Video Asylum

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr (A) on August 26, 2002 at 17:17:20

In Reply to: still depends posted by Auricle on August 26, 2002 at 08:58:21:

The reason that there are L/R outputs on DVD players has to do with the DVD medium and nothing to do with PCM or CDs (it's just a coincidence). That stereo pair offered to you is so that the downmixed Dolby Digital track can be sent to your stereo receiver or your surround receiver (which will do Dolby Surround/Dolby Pro-Logic Surround/Uncle Ben's Surround processing on that analog feed). This feature offers a bridge to those that will not/have yet to really get into Home Theater. It was done simply for backwards compatibility.

In other words, DVD players play CDs as a "bonus". They were made to play CDs (marketing 101, trust me) so that they would be more acceptable and insure adoptability by the masses -- it worked.

Roy (scratching himself): "Lookie here, Thelma. It plays them there DeeVeeDees and CeeDees."

Thelma (also scratching herself, but with both hands): "You're right, Roy. Sally's brother... oops! um... uh... husband said he wuz gonna buy one too cuz he coud lissen to da Soggy Bottom Boiiiiz on da stereo, then watch Jenna Jameson on the 13".