I have a Panasonic DVD with a setting for the digital audio out terminal (optical). PCM Down Conversion-Select how to output the high-quality 96khz audio signal on discs that do not have copyright protection.

No (Factory preset):
Output as 96 kHz. The equipment you connect must be compatible with these signals.

Yes
Down-Sampled to 48 kHz/16 bit.

I'm using this player with the 1050, which setting would give me optimal sound? Thank you for your feedback.

I had a reply written here once, and then my Internet connection decided to play games with me. Let's try it again...

It's been a while since I've used a 1050, and the Panasonic DVD-A310 DVD player that I had at the time did not have this setup option (it would either send nothing digitally for sources that were higher than 48kHz/16-bit or it would downconvert, depending on whether I selected LPCM or bitstream for the PCM output, and it defaulted to the first mode). I'd probably leave the DVD player set to the default -- considering how little 96kHz source material is that isn't copy protected, it's probably not even going to be an issue. Dolby Digital and DTS are both 48kHz formats, so this player setting is a non-issue for movies. Likewise, CD's are 44.1kHz/16-bit. DVD-Audio and SACD both support 96kHz but are copy protection that makes it impossible to output digital audio over optical or coaxial digital cables without downconverting it (there is a digital output available for these, but it's been very slow to take off and is still rare).

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Thank you for your reply.

Based on your reply I want to clarify what your telling me. Leave it on "NO" output as 96 kHz.

If I watch a DVD that is 96kHz but is copy protected, you indicated that this could not be sent over an optical cable. What would happen to the sound? Would it automatically be downconverted?

Correct, I would leave it on the default of "no."

A standard DVD (DVD-Video) uses Dolby Digital or DTS for the audio, and neither format supports 96kHz, so it's a non-issue. DVD-Audio and SACD both support 96kHz, but in both cases you have to have a player that supports that format and (when connected to most receivers, including the 1050) you will have to use the six-channel analog output from the player to play those formats -- the digital audio output is a downmixed stereo 48kHz signal due to copy protection.

Anybody out there know when you would run into a 96kHz disc that did not have copy protection? It would be LPCM data format, since that's the only way I know of to get 96kHz onto a DVD disc, and the only discs I know using that are DVD-Audio. Are there some music DVD's out there with LPCM tracks tucked in there?

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

I thought I read somewhere that the "Se7en" DVD had a 96/24 audio track on it in addition to the standard DD. I have not verified this, however.