4K/UHD bluray players that decode DTS to Dolby?


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With 4K bluray players starting to emerge now, seems we really need to start keeping straight which ones will allow those of us with Sonos Playbars enjoy some semblance of Dolby sound when certain 4K blurays only offer DTS. (Note, I haven't yet purchased a 4K bluray, so am unaware of the typical sound offerings.)

But we went through this once already, for regular bluray players, with many threads devoted to outlining the multiple Samsung models of bluray that decode DTS to Dolby 5.1 (I ended up buying a Sony that also does so). Now let's do the same for 4K players.

So far we have the Samsung UBD K8500 (which seems to clearly decode DTS to dolby.) Now what about the Philips? The Panasonic? The Xbox One S?

Anyone have any idea?

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217 replies

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The Oppo support page confirms this (yay!)
Added the Dolby Digital and DTS options under the S/PDIF Output setting in Audio Output Setup, which allows the player to re-encode different audio formats into the Dolby Digital or DTS audio format for the S/PDIF output.
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Absolutely GIGANTIC news. Wow. I'm stunned.
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Sure is!
I just bought the Samsung K8500 a couple of weeks ago. But I'm going to return that. I just placed an order for the Oppo 203. While I'm satisfied with the picture from the Samsung player, my TV supports both Dolby Vision & HDR10 so I really want a blu-ray player that will also support both formats. Also in the recent news - the first UHD discs are coming out with Dolby Vision.
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I am stunned...and elated! Thank you community - I wouldn't have known without these postings.

Already returned my OPPO as I could never get confirmation of this update. Fantastic that OPPO listened and met this need! Time to support them and reorder this immediately.

Sonos - please listen to your loyal customer base and provide us a means to decode modern audio codecs in the near future.
Live in US
T.V - vizio p70 2015 non hdr model
Blu ray collection reaching 600 movies (alot of titles to play with and test out 🙂 )

So far so good, but just a few kinks i am working out and they could be user error or the fact that it is a beta version. I have my ps4 pro going into the oppo so that my streeming apps will still have 5.1. There js a heavy a/v sync issue. Ive seen an area to adjust but all the changes ive done dont seem to help much. This like i said could be user error tho, still tinkering.

The second i am trying to figure out hoe to habe my wii u play with audio noe as well. Ps4 into oppo= audio but with the wii u going into the tv i am forced to using thr hdmi arc to put the tv audio back into the oppo.

The issue so far is the vizio registers and sees the oppo under the arc settings (cec tab) but when trying to establish connection under oppo it keeps saying no device found and to make sure my device is arc compatible.

Probably just need to keep searching and playing with it.

As far as picture quality even on my non hdr set after color calibration and oppos internal color settings with the 8bit panel option selected, it looks dynamic! Extremely sharp on upscaled regular blu rays.

Could not be happier!

Also if anyone knows about the issues im having above i would definitely welcome input. I was never an audiophile and have learned so much just from this thread alone lol. It may be turning me into one hahah
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Kyle,
Is it possible for you to have both the wii and the PS4 connect to the TV? Does the TV have enough HDMI ports? That way all of your device's audio have the same path )will go straight out the TV's optical port). If you could do this I think that this might help with the AV sync issue.

I'm picking up my Oppo 203 today at the Oppo office in Menlo Park. I'll be sure to give feedback on how it performs after I get the beta firmware installed.
Thanks for the reply tom,

I can go all hdmi including my ps4 into the tv but then i would have to use the arc audio for both as the optical is going from oppo to sonos not tv to sonos. And the reason i have ps4 into tbe oppo is because on vizio p series 2015 what i have found is only hdmi 5 port is hdcp 2.2 ready so i wont get 4k gaming or streaming from ps4 if i dont go through the oppo.

And right now the arc set up is proving to be challenging as well.

