Forcing the EX-ES with halo C2

[Swfalcon]

Hello everybody

I 'm going to buy a halo C2 :P next week and I would like to know if it's possible to force the EX ( on dobly digital dvd ) and the ES ( on DTS dvd ) ?

My experiences to force EX-ES on DVD which aren't original DD EX-DTS ES* (so I don't speak of flagged dvd or unflagged dts-es/dd-ex dvd ) with my Pioneer 2011 (european version with MCACC) are good, so I wish that the C2 can force the 2 surround back too...


I hope you will understand my words ops:

Thanks a lot

*for example black hawk down and saving private soldat ryan which aren't encoded in dolbydigital-DTS/6.1 dvd but work good in EX/ES

[awtryau89]

Yes you can force the C2 into EX-ES. Once inside each mode, you just cycle through your options with the Mode button. My unit always defaults to the last configuration I had it set to so I usually am always on EX or ES. I also find myself using THX Ultra 2 a good bit more as well.

[Swfalcon]

Currently, which firmware have you got ?

have you succeed to force the EX/ES with other firmware ?

Thanks again :P

[awtryau89]

I really do not know which firmware I have. I do not know how to check. I suspect I have the latest because my unit came straight from the factory to me a couple of weeks ago.

[Kingdaddy]

I really do not know which firmware I have. I do not know how to check. I suspect I have the latest because my unit came straight from the factory to me a couple of weeks ago.

With the unit in standby mode (off) you push and hold the power button for a few seconds, then you see on the OSD and the front panel the firmware ver. I have the latest firmware 6.52 and I can only get EX/ES on a EX/ES movie, I have never been able to force it into EX on a standard DD/DTS encoded DVD.

[awtryau89]

Well it seems I do have the latest firmware. I checked and it is 6.52 Oct 2003. I also just forced DD-EX on Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen for my 2 daughters. It worked and it definelty is not a DD-EX disc according to the label. I also tried a few others and they all went to EX as well. I did not try a DTS disc but I have forced a DTS disc into ES before. My display shows DTS 3.2.1 and Neo 6 underneath. All speakers are functioning and I verified this. I then tried Gladiator and the display read DTS-ES so I am pretty sure I can force it on any movie. Please let me know if I am misunderstanding something here.

[Swfalcon]

Thanks a lot for all your tests awtryau89 :P

[Kingdaddy]

Gladiator is of course a ES flagged disc, but if you use the digital connections from your DVD player into the C2, you only get three sound mode choices on the C2.

Mono
Stereo
Direct

Direct mode is basically an auto format decoding mode that will read the audio flags and automatically set the audio mode to the highest ch/rez of the source. So you don’t get to force or change any modes with Digital connections from my experience. I've had 2 different C2's (still have both here) and they both work that way, the only time I see a ES or EX logo is if the DVD is encoded with EX/ES. Maybe I'm misunderstand the idea of what I read, or maybe others are using the analog outs of the DVD.

[awtryau89]

No analog outs here. Going straight into the toslink digital connection from my Panasonic XP30. The way my machine works is once the DVD is in the player and cued up and engaged the C2 displays the current status. Once fully playing, I use the Mode button and cycle through my options. I always have EX as an option and I leave it there. I went back and tried a few old DVDs I know were not DD-EX just to make sure again. I also checked to make sure my back speakers were playing and they are. Also you can always use THX Ultra II on any 5.1 mode to force your back speakers into operation.

[Kingdaddy]

Do you have the speaker setup in the C2 set to 7ch or 5ch? I only have 5ch so I set my speaker settings to rear apart only no side speakers (5ch), and mine will definatly not allow any DVD's to be forced into EX/ES.

[awtryau89]

Do you have the speaker setup in the C2 set to 7ch or 5ch? I only have 5ch so I set my speaker settings to rear apart only no side speakers (5ch), and mine will definatly not allow any DVD's to be forced into EX/ES.

There's the rub. I am using the 7 channel set up with 7 speakers. I would imagine the C2 would not let you force EX or ES if you do not have the speakers to take advantage of it. I kept wondering if you had a defective unit. Last night again I used EX on a non EX disc. When in DD mode I get Mono, Stereo, Direct and EX as my options. the same for any DTS disc with the exception of an ES Discreet.

