HD DVD Quick Facts/FAQs - HD DVD Audio Options

DVD Forum has standardised a list of lossy and lossless audio formats that are mandatory or optional for the HD DVD.

Mandatory Lossy Audio formats

• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Digital-Plus
• DTS
• MPEG Audio

Mandatory Lossless Audio formats

• Linear PCM
• Dolby TrueHD (up to 2-ch is required, but manufacturers of playback equipment can include support for decoding up to max. 7.1-channel if they want and studios too can include up to max. 7.1-channel TrueHD tracks for their HD DVD titles if they desire)

Optional Lossy Audio formats

• DTS-HD High Resolution

Optional Lossless Audio format

• DTS-HD Master Audio

All HD DVD playback equipment must be able decode and playback all the listed mandatory audio formats, whether lossy or lossless. However, HD DVD titles need only to include at least one audio track that is based on any of the mandatory (lossless or lossy) audio formats.

Clearly, optional will just be optional in terms of HD DVD software and HD DVD playback equipment implementation. But HD DVD format specification supports it so that content producers and consumers have more audio options to choose from.

*****

Audio Connection and Supported Audio Signals:

• S/PDIF is able to deliver 2-ch PCM, DTS and Dolby Digital output signals
• HDMI 1.1 & 1.2 is able to deliver 2/6/8-ch PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS output signals
• HDMI 1.3 is able to deliver 2/6/8-ch PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS and DTS-HD output signals.

*****

Early HD DVD adopters who have quite a number of still unanswered questions over implementation and playback of the new Dolby Digital-Plus and Dolby TrueHD audio formats may want to check the below 2 PDF files out. They are FAQ sheets and consumer guide direct from Dolby Laboratories. These materials may be able to clear up some doubts I hope.

FAQs About Dolby Digital-Plus (PDF File)

FAQs About Dolby TrueHD (PDF File)

Ensuring Compatibility Between Next-Generation High-Definition Disc Players and Your A/V System