[mythtv-users] WinTV-Theater ?

[Ben Bucksch]

Joseph A. Caputo wrote:

>Keep in mind that we're talking 'prologic' type surround, not 5.1 Surround.
>  
>
right. The main feature of "Dolby Surround" (prologic) is that it's 
encoded in stereo signals which are backwards compatible both to 
transfer- as well as playing-equipment. You can play it as stereo to get 
stereo, you can transfer it over normal stereo paths, yet if you play it 
using a dolby surround decoder, you get surround. Quite a bad quality, 
though.

IIRC, the WinTV Theater has a Dolby decoder built-in, so you can connect 
4 active speakers (those with built-in amp) and don't need any other 
decoder, receiver or amp. Not sure about the details, though.
Similarily, I think some of the newer soundcards also have a dolby 
surround decoder built-in to drive 4 connected active speakers from a 
(dolby surround-supporting) stereo signal. that would work with mythtv, 
assuming the linux drivers support that.

>AFAIK, you can't get 5.1 surround from a standard TV signal anyway (but I
>know not whereof I speak...)
>
That's correct, analog TV has no way to transport that information.

DVB does support Dolby Digital (AC3) in addition to normal stereo (and 
dolby surround with that). That's just an additional PID (in addition to 
the video PID and stereo/dolby surround audio PID) in the MPEG stream. 
(I am not 100% correct with the terminology to make it easier.) My 
MythTV DVB code should support AC3 at recording time, but the MythTV 
player can't do anything with it yet, it's ignored. it should be 
playable with other apps, though, e.g. mplayer or xine or vlc.

Ben