DTS WAV: Difference between revisions

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DTS (Digital Theater Systems) is a multi-channel surround sound format that is often found in movie soundtracks and is used for multi-channel sound on film, DVD, laser discs, and even some CDDAs. It is similar to Dolby System's AC3 format (it's primary competitor), and they are similar in terms of audio performance. More about the format can be found on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Theater_System Wikipedia's DTS page].
DTS (Digital Theater Systems) is a multi-channel surround sound format that is often found in movie soundtracks and is used for multi-channel sound on film, DVD, laser discs, and even some CDDAs. It is similar to Dolby System's AC3 format (it's primary competitor), and they are similar in terms of audio performance. More about the format can be found on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Theater_System Wikipedia's DTS page].


DTS wave files are automatically decoded and output as 5.1 using Media Center 16 or 17. You can use .wav or .dts as the extension.
Enabling support for Wave files (WAV) containing DTS Audio streams in MC takes quite a bit of configuration, but you can get it to work with a little bit of effort. These instructions are focused on having the computer decode the DTS stream itself, and output the audio through your sound card's analog outputs directly (which is honestly what most normal users will probably want).


Version of Media Center before v16 may not nicely support DTS WAV files.
If instead you want to simpy pass the DTS stream through a S/PDIF output to an external DTS decoder box, this should also be possible with slight modifications to this method. However, this is untested and may not work at all!


There is currently no easy way to bitstream DTS (or any other audio format other than DSD) using Media Center. In general, it is better to decode on the computer anyway. Media Center has the highest possible quality decoder, and decoding with Media Center allows other operations like Room Correction, volume, and more.

== Required Additional Software ==

[http://hypercubemx.free.fr/html/dts_wav_filter.html DTSWav Source Plugin from Hypercubemx]

FFDSHOW DirectShow Filter: Installing through [http://www.cccp-project.net/ CCCP] is recommended.


== Setup Instructions ==

# Make sure you've installed CCCP carefully using the instructions provided on the [http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page#Latest_CCCP_.28aka._Download_Here.21.29 CCCP FAQ page].
# Download the [http://hypercubemx.free.fr/html/dts_wav_filter.html DTSWav Source Plugin from Hypercubemx] and extract the contents of the archive file to a folder on your hard drive. A good location for this is: <code>C:\Program Files\DirectShow Filters\DTSWav\</code> but you can put it wherever you'd like.
# Register the DTSWave Source Filter. Go to ''Start --> Run'' and type: <code><pre>regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\DirectShow Filters\DTSWav\DTSWAVSource.ax"</pre></code>
# Open the FFDSHOW Audio Decoder Configuration. Go to ''Start --> Programs --> Combined Community Codec Pack --> FFDShow Audio Decoder Configuration''
# Navigate to the Codec Configuration section of FFDSHOW using the navigation "tree" on the left.
# In the codec list on the right, select ''DTS'' and ensure that ''libdts'' is chosen.
## Also ensure that ''Check For DTS in WAV'' is selected at the bottom of the dialog.
## If you want to use S/PDIF passthrough, you would select ''spdif'' instead of ''libdts'' here.
#:[[Image:Ffdshow codec-dts.jpg]]
# Scroll down in the codec list and find ''Uncompressed''. Change it from ''disabled'' to ''all supported''.
#:[[Image:Ffdshow codec-uncompressed.jpg]]
# Next, still in the FFDSHOW audio decoder tool, select Dolby Decoder from the navigation "tree" and enable it.
## If you will be using an external DTS decoder (via S/PDIF output) then '''do not''' enable this option.
#:[[Image:Ffdshow dolby decoder.jpg]]
# Take your WAV files containing DTS Audio streams, and change the file extension to .dtswav as recommended by the DTS Wav plugin authors.
# You should now be able to play the files back using a DirectShow player. Try playing one of them back using Windows Media Player or Media Player Classic (which is installed as part of CCCP). If the files don't play back or you hear static, you likely did something wrong so check your previous steps.
# Import the files into MC by right clicking on the files in Windows Explorer and choosing ''Media Center --> Import''. They will import as Data files. You can also drag-drop the files from Windows Explorer into the MC window.
# Find them in MC. Manually change the following attributes:
## ''File Type'': change from "dtswav" to "dts"
## ''Media Type'': change from "data" to "audio"
# Inside MC, go to <code>Options --> Playback --> DirectShow playback Settings --> DirectShow Filters</code> and make sure DTS is checked.

That's it! The files should now play and act just like any other Audio file in MC.

A few little important notes:
* You '''must''' use the ''.dtswav'' extension for the files or the DTSWav Source Filter won't "see" them.
* You '''must''' change the file type from ''dtswav'' to ''dts'' in MC for each file, or MC will fail to play them back.


[[Category:Frequently Asked Questions]]
[[Category:Frequently Asked Questions]]

Revision as of 20:27, 21 March 2012

(For DTS files converted to WM Lossless, please see this thread on Interact.)

DTS (Digital Theater Systems) is a multi-channel surround sound format that is often found in movie soundtracks and is used for multi-channel sound on film, DVD, laser discs, and even some CDDAs. It is similar to Dolby System's AC3 format (it's primary competitor), and they are similar in terms of audio performance. More about the format can be found on Wikipedia's DTS page.

DTS wave files are automatically decoded and output as 5.1 using Media Center 16 or 17. You can use .wav or .dts as the extension.

Version of Media Center before v16 may not nicely support DTS WAV files.

There is currently no easy way to bitstream DTS (or any other audio format other than DSD) using Media Center. In general, it is better to decode on the computer anyway. Media Center has the highest possible quality decoder, and decoding with Media Center allows other operations like Room Correction, volume, and more.