tablet. Techniques above are all compressed. In theory TrueHD / DTSMaster will give the best sound. However: – movie soundtracks are not .. CD quality to begin with tracks so the slight improvement of a tablet is not too noticeable. – Hollywood is cheap and used to spend more than one tablet, if they can get away with it. Thus, while the technology exists to take one tablet with tracks, movie studios are usually not going to spend the extra quarter-million dollars to take advantage of it.

Dolby Digital AC3 & DTS with SPDIF on VISTA

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