[Kingdaddy]

Ahh, see your not forcing anything, technically the 7.1 is all a matrixing trick anyway, there is no real discreet 7.1 encoded DVD's yet all are 6.1 at best. All 7.1 receivers do this same thing so there is nothing unusual hear, it is the way all 7.1 processors work. I got the impression from the posting here that there was some trick for 5.1 setups. :W

[Swfalcon]

Ahh, see your not forcing anything, technically the 7.1 is all a matrixing trick anyway, there is no real discreet 7.1 encoded DVD's yet all are 6.1 at best. All 7.1 receivers do this same thing so there is nothing unusual hear, it is the way all 7.1 processors work. I got the impression from the posting here that there was some trick for 5.1 setups. :W

Yes, the sixth channel in dolby digital EX or DTS ES matrix are created from left and right surround
Maybe "Forcing" wasn't the good word :roll: ...
But the original question was to known if the C2 can "create"" :roll: the 6th or 7th back's channel(s) from 5.1 dolby digital or DTS encoded picture ....
And it does :P :T

[Swfalcon]

I bought a C2 yesterday after listenning it with rotel 1075, sherwood 965 and the A52

It has a 6.52 firmware from october 2003

Today, I have tried by my own to force hulk which is DD ex/DTS Es without flag
for DD there are 2 solutions :- the THX mode (with THX's remote button)
-the mode DD ex (with mode button)
for DTS it seems to be the THX Ultra 2 mode in which the ES is created ( I have listenned the surround back closely :B )

the same for any DTS disc with the exception of an ES Discreet.

For DTS disc, I have stereo, mono, direct, neo-6 modes .... My C2 hasn't got ES mode... Does your C2 have a ES mode?
THanks

[Kingdaddy]

I playing Gladiator right now with a 5.1 setup and the speakers in the C2 setup for 5.1, and the display is picking up the ES Flag.

It reads:
DTS-ES DSCRT

And when changing sound fields on the C2 I read the following:

Mono
Stereo
Direct

The whole time you toggle through the sound fields the DTS-ES is displayed.

[awtryau89]

I bought a C2 yesterday after listenning it with rotel 1075, sherwood 965 and the A52

It has a 6.52 firmware from october 2003

Today, I have tried by my own to force hulk which is DD ex/DTS Es without flag
for DD there are 2 solutions :- the THX mode (with THX's remote button)
-the mode DD ex (with mode button)
for DTS it seems to be the THX Ultra 2 mode in which the ES is created ( I have listenned the surround back closely :B )



For DTS disc, I have stereo, mono, direct, neo-6 modes .... My C2 hasn't got ES mode... Does your C2 have a ES mode?
THanks

Swfalcon,
DTS matric modes are the Neo6 modes. Basically DTS just uses Neo6 to matrix a 6th back channel out of the 2 surrounds. So when you see the Neo6 on there, it is the same as DD-EX. I hope this helps.

[Swfalcon]

Swfalcon,
DTS matric modes are the Neo6 modes. Basically DTS just uses Neo6 to matrix a 6th back channel out of the 2 surrounds. So when you see the Neo6 on there, it is the same as DD-EX. I hope this helps.

It helps me but, when you apply neo 6 on a 5.1 DTS movie, I thought that all 5.1 channels were "recreated" or "repositioned" :roll:

Are you sure that, when neo 6 mode is engaged on a dts film,there is only a 6th back channel created (without any change on the original 5.1 channels)?

Thanks a lot and again :P

[awtryau89]

According to the Parasound tech, DTS Neo 6 is an overlay for the rear channels only to derive a rear center. It does not effect the 5.1 soundtrack at all.

[Swfalcon]

After several tests, it appears to force the 6th or 6th and 7th channel the modes working are :

*for dolby digital : DD Ex, THX ex, THX ultra 2

*for DTS : dts neo-6, THX ultra 2

It's quite strange for the last ( DTS with thx ultra 2 ) :roll: because in the halo C2's documentation THX Ultra 2 is not applicable on DTS ES discrete and DTS ES matrix tracks

[Chris D]

bump