3D Surround Sound
 

We currently have a 3D surround sound DVD player which is ment to make it sound like surround sound just coming through your tv speakers and we find it works really well.

We have now decided that we want to be able to get this from the TV channels and the DVD player but it we don't want to have speakers and cables all over to room.

I have found the Toshiba SD44HK at http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/conten...TOS-SD44HK.htm

This has 3D surround sound along with the 6 speakers. What we want to do is be able to have all the speakers arround our TV rather than around the room.

Will this system work with NTL. We have placed an order online to get out TV upgraded to digital. One more thing has anyone placed an order online with NTL and recived a phone call it says they will call within 48hrs but the order was placed wednesday and we haven't heard anything.

Thanks
Craig

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

I cannot get my surround sound to work with NTL :dozey:

And you are best to have your speakers set up correctly around the room for maximum effect.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

NTL digital does not transmit anything other than standard Stereo Sound on the main channels (some of the movie channels use 'surround sound' but not true DTS or 5.1). However, pumping you NTL Dig signal through that box will 'probably' improve the sound as it should try to process the signal and 'enhance' it. Playing DVD's on this should sound perfect as they will have DTS and the player will use all six speakers correctly.

The speakers are designed to be 'spread around', ideally front speakers either side of the TV, speech and subwoofer in front of TV and satellite speakers behind you. That way you get the full 'surround' effect. Try watching the Fellowship of the Ring on the new player - about half way through they are on a hill top when a flock of birds approaches - in 5.1 you can really hear the birds fly in from behind you on the right :D.

HTH

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Subwoofer infront of the TV??

Um...Nope:)
If yer sub is set up coorrectly it will not matter where in the room it is placed.

There are not many subs set up correctly that i have heard.

If you can hear it...it too loud or the cross over is too high.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Glad someone mentioned that ;)

My sub sit's at the back of the room out of the way, my setup sounds exactly the same wherever I put it.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

5.1 I'm sure DTS is better? :confused:

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

just set-up my 5.1 the other day and will probably spend the next 2 week setting it up correctly, is there anyone on here thats a expert in the various levels that things have to be set at?

For helix - you will have to set the speakers up around the room above or at head level. Dont do what my folks did and have them on the floor behind stuff or you might as well throw your cash away coz it aint going to sound any better. If your worried about the cable colour then do what i did and rewire it with a more acceptable colour.

Putting mine up took around 2 hours although it would have been quicker if Idid not have so much stuff to move.

My system is a pacific one from asda and its got a aux input on the back and a aux2 on the front so i got my stereo in one and the tv (which also has phono audio out) in the other. Works a treat and the whole lot including the tv was under £200

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Marginally, you would need a THX approved system (think £5k plus on the source, amp and speakers) to hear the difference.
You will need to take the phono inputs from the STB or get a SCART that splits out these phono inputs and put them into the amp. If you are watching cable on a Non SCART source there is no stereo signal (though the pass through 1-5 will have a stereo NICAM signal).
If you send the NTL signal into the Amp and tell it the signal is Dolby Surround then it will decode a surround signal from it. NTL do not send digital sound (yet), it will come in time I'm sure. HBO, Starz and the like send Digital surround sound on the Time Warner Cable network in the US.
Go to Maplin and get an SPL meter. Sit in your viewing chair and use the metre and remote control to set all the speakers to the same SPL with the white noise generator built into the amp and you'll be set.
The other thing to have a check on is the rear delay, if your rear speakers are further than about 4 m from the front you may want to increase the delay or reduce if closer.
Also if you have any disks with THX tests on them, put them in the player. The StarWars ones have this, great for setting brightness levels etc on the TV. Also useful for checking speakers are in phase (I think).

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Thats is true but when I have done it it seems to be set up for 8 spekers?

eg

Leftspeker CentreSpeker Rightspeker

Middle Left Speker (so it seems?) Middle Right Speaker(so it seems is this correct? THX test thinks so)

Rear Left Rear Right

Sub
Hope I'm making sense :confused:

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Dolby Digital is now 6.1 capable Left, Centre, Right, Rear Right, Rear Centre (the extra one), Rear Left and Sub (.1).

DSP can make 8.1 easily from this (analysing the sound that moves from front left to rear left).

You should just be able to ignore the extra speakers or your system will put them in the nearest fit speaker. The SPL approach will still work.

Re: Positioning of the sub
 

It should be that the positioning of the sub is less important with low frequencies but thats not taking into account of room acoustics.

It is best to put the sub in your listening position, and crawl around on the floor until you find a place where it sounds best, then put it there.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Thanks for all your help everyone. Its my mum that doesn't want the speakers everywhere. We find that the 3D surround sound that we can get when we connect our DVD up to the TV sounds quite good. So we thought that if we upgraded to a system that had seperate speakers we would be able to get the same effect with the TV but also without having speakers everywhere.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

I have a THX approved 7.1 speaker system with over 700W RMS of power and it only cost about £250. :D
It's designed for computer systems (goes very well with my THX approved sound card) but with some adaptors you could use it with anything.

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Would I be better of to get a gold scart cabe for my stb to TV for better sound quilty?

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

Did as you said and have a better sound but seems to be a bit strechey not quiet right? Shell i use a gold scart from NTL to TV would this make a diffrence?

Re: 3D Surround Sound
 

A gold cable will improve things, but not much, they are more of a long term benefit as the finish does not tarnish. As the finish of other metals tarnishes, the oxidisation causes the signal to degrade. Just twisting or replugging cables every 6 months would have the same effect.

If you are used to 5.1DD then DPL will sound thinner as it does not have the dynamic range and the separate sub channel