VM Cable carrying itvhd-why does this not have a Dolby Digital soundtrack?

AnthonyUK

I regularly go up to a friends house on sundays (she has VM Cable TV broadband and phone) and I put on the X-Factor on the itvhd channel but i've noticed that this channel on VM cable does NOT carry the full 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack that Sky/Freesat viewers on satellite are currently receiving and enjoying, it's just 2 channel DVB MPEG Stereo!!! Why should Virgin give short sharp selfish shrift by offering EXCELLENT picture quality on itvhd BUT letting the sonic side down by only offering MPEG stereo but NOT Dolby Digital sound?:mad::mad:

esuhl

Are you sure it's not down to the limitations of the equipment used, or a setting, or that a 5.1 soundtrack isn't available for that programme?

From Virgin's FAQs:

How can I get Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound with HD? Many HD programmes are broadcast in stunning Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, delivering top quality audio to accompany your HD picture. Our V+HD and V HD boxes provide Dolby Digital surround sound, but you'll need a compatible home cinema system to get it going. Don't worry if you don't have one – you’ll still get a fantastic experience with a high definition picture and stereo sound.

http://www.virginmediapeople.com/hdtvguide/faqs.html#8

Quiet_Spark

As already mentioned, you need a proper 5.1 system to take advantage of the 5.1 audio.

agrinnall

I think it would be reasonable to assume that the OP's friend does have a 5.1 system, hence noticing the difference on this channel. Esuhl's response doesn't say that it's available on all HD channels, so perhaps the OP is correct that it's not on the ITV HD channel, although they would probably have to contact Virgin to confirm this. It's unlikely that there is any "short sharp selfish shrift" (whatever that means) going on as I'm sure the T&Cs will cover the availability and unavailability of 5.1.

AnthonyUK

Yes there is a full 5.1 system connected via optical digital lead;BUT the VM box on itvhd only shows the non-Dolby 2 channel stereo track ONLY (the dolby option isn't selectable nor available), all other hd channels on VM cable ARE DD5.1.

On satellite via Sky/Freesat the full Dolby Digital 5.1 track is available to all viewers via itvhd.

Rodders53

Errrm Not to the best of my knowledge.... ITV is one of the few HD services that does NOT broadcast in DD 5.1 (only DD 2.0).

On all the services is does depend on the individual programme though.

AFAIK it's an ITV playout limitation (they aren't equipped to do so at the moment).

IF it is available which REGION of ITV is it and I'll have a listen on my freesat TV/PVR to see if any programmes are in 5.1... It must be a very recent development though as it hasn't been mentioned on AVForums or DigitalSpy where these matters often come up.

almillar

To get to the bottom of this the model of Virgin receiver (TiVo?) would certainly be useful...
I've never seen anything on ITV HD in DD5.1 - what programmes has anyone seen in 5.1, what equipment are you using, and what ITV region are you in?

AnthonyUK

almillar wrote: »

To get to the bottom of this the model of Virgin receiver (TiVo?) would certainly be useful...
I've never seen anything on ITV HD in DD5.1 - what programmes has anyone seen in 5.1, what equipment are you using, and what ITV region are you in?

The region is ITVHD Granada carried throughout North East Lancashire and North Manchester via VM Cable TV, the TiVo recorder box is a Samsung.

The VM Samsung TiVo box is connected via digital optical connection lead to a Philips Blu-Ray home cinema system equipped with built in Dolby Digital/DTS/Dolby Pro-Logic II surround sound decoding circuitry and the unit is set to Multi-Channel in Surround mode which automatically selects full DD 5.1 mode on compatible programming via HD channels (where that is broadcast of course), and on DD2.0 stereo/dolby surround programming within the HD channels and straight stereo TV soundtracks that aren't Dolby Surround encoded within normal SD channels, the Philips unit automatically selects Dolby Pro Logic II movie mode or Dolby Pro-Logic II music mode (if that is selected and set within the unit menus).

When ITVHD Granada is selected on VM Cable and you press the Info i button on the handset, the box doesn't show the Dolby logo on screen as you get on most other HD channels within the VM Cable line-up;when you press the info button on ITVHD Granada, you just get stereo sound (and no Dolby symbol).;)

ITVHD probably doesn't have DD playout facilities at ITV Network Centre in Central London hence no 5.1 at present on films and import programming;all you get is a DD audio bitstream (mostly stereo) transmitted via satellite (plus a HE-AAC multichannel bitstream on Freeview HD, but in stereo most of the time) with matrixed Dolby Surround which is a bit of a shame really.

And drama/soaps etc tends to be stereo only which is also a let down;nobody who commissions and provides hd productions for itvhd uses single-point 5.1 channel surround mics (which is what's needed for surround sound ambience within comedy drama soap studio based gameshows and reality shows and live outside broadcasts of events/sport shows etc).

If I got took on as ITV ceo/president things would change;

-all itv playout facilities would incorporate Dolby 5.1 playout,

-ALL productions made and commissioned for itvhd would HAVE to use single-point 5.1 surround mics for those programmes and itv's home grown programming like X-Factor/Britain's Got Talent and other studio based similar shows would also use single-point 5.1 surround mics, and live outside broadcasts would also use single-point 5.1 surround mics,

-I would obtain as many films as possible on high quality masters with 5.1 DD soundtracks and buy in American European and international made series in 5.1 DD as much as possible,

-News programmes produced for itv would be a mix of 5.1 surround mix for the signature tune, stereo left and right for in-studio desk mics and on-board portable camera mics for reports would be single-point 5.1 channel surround microphones with voiceovers dubbed to centre channel in editing.;)

almillar

Very little stuff is in 5.1, even on Sky and BBC. ITV have had financial trouble of late, so maybe they can't afford to invest in the equipment. With my set up, the amp shows the number of channels (2 for stereo or 5.1) and in stereo applies the different modes (usually Pro Logic 2 Movie) and for 5.1 switches to DD, so it's easy to tell when I'm watching a DD5.1 broadcast.
So if all the HD channels are output (at least from Virgin box to amp) at 5.1, except ITVHD, that's a different approach from Sky and Freesat in my experience.
PS I'm sure the AVForum guys would already be all over this...