When you get a chance to play with it i will be waiting to see your feedback and thoughts.
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I've been testing the new Oppo 203 player. Unfortunately, with my configuration I don't think it's going to work out for me. My setup is the STB and the Oppo connect to the TV's HDMI ports. The TV's optical out port goes to the Sonos Playbar. This works very well as my TV passes DD5.1 out the optical port. What I didn't realize until I setup the Oppo was that the DD5.1 transcoding they just added was just for the player's S/PDIF port. Not the HDMI port.

D'oh!

So, I experimented with the Oppo's HDMI audio settings. Here is what I found:
If the movie is in Dolby True HD then setting the the players HDMI to use Bitstream resulted in in DD5.1 to the Playbar.
If the movie is in DTS-HD then I get no audio unless I set the players HDMI to use LPCM. In which case the Sonos app states "Audio in: unsupported" but I get a pseudo surround effect. It seems to be similar to Pro-Logic Surround which is not a true surround. When I watch a movie in Dolby True HD with the player's optical connected to the Playbar it sounds much better (the Sonos app then shows audio in as DD5.1)

So, the only solution for the Oppo I see is to use an optical switch, to switch the Playbar between the TV and the Oppo. But that's a pain.
The Samsung just plain worked with it's transcoding as it also sent DD5.1 out it's HDMI port. So, given that the picture quality seemed just fine with the Samsung, I think I'll have to forgo future Dolby Vision support with the player and return the Oppo.
Sheesh.....
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Correction in my above post:
When I watch a movie in Dolby True HD with the player's optical connected to the Playbar it sounds much better (the Sonos app then shows audio in as DD5.1)

Should read:
When I watch a movie in DTS HD with the player's optical connected to the Playbar it sounds much better (the Sonos app then shows audio in as DD5.1)
Hi, everyone. I've been looking for a decent feed regarding this issue with transforming DTS to DD5.1 and this has been a brilliant read. I'm not totally at ease with the technical terms etc and what's required but I use the Samsung 4K KS7000 TV which doesn't support Dolby Vision. So my questions are, does the Xbox support the encoding from DTS to DD5.1 and is it a better UBD player than the Samsung. I'll be honest that I can't afford the Obbo 203 but which other unit should I buy. I really need help as most of my current collection is format DTS and not having proper 5.1 sound is so frustrating beyond belief. I desperately need to transform DTS to DD5.1. Please help........thanks
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Hi, everyone. I've been looking for a decent feed regarding this issue with transforming DTS to DD5.1 and this has been a brilliant read. I'm not totally at ease with the technical terms etc and what's required but I use the Samsung 4K KS7000 TV which doesn't support Dolby Vision. So my questions are, does the Xbox support the encoding from DTS to DD5.1 and is it a better UBD player than the Samsung. I'll be honest that I can't afford the Obbo 203 but which other unit should I buy. I really need help as most of my current collection is format DTS and not having proper 5.1 sound is so frustrating beyond belief. I desperately need to transform DTS to DD5.1. Please help........thanks

If you don't need Dolby Vision, then your choice of a player is simpler. The Xbox One S is supposed to transcode to DD5.1. There was a post in this forum where someone even posted the menu steps to enable it.
I considered the Xbox before I got the Samsung K8500. But since I'm not a console gamer, it didn't seem to make sense. For one thing a white box was really going to stand out sitting under the TV while everything else is black. Plus, you have to download a blu-ray player app from the Xbox store and then configure it. Then, the game controller doesn't make a very good movie remote, so you have to buy another remote for this. Like the Samsung, the reviews of the Xbox as a Blu-ray player were so-so. The Samsung just seemed a less complicated solution.

To be honest, after testing out the Oppo 203 today, as far as picture quality I saw no difference. Maybe if I had identical screens side by side I might see something. But, I'm quite happy with the Samsung. I bought it from Costco because they have a 90 day return policy. So when the Samsung M8500 comes out soon and lets say it has Dolby Vision, I can have the option to upgrade.
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I've been testing the new Oppo 203 player. Unfortunately, with my configuration I don't think it's going to work out for me. My setup is the STB and the Oppo connect to the TV's HDMI ports. The TV's optical out port goes to the Sonos Playbar. This works very well as my TV passes DD5.1 out the optical port. What I didn't realize until I setup the Oppo was that the DD5.1 transcoding they just added was just for the player's S/PDIF port. Not the HDMI port.

