5.1 ch vs 2ch

[jyeh74]

When I use DVD Shrink to burn dvds, I notice that 5.1ch uses a lot more MB than 2ch. Hence if you select 2ch, the compression % increases about 4-5% more than if you choose 5 ch over 2. Since I dont have surround (just tv speakers) it wouldnt make a difference if I chose 5.1 over 2ch?

[jimmalenko]

Since I dont have surround (just tv speakers) it wouldnt make a difference if I chose 5.1 over 2ch?

No. Your TV would be downmixing the 5.1 to 2ch anyway so you won't notice a difference in audio quality.

[GabeB]

Use the Dolby Surround 2.0.
5.1 is a lot more dynamic and won't sound quite right on 2 speakers. The speach is always quieter.

[jimmalenko]

Use the Dolby Surround 2.0.
5.1 is a lot more dynamic and won't sound quite right on 2 speakers. The speach is always quieter.

I don't know about that.


I have a stereo TV and I always do 5.1 sound for when and if I purchase a surround sound setup. The sound is excellent on a normal TV IMO.

[jyeh74]

I hope you are right. 2ch takes a lot less space than 5.1.......I dont think I can tell the difference on regular TV speakers.. someone else correct me if I am wrong.

[alchemistresearch]

Just make sure you select the correct 2 channel stream. On the film Paycheck there are two directors commentaries - but only one is identified as such by dvd shrink.

[Gurm]

The TV won't downmix a damn thing.

The DAC inside your DVD player will... and will pipe Stereo and/or ProLogic out the red/white jacks.

And how it sounds is largely dependent on the DVD player and the DAC they use, but a professionally encoded Pro Logic or Stereo track will ALWAYS sound better over stereo speakers than an on-the-fly-downmixed 5.1 track.

Maybe not a LOT better, depending on your setup. But better.

- Gurm

[Gurm]

Odds are that the FIRST 2.0 soundtrack is the one you want. But not always - so test first. LOL.

[GabeB]

Thanks guys for the confirmation and clarification.

[theKramer]

TV is 2 channels.
I have a Stereo with 4 speakers that plays DVDs. The TV is hooked up so it plays sound through the stereo speakers. The difference between the TV speakers and Stereo system (4.1) is phenomonal.
I would derfinitely say to anyone who is unsure whether to use 2.1 or 5.1 sound, to use 5.1
U will be amazed.
Unequivocally worth the extra space.

[jimmalenko]

The TV won't downmix a damn thing.

The DAC inside your DVD player will... and will pipe Stereo and/or ProLogic out the red/white jacks.

My apologies, I wasn't sure.

TV is 2 channels.
I have a Stereo with 4 speakers that plays DVDs. The TV is hooked up so it plays sound through the stereo speakers. The difference between the TV speakers and Stereo system (4.1) is phenomonal.
I would derfinitely say to anyone who is unsure whether to use 2.1 or 5.1 sound, to use 5.1
U will be amazed.
Unequivocally worth the extra space.

The setup you have described will sound better than the TV speakers regardless of if you use 5.1, 2.1 or 32kbps mono sound. TV speakers are, by default, crap. They are not in the same class as stereo speakers. Your stereo probably has mixing filters built-in to enhance whatever you put through it.

The point being that if you hook a stereo up to anything it will sound better.

[theKramer]

jimmalenko, I beg to differ.
Regular TV programs that are not 5.1 only play on two of the stereo's speakers.
When I put in a DVD or watch a movie on TV that is Dolby Surround, the difference is phenomonal. That is what I am saying.

[jimmalenko]

jimmalenko, I beg to differ.
Regular TV programs that are not 5.1 only play on two of the stereo's speakers.
When I put in a DVD or watch a movie on TV that is Dolby Surround, the difference is phenomonal. That is what I am saying.

OK.

I sorta had my wires crossed a little bit.

I was just trying to emphasize the difference between the same TV program through the TV speakers as opposed to through the aux input on your stereo and not the difference between 2.1 and 5.1.

[Gurm]

Right.

If the question was "which track do I leave on the DVD when Shrinking it" then the answer would be "5.1" because the difference is probably marginal and who knows, you might get a nicer stereo in the future, and it'd be a pain to go through and redo all your discs (I am assuming you have all the originals, hehe).

However, if the question was simply "which sounds better through a 2-channel stereo or TV" then the answer is Pro Logic or DD2.0, always.

- Gurm

[Shudder]

2.0 will always sound better than 5.1 if you only have a 2.0 setup.

But, surround setups can be found for DAMN cheap these days. Sure, people will say "Well, that's not that great a system, it sucks." to which I say it's plenty better than those two little speakers on the TV. For $100 you can get a a surround that will kill your TV speakers. Sure they're low-end, but it's better than nothing.

I say go 5.1 though, simply because if you do upgrade in the future the 2.0 ones will sound awful.

[IpicmaNose]

I have noticed side by side comparisons of running just on tv and through a 5.1 system when encoded with ac35.1. The dialogue on just the tv is a lot lower when downmixed to stereo as soundeffects are usually louder. Solution, get a stereo for that plain old tv.