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Hi-Def@Home
A Sound Editor Updates His Entertainment System
by Michael Hertlein, MPSE
 Michael Hertlein, MPSE |
I’ve been reluctant to do a significant upgrade to my home theatre set-up because of the way technology changes. We had a good long run with DVDs and 5.1 surround sound, Dolby Digital and/or DTS decoding being the only options. High definition and flat screens have been around for a few years now but we have finally arrived at one of the safer times to advance to the next level. As safe as our modern technology will allow, that is.
You used to be able to buy a TV or receiver and only have to worry about whether it would last for 20 years. Nowadays, products will become outdated––obsolete––long before they stop working. You’ve heard the buzzwords like hi-def, 1080p, HDMI, Blu-ray, HD DVD and others. What do they mean and how do they affect us? DVDs have served us well but with a storage limit of 8.5 gigabytes (dual layer), it doesn’t take long to fill that up in today’s world.
While our industry has always been ahead of the curve with technology, doing any audio work at rates higher than 16 bit/48 kHz was really for ourselves, because very little consumer technology could handle it. Studios would rather use the valuable space on DVDs for menus and pictures (or trailers), and television compression means that no network is currently offering content higher than 1080i with Dolby Digital. As 1080p TVs and hi-def DVDs catch on, people will want to see content broadcast in higher resolutions. On the film side, it probably won’t have much of an effect since 35mm motion film is already a hi-def format. Broadcast television sound will most likely always be compressed, but as developers eke out more storage space, there may be more desire for things like 7.1 discrete sound and 24 bit/96 kHz audio.
Now let’s get to those buzzwords. 1080p is 1920x1080 progressive scan lines of resolution, which is a 16x9 aspect ratio. It is currently the best picture quality available to consumers. Both hi-def DVD formats support this and most of the flat-panel TVs built this year and beyond are 1080p. If you are in the market for a flat-panel TV you should really get 1080p. If you’ve already bought one that is 720p or 1080i (i is for interlaced, which is not as high resolution as progressive), you don’t need to upgrade because those resolutions are great––but at this point, it’s better to buy for the future.
 HDMI 1.3 compliant cables. |
HDMI is the newest way to connect everything. It can carry both hi-def sound and picture in one cable. As with 1080p, if you are currently looking at a new receiver, TV, or hi-def video player you want to go with HDMI 1.3. This is the only one that will carry 1080p and the newest high bit-rate audio. With standard definition DVDs, the 5.1 audio was compressed using either Dolby Digital or DTS in a “lossy” format. The new hi-def DVDs can handle lossless audio that is exactly the same as the studio masters.
There are more similarities than differences between Blu-ray and HD DVD when it comes to what the consumer sees and hears. Both can handle the high-resolution audio and video formats, which is really the only reason anyone would want them. Other features may someday yield interesting and useful things but, as of now, most people just want to watch movies.
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are the newest compression formats and both require an HDMI 1.3 cable that can handle the higher bandwidth. At this time, many, if not most hi-def discs offer only Dolby Digital Plus, which is higher bandwidth than its predecessor but still not completely lossless. TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio compression codecs provide lossless (exact) reproduction of the original printmaster. Both formats can also accommodate Pulse Code Modulation (PCM).
PCM is just the print master in an uncompressed digital format. PCM takes up the most space so it may only be offered on some discs. TrueHD, DTS-Master Audio and PCM all yield the same result, but do affect how much can be stored to disc. Dolby Digital and DTS are both lossy compression codecs (think MP3). Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD are also lossy, but have higher bandwidth, and will sometimes be offered on discs. So far, no standard has been set as to which ones will be offered on which discs, so buying into the format war won’t guarantee you the best sound.
Just to add more confusion to the mix is the fact that current players don’t necessarily decode these formats. You’ll need a receiver or pre-amp/processor that is HDMI 1.3 and has the built-in decoders. Even more confusing is that some players may not be able to decode the audio formats internally, nor can some of them pass (bitstream) the audio to anything else. This means that your high-definition player may just default to playing lossy codecs.
Format War
If you remember back to the VHS vs. Betamax wars in the early 1980s, you’ll
understand the battle of new Blu-ray vs. HD DVD players. To the consumer,
both formats are essentially equal. Blu-ray has a larger storage capacity
than its rival (50 Gb vs. 30 Gb dual layer), but it is more difficult to author
and therefore more expensive to replicate. The only real difference (to the
consumer) is that the major studios have taken sides and will only release
their movies in one format. Among others, Disney, Sony, Fox, Apple and now
Warner Bros. are in the Blu-ray camp. Universal, DreamWorks, Para-mount and
Microsoft are among the big hitters on the HD DVD side. The recent announcement
by Warner Bros. to go exclusively Blu-ray starting this May has many people
believing the format war has been settled.
 Onkyo Pro PR-SC885P Receiver. |
What piqued my interest in finally upgrading to hi-def video was a pre-amp/processor from Onkyo that was getting a ton of buzz on the Internet. The Onkyo Pro PR-SC885P (www.onkyopro. com) was the first product I saw that had all of the newest features. It has four HDMI 1.3 inputs and two HDMI outputs, upconverts video to 1080p for sources––like TVs and DVD players––that aren’t 1080p, and decodes not only Dolby TrueHD, DTS-MA and the previous legacy formats but handles DSD (Direct Stream Digital), which is used on Super Audio CDs (SACDs). And it’s THX Ultra-2 certified.
The Onkyo also features built-in HD Radio, compatibility with both Sirius and XM, and balanced XLR outputs for hooking up to almost any amp and Audyssey auto-room set-up. The Audyssey program uses an included microphone and automatically determines things like speaker distance, crossover frequency and EQ settings. In the past, pre-amp/processors with a feature set like this would be well over $2,000, with some costing more than $5,000. When I saw this one had a street price of under $1,800, I went for it. Onkyo also provided one of its Integra DTA-9.4 amps (www.integrahometheater.com).
The Onkyo 885 has become the centerpiece of my home theatre. In the time I’ve had it, I’ve never used the speakers built into my TV. Ultimately I would say this pre-amp/processor is an unbelievable value. It literally handles every publicly available audio and video format and is as future-proof as something like this can be. I’m still seeing new models of high-end pre-amp/processors and receivers coming out and costing more than twice as much but not carrying the same options as this 885. Considering what I’m reading about it’s limited availability, I think a lot of other home theatre enthusiasts agree with me.
A multi-channel amp is required in conjunction with a pre-amp/processor since there are no built-in amps like a receiver. The advantage is that you have massive amounts of reserve power on hand that may not otherwise be available with a receiver. The DTA-9.4, although, made by Onkyo’s sister company Integra, was a perfect match for the 885 with plenty of power and XLR and RCA connections. I never had a problem with its performance or sound (the most important thing), but on paper it isn’t quite as impressive as others in that price range.
I did have a few minor quibbles with the 885. First is the amount of time it takes to switch inputs and bring up the on-screen display menu. This may be a function of the HDMI technology in the current marketplace. Also, when TV channels are changed, there is a lag before sound comes back on. In this case, I’m not using HDMI to carry sound from my cable box, and my previous receiver had no lag connected through essentially the same setup. Whether it’s a receiver or a pre-amp/processor, this part of the home theatre system is becoming more like a computer. As such, there are firmware updates to contend with, which can be both good and bad. The good side is that your expensive piece of equipment can stay up to date; the bad is that Onkyo (so far) has chosen a clunky RS-232 port as its update path. USB or Ethernet would have been much preferred.
To get the full extent of the new hi-def formats, I needed a better TV too, one that could handle 1080p, had multiple HDMI 1.3 inputs and did not have an overly large footprint. Mitsubishi provided one of its new LT-46133 LCDs, which fit in the exact spot where I previously had a 36-inch CRT TV. The Mitsubishi LCDs have a thin bezel because the speakers are on the back. The sound through the TV’s speakers are a little muffled due to this location, but the benefit is as large a screen as possible in a given space. For me, it was a moot point since I never listen to sound through my TV speakers anyway.
Another great feature is that this TV can handle movies played back at 24fps (24 Hz), which is available on many hi-def DVD players. This means that you can watch film content without it going through a 3:2 pulldown. The only things this model doesn’t have––but that models above it do––is a 120 Hz refresh rate (twice the normal 60 Hz refresh and said to handle motion better) and picture-in-picture.
When comparing the new hi-def DVD formats, I also wanted to have a good-quality upconverting standard definition DVD player. The Oppo Digital 980H (www.oppodigital.com) does just that and much more. With standard definition DVD, the HDMI doesn’t need to be 1.3 because it won’t have to pass bitstream TrueHD or DTS Master Audio. The 980H will upconvert a normally 480i DVD to 1080p and does it very well. This player not only does the upconverting, but plays SACD and DVD-A discs (high-resolution multi-channel music formats). To me, this player is worth having just for the audio features, but it also is a great DVD player to have if you’re not ready to jump into the hi-def war yet.
 Pioneer BDP-95FD Blu-ray player. |
The Inconvenience Factor
The majority of consumers didn’t switch to DVDs over VHS because
the picture and sound was better; they did it because they didn’t
have to rewind; picture and sound improvements were just an added
bonus. It’s the same with MP3s. Their sound quality is worse
than CDs, but the convenience factor far outweighs that fact. Taking
some steps backwards with hi-def DVDs just to get better picture and
sound is not going to win over the majority of people.
For my Blu-ray player, Pioneer sent its newest model, the Elite BDP-95FD.
The HD DVD player was a Toshiba HD-a35. Both offer beautiful picture
and amazing sound. Any complaints I have are related to the technology,
not just the players. Toshiba, which makes the vast majority of HD
DVD players, has recently slashed prices in response to the Warner
announcement.