D'oh!

So, I experimented with the Oppo's HDMI audio settings. Here is what I found:
If the movie is in Dolby True HD then setting the the players HDMI to use Bitstream resulted in in DD5.1 to the Playbar.
If the movie is in DTS-HD then I get no audio unless I set the players HDMI to use LPCM. In which case the Sonos app states "Audio in: unsupported" but I get a pseudo surround effect. It seems to be similar to Pro-Logic Surround which is not a true surround. When I watch a movie in Dolby True HD with the player's optical connected to the Playbar it sounds much better (the Sonos app then shows audio in as DD5.1)

So, the only solution for the Oppo I see is to use an optical switch, to switch the Playbar between the TV and the Oppo. But that's a pain.
The Samsung just plain worked with it's transcoding as it also sent DD5.1 out it's HDMI port. So, given that the picture quality seemed just fine with the Samsung, I think I'll have to forgo future Dolby Vision support with the player and return the Oppo.
Sheesh.....
Tom I'm not completely clear how most would take advantage of the transcoding then - aren't most people's set-ups like yours? e.g. working through the hdmi port? Mine certainly is! Why would they assign this audio feature to benefit only through the S/PDIF port? This info is appreciated though, and is a deal breaker for me - along with another issue in my case - my designated shelf in my entertainment center can't fit this player! The player is too wide by about half an inch! UGH. All roads keep leading back to the Samsung for me.
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I agree Carson. I had assumed Oppo would have implemented this like Samsung did and have the transcoded audio go out both HDMI & Optical. Maybe they didn't see this as an issue since all soundbars except the Playbar have multiple inputs.

The Oppo was a nice player (lots of menu option and output ports) but it is expensive. Right now, I'm happy with the Samsung. It has great image and sound quality. In the future if the lack of support for Dolby Vision becomes an issue I'll have to re-evaluate the situation. Since Dolby has stated there will be a software-only version soon, I think a lot more players will have DV (hopefully the Samsung M8500). So, I'll think have some viable choices.
But, as I stated before - don't wait too long. You're missing out on some spectacular image quality. If you get the chance to watch Hacksaw Ridge in UHD HDR - the early scene with Hugo Weaving in the cemetery is jaw dropping gorgeous. Had friends over and they were totally amazed when I showed them this scene.
Alright Tom. I can't find the feed for the Xbox setup. Want to make sure before I take the plunge. It's really complicated isn't it haha. Do you know where the link is mate. Still pondering which one to get. Obviously I don't need the Dolby vision but obviously DD5.1 and HDR is a must. What's the quality like on the picture does anyone know?
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Alright Tom. I can't find the feed for the Xbox setup. Want to make sure before I take the plunge. It's really complicated isn't it haha. Do you know where the link is mate. Still pondering which one to get. Obviously I don't need the Dolby vision but obviously DD5.1 and HDR is a must. What's the quality like on the picture does anyone know?

I can't find the link. But I did do a cut & paste of his instructions in case I ever needed them. Here is what he posted:
Xbox One DD5.1 setting:
All Settings > Display & Sound > Audio Output
Set to:
HDMI audio: Bitstream out
Optical audio: Bitstream out
Bitstream format: Dolby Digital (other option is DTS Digital Surround)
Cheers mate. But are we sure it converts it from DTS to Dolby Digital 5.1
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Are we sure? Ahhh, no. Not 100%.
The research continues haha
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Hey Musicallife100, did you get the new Oppo? Any opinions would be welcomed.
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Hi Opsman...I did get the Oppo, for a second time.

I installed the beta update and, yes, it decodes to DD beautifully. You change the audio output option to optical and select the new option to send the signal as Dolby.

However, tom12 is correct in that it works only via optical. To avoid swapping out my optical cable from tv to Oppo everytime I watch a bluray, I chose to order a $20 optical switcher. This is slated to arrive tomorrow.

I'll connect my cable box and Oppo via hdmi to my tv. Then I can connect my tv optical out to the input 1 of the switcher. I'll connect the Oppo optical out to input 2 of the switcher and the optical out of the switcher to my playbar. When I watch the Oppo I just need to switch to input 2. It has a remote. You can also buy automatic switchers but I'm fine with switching it myself. Plus, with Oppo's track record, I'm guessing they'll implement this feature via hdmi in a future update. The functionality via firmware updates just keeps getting better.
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On another note, I contacted Oppo to express my appreciation for implementing the Dolby conversion functionality (I'd encourage others to do the same). The response made me chuckle.

Maybe it was just written quickly and off the cuff but it could also read like a bit of a jab at Sonos...here you have it...

John,

We are glad to hear that you have liked the upgrade to our player and now you can use it with a Sonos product that can't do DTS.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
162 Constitution Dr.
Menlo Park, CA 94025Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119
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Hey guys, great discussion. I'm going to update our home theater megathread with some of the suggestions here.

Looks like the OPPO 203 is working out well now with that recent update. Any others you think we should add to there too?

The Xbox One S I've heard works great as well for the HD Blu-Ray playback with on the fly transcoding for DTS to Dolby.
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Hi Musicallife100, many thanks for the great reply. I'm looking at the exact same set up as you when mine arrives so would love to know how you get on with your switch. I've gone for the Lindy 2 way Automatic switch as I can't rely on the wife being able to remember to switch the optical over if she ever watches a movie or more likely after I've watched a movie or two and forgotten to switch it back!! Funnily enough I've had several very friendly and informative chats with the Oppo UK technical manager (James) in the last week. He voiced the same opinion regards Sonos and DTS and didn't confirm it, but didn't dismiss it either, for the future option of the DD5.1 re-encode output via HDMI. Let's make sure we keep in touch with this and i'll keep working on James.
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Hi Musicallife100, sorry forgot to ask - what's your opinion of the Oppo's picture quality?
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Hi Opsman. I don't anticipate any issues but I'll report back once I get the switch.

Re: the picture quality...I know this is subjective but I've bought (and returned) all of the 4k players currently in production, except the lg and Xbox one s, and Oppo is the one to beat. With a 4k blu ray it seems to 'pop' more. However, all of the other 4k players looked, at least, really good.

Two things did surprise me more...first, the upscaling on standard bluray looks fantastic. Even more surprising was 3d bluray. This player offers a marked improvement. I still have the Samsung 8500 I'd re-bought a few weeks ago (until I discovered Oppo issued the dd upgrade). I connected it and did a comparison of David Attenborough's GALAPAGOS 3d and, it looked great on the Samsung but...it was, almost literally, breathtaking on the Oppo. I don't know why. Maybe due to the improved upscaling, maybe processing that handles 3d more effectively...not sure but it certainly made me feel better about the price difference between the two players - as tom12 had pointed out.

Plus I love the continual support and upgrades Oppo provides. They really do work to hold that top spot. It's pretty future-proof.

Also, although I can't access the additional audio functionality, hd movie codecs - especially want atmos, hi res audio, sacd, dvd-a, etc, I am aware of other Sonos-like systems on the horizon that may offer access soon. I am keeping up with Bluesound, Heos, Bose soundtouch, etc to see if they present options that entice me to consider jumping ship.

Except for this optical/dts limitation, I am still very happily married to Sonos. Especially with this new Oppo workaround. But c'mon Sonos...you gotta spice things up once in a while - let's stay together.

Btw, Ryan S - thanks for chiming in. Good to know you're following all of this.