The decoding chips that process the Dolby Digital and DTS bitstreams can become overloaded when too many channels are all reproducing maximum levels. This will sound like clipping. Also the DSP chips and the associated analog circuits are subject to overload.

Soundhound, thanks for the reply. So you think this distortion is overloading of the processors, huh?

Is there anything that can be done to relieve this overloading? Is this the reason that some of the newer, really expensive preamps (I'm thinking of the Tag bp192) have two processors?

I know many people who author DVDs at the major studios, and they are not they type of people who would let an audible clipping situation go by without fixing it. The succeptability of a preamp or receiver to overload is a design consideration that has nothing to do with the cost of the equipment - it's just a bad design choice made by the equipment's designer. Unfortunately, if this is the source of the overload, there is nothing you can do about it.

More DSP processing may or may not cure a problem like this - it has more to do with design decisions than the number of DSPs.

I've never heard clipping from my 950 for what it's worth.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited February 29, 2004).]

The funny thing is, I get that static crackle whether in DD, DTS, Pro Logic, stereo, whatever. I have the LD of T2 as well and it does the exact same thing. I guess it could just be the movie, but if so, then why hasn't everyone noticed it?

I wonder what it could be then. I also have trouble believing that so many recording engineers would let this kind of distortion go through on so many discs.

Is this a kind of problem that I should contact Outlaw about directly and try a replacement unit? Could it be a problem w/ the DSP chip caused by either the replacement chip or the install I did when I installed the DTS-fix EPROM chip?

It very likely is something in your system that is overloading. The symptoms are classic of a system related problem. I can't guess where it would be coming from in your system, but I bet this is the problem.

Which edition of "T2" are you guys watching? Two reasons for this question:

1) I wanna try this chapter out on my system.

2) There have been numerous, at least 3, Region 1 releases of "T2" and I remember reading about "improvements in audio" on the later releases.

This also leads to my next question. Is this the only disc this happens with or can you name another instance of this static? Now you guys have got me thinking...

I was watching the special edition, the one inside the metal sleve (definately not the new T2 - extreme). I know there've been at least 3 issues of T2.. Anyway on the special edition it's at chapter 19 about ~31 minutes into the special edition (not the theatrical edition).

Please do report back if you hear it.

Another instance of the static distortion that I can think of off the top of my head is on the Godfather DVD. On Godfather 1 (sorry don't knwo the chapter or time) the scene where Robert Duvall has dinner w/ the hollywood mogul who won't give the frank sinatra-clone character has some bad distortion. They're having dinner and discussing giving a role to the singer and the mogul stands up and shouts something like "I'll never give him that role, and I'll tell you why". That whole phrase has some distortion to it.

Please check that out also, if you have the disc.

I'm about 90% positive that this distortion is just on the discs and there's nothing we can do about it...

That could simply be distortion in the original dialog recording which is quite common especially with older films that used magnetic tape as the original recording medium.

All versions of T2 I've watched have it. I had also noticed several scenes in Godfather that had the static problem. Maybe it is just the films.