Page 1 of Videologic Digitheatre (Non DTS)

Right then I am entering the final phase of "Operation: Buy something" and I was just wanting some wee questions answered about the Digitheatre:

What is wrong with it?, what are its bad points?

How powerful is it? I read the review for the DTS version and it has much higher power ratings all round but how does it compare to the original? It shouldnt be a problem for me, but it would be nice to know. Aye.

Is it hard to lug around/move? I might have to shift it around all the time you see.

Aye, well if you (the viewing public) can answer any of those questions then you are doing pretty well.

I have the digitheater 5.1, and to be honest it does the job. I heard both in action before i bought the 5.1 version, and to my untrained ears there`s not much difference. Obviously the DTS model looks neater with center speaker and decoder in one unit, and, it gives you DTS. To the question of "is it hard to move about?" well....you are limited to the length of connection supplied with the kit, but get a nice long bit of HIGH quality co-ax, to connect player to decoder and u will be laughing. The decoder and amp/subwoofer need to be in close proximity to each other (not a problem), but my tip is have both close to where you will be siting as adjusting channel volumes is a pain in the arse when it`s 4 meters away, cos you can`t see the damn display (or get some binoculars). The main reasons why i didn`t go for the DTS model was the price, my lounge is not the most brilliant of shapes (meaning i`d never get the best out of it) and lastly whats the point?? unless you are going to sit through a whole movie and dissect every single note ot the DTS soundtrack.
Just spend the cash difference between the two systems on some good movies or some good co-ax, phonos and scart and enjoy the best dolby 5.1 can give you..


happy hunting BA

This item was edited on Wednesday, 31st January 2001, 00:08

I too went for the digitheatre original - partly the price difference (which I part spent on a very high quality sp/dif digital connect and a universal remote control).
It`s not that the difference isn`t there - DTS sounds a lot better when you get a DTS encoded track, just that the difference may not be worth the extra money

TV speakers -> HIFI is a big step,
HIFI -> Dolby system *with sub* is a really big improvement,
Dolby 5.1 -> DTS is a much smaller step, good - but only for the really serious home cinema buff (ie. projector, screen measured in feet, not inches, possibly knock a few interior walls down to make the room the right shape).

The DTS system also has the information display on the centre speaker (my friend ended up putting black card over it, so it didn`t distract from the TV).

The original version has one problem, noise.. It picks up mains hum badly - so ground the amp seperately, or have it on it`s own ring (!). I use the central heating to ground mine.

"so ground the amp seperately, or have it on it`s own ring (!). I use the central heating to ground mine"

Really? Christ thats a bit silly.

Also, arent most DTS discs R1 anyway? I cant think of any R2 film discs that have DTS other than Gladiator and Chicken Run. So all in all it is not worth the upgrade unless you have plenty of DTS discs already.

Well that is basically all the encouragement I need to make me start saving. Thanks.

One more question: What is it like used for other things, like music for example?

Thanks anyway then.

Aye.

You won`t think it silly when you reduce all the hum from the surround speakers (it`s hardly noticable until you get a dramatic pause in a film). I now can`t hear it at all.

I spent £1 on a bit of single core wire (`cause I had no spare speaker cable at the time), and that`s it. People buy £40 OFC scart cables and £30/metre speaker cable to make that sort of reduction. The radiator was about 2 1/2 metres away, and all I did was tape the wire to bare metal on both.

DTS discs are mostly R1 at the mo., but they`ll get more popular R2 in the not so distant future (unless Dolby decide on a new standard!).

Music on the Digitheatre is not bad, don`t expect it to match a good seperates music system, and set it to stereo (rather than pro-logic), or it`ll sound really strange (seperates the vocals, to some degree, to the centre speaker).

If you want the best out of any system, you`ll have to do strange things to it (how many people have seperates hifi gear on sound dampened shelves, spikes on the bottom of the speakers, bi-wiring, etc.) - if you can`t live with that, you`ll never really get full value out of it.

Well put it this way .....all R1 disc that are DTS will make their way here as R2 DTS discs....

Ha!

In a perfect world, yes.

It will take fricking ages for R2 to catch up with the DTS discness of R1, if we ever do.

Aye.