DTS-MA over analog?

[caheaton]

Hello,
I'm looking to purchase my first Blu Ray player and have some questions concerning audio. I'm planning on connecting it to my older Yamaha receiver. My receiver doesn't support HDMI, but I do have analog inputs that I would like to use (although in the short term I might use the coaxial or optical inputs until I can find the time to tear it apart and connect the analogs). In 2 or 3 years I will probably upgrade my receiver to a newer unit with HDMI. I do not upgrade my hardware very often, so what I purchase is usually used for 10 years or more. With that in mind....

I'm leaning towards the following players:
Sony BDP-S350
Pros: coaxial output (I only have a coaxial input available on my receiver), low price, very nice feature set for the money
Con: no DTS-MA decoding, but it will bitstream to a suitable receiver (if I understand correctly)

Samsung BD-P2500
Pros: analog outputs, lowest price among those with analog outputs
Con: again no DTS-MA, (but it may get this feature in the future with a firmware upgrade that has been promised), no coaxial output

Panasonic DMP-BD55K
Pros: analog outputs, coaxial output, full decoding of all audio formats
Cons: most expensive of those I'm considering

I'm tempted to just go with the Sony and enjoy standard DD audio until I upgrade my receiver. This would save me spending an additional $100 for a feature that I will only use for a couple of years, but if I went with an analog output perhaps I could just postpone that receiver upgrade indefinitely.

My main question is this....if I have a player that DOES NOT decode DTS-MA connected to my receiver with analog outputs, and I play a disk that only offers DTS-MA, will I get any sound? Since this is surely a common scenario I would assume that I would get the DTS core...
Craig

[cliffeman]

Why don't you also check out the Sony BDP-S550. It too also has analog outputs and decodes all audio formats. It's currently retails for $399, but amazon has it for $329.99 right now (their prices always fluxuate daily).

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDP-S550-...6820987&sr=8-2

just noticed the DMP-BD55K is $9 cheaper. Most would say go with this one.


As long as your receiver decodes DTS, then you will hear the core track on a DTS-MA disc.

[AmishFury]

My main question is this....if I have a player that DOES NOT decode DTS-MA connected to my receiver with analog outputs, and I play a disk that only offers DTS-MA, will I get any sound? Since this is surely a common scenario I would assume that I would get the DTS core...
Craig

yes on a player that does not decode DTS-MA it will decode the DTS core

personally i say if your receiver has good sound and isn't about to up and die on you go ahead and spend more now on the player that decodes DTS-MA and use the analog outs... more cables to fiddle with but it gets the job done