Dolby Digital 5.1-ch vs. Dolby Digital 2-ch

[coody]

Is it necessary to select Dolby Digital 5.1-ch English and Dolby Digital 2-ch English or only Dolby Digital 5.1-ch English is just right? What is the difference between selection of one and both?

[Noahtuck]

Is it necessary to select Dolby Digital 5.1-ch English and Dolby Digital 2-ch English or only Dolby Digital 5.1-ch English is just right? What is the difference between selection of one and both?

English please!!!!!!!'

[guns1inger]

5.1 uses more space that 2.0. If you don't have a surround sound system, and don't anticipate getting one in the near future then you can increase image quality when compressing DVDs by choosing 2.0 instead of 5.1

If you want to have the full surround sound experience, keep the 5.1 instead.

Also, depending on the disc, the 2.0 might not be the movie sound track, but could be a directors commentary or music only audio. if in doubt, preview first, then chose.

[Nelson37]

Well, let's see, if you pick only one, you will have only one, and if you pick both, you will have both.

Not sure I understand the question. 5.1 is better, takes a bit more space.

[coody]

Can selection of only 5.1 get the same results as the selection of only 2.1 or Dolby Digital 5.1-ch cannot replace the 2.1?

[offline]

Coody, you can have either by itself, or both selected.

Selection of 5.1 alone will be fine in many cases. But the additional 2.0 might be in another language or a directors commentary/music track that you want to keep.

[FulciLives]

All DVD players will correctly downmix 5.1 to 2.0 so really you only need the 5.1 soundtrack. This way you get surround sound on a surround sound set-up but if you are playing it on a stereo only system then that is A-OK as well as the 5.1 will be downmixed to 2.0

This is the case with AC-3 audio aka Dolby Digital. DTS is different. Almost no DVD player will downmix DTS audio. This means that you get NO audio unless you have a DTS capable system.

Some movies include a 2.0 and 5.1 track. The thinking here is that the 2.0 has been professionally mixed into 2 channels and therefore might theoretically sound better than the 5.1 downmixed in realtime to 2.0 but because that does work so well you will find many DVD movies have 5.1 only.

So in short if both are available and both are the same soundtrack then just keep the 5.1 track.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman