DD 5.1 on Foxtel?

[Ext User(Zog)]

I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has on
optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver. Works
fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in Dolby
Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.

[Ext User(Robert Irvine)]

There are very few shows broadcast in 5.1. Some movies on Showtime, and
some on Box Office, but I have not noticed any 5.1 on other channels.
(Movie 1 never seems to have any)

The program guide should show a dolby symbol for those that will be
broadcast in 5.1.

Rob.

"Zog" <not@this.address> wrote in message
news:Xns986885AE7FACBnotthisadress@202.139.83.40.. .
> I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has
> on
> optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver.
> Works
> fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in Dolby
> Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.

[Ext User(Kubalister)]

Robert Irvine wrote:
> There are very few shows broadcast in 5.1. Some movies on Showtime, and
> some on Box Office, but I have not noticed any 5.1 on other channels.
> (Movie 1 never seems to have any)

That's because the only channels with a dolby digital audio stream
(along with the standard MPEG stream) are Showtime (+2) , Showtime
Greats, & the Box Office channels. Every other channel on the pay tv
platform including the Movie networks channels are bog standard MPEG 1
Audio Layer II encoded audio.
Unless the supplied programming on Showtime channels is 5.1 Ch DD it
will revert to DD 2.0 on the dolby digital audio stream.

[timeshift]

Robert Irvine wrote:
> There are very few shows broadcast in 5.1. Some movies on Showtime, and
> some on Box Office, but I have not noticed any 5.1 on other channels.
> (Movie 1 never seems to have any)

That's because the only channels with a dolby digital audio stream
(along with the standard MPEG stream) are Showtime (+2) , Showtime
Greats, & the Box Office channels. Every other channel on the pay tv
platform including the Movie networks channels are bog standard MPEG 1
Audio Layer II encoded audio.
Unless the supplied programming on Showtime channels is 5.1 Ch DD it
will revert to DD 2.0 on the dolby digital audio stream.

I've never seen 5.1 on showtime greats - only some showtime, showtime +2, and box office.

[Ext User(speters@hotmail.com)]

On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 01:13:06 +1000, timeshift
<timeshift.2gajbt@no-mx.phorums.com.au> wrote:

>
>Kubalister Wrote:
>> Robert Irvine wrote:
>> > There are very few shows broadcast in 5.1. Some movies on Showtime,
>> and
>> > some on Box Office, but I have not noticed any 5.1 on other
>> channels.
>> > (Movie 1 never seems to have any)
>>
>> That's because the only channels with a dolby digital audio stream
>> (along with the standard MPEG stream) are Showtime (+2) , Showtime
>> Greats, & the Box Office channels. Every other channel on the pay tv
>> platform including the Movie networks channels are bog standard MPEG 1
>> Audio Layer II encoded audio.
>> Unless the supplied programming on Showtime channels is 5.1 Ch DD it
>> will revert to DD 2.0 on the dolby digital audio stream.
>
>I've never seen 5.1 on showtime greats - only some showtime, showtime
>+2, and box office.


If you do not have access to a magazine and want to see whatis coming
up in 5.1 then www.showtime.com.au and click on SCHEDULE at the top of
screen.

They have logos for dolby digital, captions and WS (full 16:9 instead
of pillarboxed) next to each listed movie.

Additionally they have a video player for trailers of selected movies.

[Ext User(Troy McClure)]

If you go to fextel's web site you can do a search for DD movies

"Zog" <not@this.address> wrote in message
news:Xns986885AE7FACBnotthisadress@202.139.83.40.. .
> I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has on
> optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver. Works
> fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in Dolby
> Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.

[Ext User(googlegroups@sensation.net.au)]

Zog wrote:
> I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has on
> optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver. Works
> fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in Dolby
> Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.

I was also disappointed when I recently purchased a home theatre system
and discovered that only Showtime and Showtime+2 appear to offer full
5.1 decoding... on certain movies only.

Hmmm... we're in 2006, right?

At least Star Wars Episode Whatever was a good test for the new system.
:)

[timeshift]

Zog wrote:
> I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has on
> optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver. Works
> fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in Dolby
> Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.

I was also disappointed when I recently purchased a home theatre system
and discovered that only Showtime and Showtime+2 appear to offer full
5.1 decoding... on certain movies only.

Hmmm... we're in 2006, right?

At least Star Wars Episode Whatever was a good test for the new system.
:)

I know it's not nearly as good, but if you have a decent home theatre system you can just get it to produce pseudo surround sound. Optical 2 channel is still better than RCA 2 channel (albiet not by much).

[Ext User(googlegroups@sensation.net.au)]

timeshift wrote:
> googlegroups@sensation.net.au Wrote:
> > Zog wrote:
> > > I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has
> > on
> > > optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver.
> > Works
> > > fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in
> > Dolby
> > > Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.
> >
> > I was also disappointed when I recently purchased a home theatre
> > system
> > and discovered that only Showtime and Showtime+2 appear to offer full
> > 5.1 decoding... on certain movies only.
> >
> > Hmmm... we're in 2006, right?
> >
> > At least Star Wars Episode Whatever was a good test for the new
> > system.
> > :)
>
> I know it's not nearly as good, but if you have a decent home theatre
> system you can just get it to produce pseudo surround sound. Optical 2
> channel is still better than RCA 2 channel (albiet not by much).

Mine supports "analog" Dolby (Pro Logic and Pro Logic II) which kinda
works - the majority of the sound comes from the front speakers but
occasionally a woosh or swirl magically appears from the rears. I'm
still trying to figure out all of the various combinations, there are
10 different (manual) decoder selections and a bunch of other modifiers
such as cinema simulations! For true digital surround it selects the
appropriate decoder automatically.

[timeshift]

timeshift wrote:
> googlegroups@sensation.net.au Wrote:
> > Zog wrote:
> > > I've recently signed up with Optus, and note that the set top box has
> > on
> > > optical SPDIF connector, which I promptly hooked up to my receiver.
> > Works
> > > fine, but I was wondering - are any of the programs broadcast in
> > Dolby
> > > Digital? None seem to have been in my 3 weeks of viewing.
> >
> > I was also disappointed when I recently purchased a home theatre
> > system
> > and discovered that only Showtime and Showtime+2 appear to offer full
> > 5.1 decoding... on certain movies only.
> >
> > Hmmm... we're in 2006, right?
> >
> > At least Star Wars Episode Whatever was a good test for the new
> > system.
> > :)
>
> I know it's not nearly as good, but if you have a decent home theatre
> system you can just get it to produce pseudo surround sound. Optical 2
> channel is still better than RCA 2 channel (albiet not by much).

Mine supports "analog" Dolby (Pro Logic and Pro Logic II) which kinda
works - the majority of the sound comes from the front speakers but
occasionally a woosh or swirl magically appears from the rears. I'm
still trying to figure out all of the various combinations, there are
10 different (manual) decoder selections and a bunch of other modifiers
such as cinema simulations! For true digital surround it selects the
appropriate decoder automatically.

Pro Logic and PL2 are only good for Dolby 2.0 - for standard 2 channel sound it's not. For standard 2 channel sound, 99% of Foxtel's broadcasting, I use SFC, Panasonic's own surround sound function, and set it to the Action setting. Plenty of sound comes out of the rear speakers, knows when to send voice to the front speakers, surround to the rear, etc etc. I'm quite happy with it, albiet not nearly as good as Dolby 5.1