Toshiba HD-A1 / HD-XA1 : Audio Capabilities

[nataraj]

Starting this thread to discuss audio issues regarding the two new HD-DVD players that Toshiba will be releasing in March.

The two primary source of information we have are :

TOSHIBA INTRODUCES LINE-UP OF FIRST HD DVD PLAYERS FOR THE U.S. MARKET (http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/news/newsarticle.asp?newsid=113)

Both models feature built-in multi-channel decoders for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD (2 channel), DTS and DTS-HD. The HD-XA1 employs the use of four high performance DSP engines to decode the multi-channel streams of the wide array of audio formats. These high performance processors will perform the required conversion process, as well as the extensive on-board Multi-Channel Signal Management including: User Selectable Crossovers, Delay Management and Channel Level Management.

The new HD DVD players can pass digital information to a Surround Sound Processor/Receiver via S/PDIF or HDMI. For Dolby Digital and DTS, the bitstream will be passed through both connections just as in a standard DVD player with the same interfaces. Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD content will be converted to a standard bitstream format that is compatible with any processor equipped with decoders of the respective formats and output through S/PDIF and HDMI. Additionally, all the audio formats for either DVD or HD DVD will be decoded to PCM and output via HDMI in either stereo or multi-channel.

HD-XA1 PDF Data Sheet (http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/pdf/HD-XA1.pdf)

Built-in Dolby® Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS® and DTS-HD Decoders
Dolby Pure HD Compatible (2 Channel)
Four 32-bit Floating Point Digital Signal Processors
Multi-Channel 24-bit/192kHz Audio DACs
HDMI Audio support up to 5.1 L-PCM
5.1 Channel Bass Management
Speaker Size
Speaker Distance
User Selectable Crossover (80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz)
Channel Level Adjustment
Dynamic Range Control
MP3 and WMA Playback


HD-A1 PDF Data Sheet (http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/pdf/HD-A1.pdf)

Built-in Dolby® Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS® and DTS-HD Decoders
Dolby True HD Compatible (2 Channel)
Four 32-bit Floating Point Signal Processors
Multi-Channel 24-bit/192kHz Audio DACs
HDMI Audio support up to 5.1 L-PCM
Multi-Channel Signal Management
Dynamic Range Control
MP3 and WMA Playback

I'll add the exact capabilities of the players & the differences between the models as we get more information.

Edit :

What we still need to know is - how each codec is handled in terms of :

1. SPDIF output
2. HDMI output
3. Analog output
4. Decoding
- Analog out put by decoding and thr' DAC
- HDMI/SPDIF output by decoding to LPCM

[ditcho]

I didn't see if it will play DVD-Audio discs? Any information on that?

[nataraj]

[QUOTE=ditcho]I didn't see if it will play DVD-Audio discs? Any information on that?[/QUOTE]

I doubt it. They have mentioned mp3 & wma, but not dvd-a or sacd.

[mikemorel]

Here is a link to the Dolby codec web page: Dolby Technologies Overview (http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/tech_overview.html)

There is a press release for DTS-HD here: DTS to Demo DTS-HD Master Audio at CES 2006 (http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/DTSHDdemoCES.php)

There is a discussion HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=627106) that talks about Dolby TrueHD and 2 channel output, in reference to the PDF sheets reference to "Dolby Pure HD Compatible (2 Channel)". Why they say PureHD instead of TrueHD is beyond me, but if they are talking about the same thing, they should change the nomenclature to eliminate one more source of confusion.

In that thread there are two posts might shed some light.

[QUOTE=Kris Deering]The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray spec specifically state that the only REQUIRED part of Dolby TrueHD, which uses MLP, that has to be supported is 2 channel. So essentially, they don't have to support multi-channel lossless Dolby soundtracks. There will be software that does 7.1 DD TrueHD and if you want to enjoy them to their full potential without them being downconverted to DD 640kbps, you'll have to make sure the player you buy will support the full M/C TrueHD soundtracks.

Think of it as making sure your SACD player or DVD-Audio player support more than 2 channels at output. There are SACD and DVD Audio players that only support stereo high resolution playback as opposed to multi-channel playback. [/QUOTE]
and
[QUOTE=sspears]What Kris says is true. If a feature has a 6-channel TrueHD track but the player only decodes 2-channels, you are not going to get the discrete 6-channel mix out of it. Your choices here are A. Get a different player or B. Pass the bitstream out over HDMI via HDMI 1.3, which is not available at the moment. (We might start seeing products with it by the end of 2006.) I suppose there is C. Hope film includes a DD track. [/QUOTE]
I'm not sure what sspears means by "not going to get the discrete 6 channel mix out of it." Will you get 2 lossless and the rest DD, or just two lossless?