Page 1 of Not everyone can afford dd 5.1 so prologic it will have to be!!

I have been reading the reviws on this site from some people who say that they are dvd addics and that prologic is now considered pants in comparison with 5.1etc. well some of us cannot afford to upgrade to digital amps etc. I have spent enogh on my Grundig 28" w screen tv Prologic incorporated and have only a limited budget. Prologic may be pants to some people but it sounds good enough for me. Sure enough I would like to have digital if i could afford it as when I heard it on a bosse system at my local store it nearly blew me away. I have a limited budget as I have mentioned above and I also suffer from many a poor husbands plight of a wife who would go mad at even more speakers on the wall. I already have 5 on the wall from my tv so she would kill me if i had another 5 on the wall too. Perhaps one day I might be able to afford the luxury of digital but untill then prologic will have to do. So please do not knock it for us less well off mortals.

Gary l

why not try getting a dvd player with built in dd5.1 and dts decoders like the wharfedale M5 and try hooking your existing speakers and your subwoofer from your pro-logic system to it. It just might work.
Have a good one

In actual fact this would only work if the ProLogic system that Gary owns has six analogue phono inputs.

Despite doing all the hard work on-board in terms of decoding the DD/DTS signals embedded on a DVD, the M5 still has to send out the signal to an amplifier in order to distribute it to speakers.

However, as Navs says, if you own a ProLogic amp that can take inputs from a DVD player (ie front left & right, centre, rear left & right and a subwoofer - the last one isn`t essential if wifey isn`t keen on more boxes !) then the M5 is your man.

Don`t ever feel ashamed to own ProLogic though - that goes for everyone. This is still the best surround sound format for terrestrial analogue, and satellite/terrestrial/cable digital TV, and for VHS. It`s hardly an out of date format and will be with us for a few years yet.

The problem shared by the majority of DVD player owners is that once you`ve been bitten by the home cinema bug, anything less than DD is looked down upon ! In reality, DVD via a ProLogic amp or TV is still a massive improvement over VHS. No shame attached there, methinks.

Connecting speakers to the line out sockets of a dvd player will not work without amplification. Ensure your dvd player has onboard amplification and speaker connectivity before you attempt this. Also Gary, you wouldn`t have another set of speakers as you simply run the tv output through your new amp, if you buy one. I agree that 5.1 is largely superior, but it all depends on the equipment. My expensive system makes ProLogic sound better than 5.1 on friends` cheaper systems. Don`t succumb to system envy, anyone slagging off a "lesser" system forgets that there`s always someone with a better one. As long as the film sounds good, and you`re happy with it, who really cares?

clayts,

Sorry to pull you up on this one but ProLogic is no longer the best surround sound format for terrestrial analogue, satellite/terrestrial/cable digital TV, and VHS.

There is now ProLogic II. (it gives you a rear stereo signal as well as other bits and bobs.)

At the moment it is only on the Onkyo at around £450.00. But be sure Dennon, Yamaha and the like will not be far behind.

All the best,

Andrew.

Whilst I agree that ProLogic II in theory is better, it is hardly a common format, especially at the budget end of the market. However, you`re right to say that it`s starting to appear, slowly but surely.

Yamaha squandered a golden opportunity by not releasing the DSPA5 replacement, the AX620, with DPL II, and it`ll be another year before they get round to including it on budget end receivers/amps.

Perhaps you can help me here, Andrew - will DPL II enabled amps be able to convert the signals from TV and VHS from plain vanilla DPL to the new sound format ?

"will DPL II enabled amps be able to convert the signals from TV and VHS from plain vanilla DPL to the new sound format ?"

In short yes , it`s all to do with the chipset not the signal.

As for it being another year, come september you`ll see.

Have the Denon rep in as I type but he will not comment even off the record. An announcment soon I feel?

All the best,

Andrew.

I have a Aiwa pro-logic hi-fi which I think sounds quite good

What I want to know is it worth me getting an active sub? (I see Richer Sounds are selling one for £40)

I think I get a lot of base already

I think for the ProLogic hifi it probably isn`t worth it, and the £40 one Richer do is pretty pants anyway (I think that`s an Aiwa, isn`t it ?)

You need to take into account the size of your room and whether you think it would make any discernible difference to your viewing pleasure. Generally, with ProLogic sources, there is no requirement for the extra channel for the bass - mine is rarely used when watching stuff off the telly, or even (if my ProLogic amp days) on DVDs.

Save your money to buy DVDs or whatever with, I`d say.

Yes it was the Aiwa Sub I was looking at.

Thanks for the info, I will proberbly give it a miss. It`s just I`m after a cheap electrical Item fix! I need one at least once a month!

This item was edited on Friday, 8th June 2001, 18:29