 Oppo Digital 980H up-converting 1080P player. |
 Toshiba HD-a35 HD-DVD player. Photo by Michael Hertlein, MPSE |
Both formats have major gaming devices that include the technology; HD DVD has Xbox 360 and Blu-ray has the Sony PlayStation. Sales numbers, including the gaming devices, have Blu-ray player with over 2.7 million units sold while HD DVD is just over 750,000 units, and prior to the Warner announcement Blu-ray was outselling HD DVD about two to one.
The first thing you’ll notice about both new formats (after the sticker shock) is that from the time you turn the player on, put in a disc and actually see a picture seems like an eternity. In reality, it takes anywhere from 30 seconds (if you’re lucky) to over a minute. That may not seem long on paper, but when you have friends over and try to show them something quickly, you’ll see what I mean.
The ability to stop and resume the disc where you left off is determined by the disc itself, not the player––and even then it’s not that simple. For instance, if a disc does allow resume play after stopping, you have to push a separate button called “Resume Play,” not just “Play.” I find this very annoying––especially since I’ve previously had this ability with every DVD player I’ve owned. If the disc doesn’t have the resume function (which is many of them), pushing “Play” again doesn’t just start you at the beginning of the film––it goes to the beginning of the disc with the FBI warning and trailers!
 Full Range audio cabling. |
Finally, there’s the “HDMI handshake” issues. It’s hard to say if this is a problem with the pre-amp/processors or the hi-def players. My guess is it’s something with the players because the problems didn’t occur as much with my HDMI-connected cable box or Oppo SD DVD player. The HDMI handshake occurs when the hi-def players are communicating with the pre-amp/processor as to what signal is coming over the wire. This can cause a delay in getting picture and also sound. If you stop or pause the player, it takes longer than it should to get going again. Occasionally, I had trouble getting TrueHD to play, and would have to turn my HD DVD player off and back on again to enable it. I was getting sound, but not in the way I should have.
Blu-ray players are still a moving target of sorts, though. Players started with Profile 1.0, are currently at Profile 1.1 with Profile 2.0 (aka BD-Live) slated for October. The Profiles are requirements set forth by the developers for handling things like Internet connectivity and picture-in-picture. It seems as though the Profile updates are geared towards things the studio wants or things that don’t seem that important to consumers. No player currently on the market is Profile 2.0 so, while in theory there won’t be any issues with backward compatibility as new players and discs become available, the risk still exists that a player sold today could cause problems in the near future.
The new players are getting to be more like computers, too. I’ve already had to do two firmware updates on my HD DVD player and one on the Blu-ray. This process requires either hooking the machine up to an Ethernet connection or downloading the firmware and burning a CD. Of course, this assumes you do as much research as I do and even find out that your player needs to be updated.
I recently rented Ratatouille on Blu-ray and ran into a few surprises. The first was the number of trailers at the beginning of the disc, which will factor in later. Next was the lack of a “Resume” function. When I eventually got to the menu, the different layers required my player to download info for several minutes; so if I wanted to check out different things I had to spend an unacceptable amount of time for the disc to download. Once I realized I had gone to somewhere I didn’t want to be, I had to re-download to get back. It took me several minutes (at least) to get to the audio setup section, and another few to get back to where I wanted to be.
I made the mistake of leaving the “Auto Shut Off” function checked on my player. While watching the movie I paused to do something for a few minutes, only to come back to a player that had turned off. With a DVD, this would not be a problem but with my Blu-ray disc, I had to skip past about a dozen trailers individually and wait for the disc to download some info again before I could get to the menu and then scroll through to find the scene we left off at––at least a three-minute process.
The Future in Murky
Just because Blu-ray may have won the format war, that doesn’t mean
the future is much clearer. Technological superiority doesn’t necessarily
translate into technology adoption. Apple has recently announced an updated
Apple TV device that will allow movie downloads, including high definition
(though not 1080p), and rental companies like Netflix have been offering movie
downloads for some time. Even if Blu-ray were as convenient to use as the
SD DVD players we’ve been using for 10 years, the format would still
be in a race to beat the Internet. If online companies can offer movies at
higher quality and download speeds only get faster and faster, Blu-ray may
never get a foothold. Consumers have shown that the convenience of having
2,000 highly compressed songs at their fingertips far outweighs better sound
quality. My opinion is that if HD DVD went away today and Blu-ray were running
smoothly at the highest Profile, the technology would still be on the road
to obsolescence as downloads take over. If I’ll need an Internet hookup
for my Blu-ray player to be at its best, then why wouldn’t I just put
a computer there instead?
Ultimately, I couldn’t recommend anyone jump into the format wars without knowing what you’re in for. Stunning picture and great sound may not make up for the headaches involved in getting them. Such was my first foray into the world of high-definition home theatre.
Thanks to Amazon.com and overstock.com for providing materials, and Joe Kane’s Digital Video Essentials (www.videoessentials.com) for providing his excellent calibration disc.
Michael Hertlein, MPSE, is a dialogue, ADR and Foley editor working in feature films. He can be reached at dialedit@yahoo.com.
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