Page 1 of volume of amp for DVD & other sources?

Hope you guys can help me, I`m slightly confused by something!

When playing DVD`s through my amp why does the analogue/prologic mix seem louder for overall sounds & dialogue than the Dolby Digital
bitstream?
For example SPR:
When I select the opening battle in analogue prologic & have the volume @ 6 on the amp it`s very loud, yet if I turn off then play the same sequence via Dolby Digital @ the same volume setting on
the amp it`s much quieter, to the extent I have to increase the volume
to 9 to achieve the same loudness. I know the peaks are a lot louder &
the dynamic range is greater on Dolby Digital though & have noticed if I
play Fight Club ( mid air demo) select prologic & play this sequence
it`s noticeably lower than Dolby Digital, but still the overall loudness
when people are speaking or there isn`t much action on screen is louder
on prologic! I have connected the amp via L/R phonos to the audio
outputs on my TV, & connected the DVD player via coaxial lead to the
amp.
Now I know DVD`s are meant to be set @ a lower volume than other
sources, but this seems to dispel this slightly coz if I set the volume
@ 6 & play films from Sky Digital or CD`s through the amp they seem to
be fairly near to the analogue prologic output of a DVD!
Can someone please explain this to me? Or has anyone tried prologic
versus DD through their amp?
One other thing! Are the line level audio outputs set @ the same level
for ALL TV`s?
I was pretty sure on my Tosh telly I had before the audio outs seemed a
lot lower volume through the amp than the Phillips TV I have now, could
this be the reason the " analogue " output is louder now? Me mate has a
Sony Wega & the same amp/speakers as me & when we did the same test on SPR the level from the analogue output ( audio outs) was much, much LOWER than the Dolby Digital mix! I think he may be able to adjust the audio out level on his TV though!
Is there something wrong with me amp, or something wrong with the audio outs on the TV?
Please help this is driving me nuts!!!!

Hmmm ..... That`s the opposite of what I get. It must be a set-up problem cos whenever I (have to) use Pro-Logic I need to turn it up really high to get any decent volume.

What amp are you using - is it different if you use other DSP effects ... y`know like Theatre, Concert Hall etc.....?

phew!thats some explanation!i presume you have the dvd connected to the tv via scart,then the tv to the amp via phono yes?ditto for the sky digibox?
tvs are all different btwixt brands,but some have FIXED level outputs and some do not.ones with fixed outputs deliver the same flat sound regardless of the tv volume,but sometimes the tone settings on the tv effect the sound output to the amp.this is why some things will seem louder than others.
your query with the soundtracks is solved thus:dolby digital downmixes squeeze all the seperate channels into a dpl format.so rather than being six seperate discrete channels,the sound now becomes three matrixed channels,derived form the main stereo pair-hence the increase in volume.playing in dd again gives the channels room to breathe,so it will be a little quieter but with a better sense of space.
quick question tho,why would you want to listen to films in dpl when you have dolby digital?!!thats like having a ferrari and driving it around at 10mph!
i know we all like to experiment,but dont plague your mind with these technical issues-just listen and enjoy!(the plane collision in fight club was made for dolby digital,anything less is sacrilege!)

happy now?please say you are!

westy:-)

Exactly what I wanted to hear...................happy now!
The only reason I was listening to films in DPL was coz I use this mode all the time for SKY etc & when I then play a DVD sometimes I forget to change it. Thanks for ya help!

Slightly more concerned & less happy now!
Tried a few DVD`s on me mate`s system ( exactly the same as mine) & his DD sounds are much louder than mine!
Beginning to think there is something wrong with me amp or me set up now!
Can room acoustics give more overall loudness & bass?
That`s the only other reason I can think of ( apart from a problem with the amp) as to why his seems more powerful.

Where is your sub?

Placing it in the corner can greatly amplify bass frequencies although it can also sound a bit "boomy".

Have you checked all speaker levels? I tend to have my centre much higher than my fronts in volume.

How close are your speakers relative to your listening position?
If you room is larger, or speakers further away than in your mates house, this could explain the difference.

Optical and coaxial connections have much lower signal volume than phono connections as a rule. This may be causing the problem.

Gimme a shout if you have any further questions, Brock.

This item was edited on Saturday, 7th July 2001, 19:56

Cheers for your reply........much appreciated!
Now sorted thanks.
Mixture of things really, placement of sub & me mate had whacked his rear speakers to max!!!!!
Not only that the audio outs on my TV seem to be a lot louder than my previous TV so this all accounted for the differences & your right about the difference between phonos & digital connections.
To dispel all these differences I played MI2 in DD & then switched to the 2nd audio track ( prologic) & then u could really tell the difference, I then switched to the l/r phonos & it was a lot louder but " brasher", thats the only way I can describe analogue now!!!!
After listening to me mates & then going back to mine I actually preferred the " sound" of mine as my bass seems more natural......less boomy.
He had placed his sub right behind his TV in the corner about 2 inches from the wall which was probably the reason it sounded louder, trouble was it was interfering with the overall soundtrack too much for my liking!
Each to their own though!
Once again thanks
Lee