# DVD playback on BluRay player oddity
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 19, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165 "2012-09-19T13:41:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/1 "2012-09-19T13:41:08Z")
So far, I’ve hit this problem on two different discs. I don’t get normal sound, just silence with occasional odd unpleasant sounds with some static involved. Picture is fine. Does anyone know how that happens?
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/2 "2012-09-19T14:10:23Z")
Since this is a hardware question and not a software question, I’m moving to our tech advice forum, IMHO.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/3 "2012-09-19T14:13:29Z")
How is it connected (HDMI? Coax audio? Optical audio? RCA audio?)? What’s it connected to (just the TV? an AV receiver? a soundbar? home theater in a box with permanently attached speakers?)?
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/4 "2012-09-19T14:29:46Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> Since this is a hardware question and not a software question, I’m moving to our tech advice forum, IMHO.
Thanks, and sorry for the wrong-forum post.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/5 "2012-09-19T14:31:03Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> How is it connected (HDMI? Coax audio? Optical audio? RCA audio?)? What’s it connected to (just the TV? an AV receiver? a soundbar? home theater in a box with permanently attached speakers?)?
The Blu-Ray is hooked directly to the TV via HDMI. I’ve only seen this problem on two discs out of a few zillion we’ve used in this player. Others behave fine.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/6 "2012-09-19T14:42:27Z")
And you’re using just the TV for audio?
I \*think \*that’s all the background info we need to actually answer your question…
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/7 "2012-09-19T14:56:22Z")
Yeah, audio’s going through the TV’s built-in speaker(s). I have a Vizio TV and a Panasonic Blu-Ray player, if that’s relevant. Not sure what brand the HDMI cable connecting them is, not sure that matters. 🙂
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/8 "2012-09-19T15:42:48Z")
Have you checked the disks to see what they are defaulting to for audio? Some manufacturers make odd choices.
Often, a DVD will have multiple choices for the main audio out option, Dolby, DTS, or others. You may have a couple that are defaulting for whatever reason to an output that your system isn’t capable of handling.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/9 "2012-09-19T15:46:27Z")
What do you have your bluray player defaulting to output for audio? If it’s anything better than 2.1 stereo, that’s probably the culprit.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/10 "2012-09-19T16:58:01Z")
**Knead** , I honestly do not know how I would check that.
**Munch** , I’m not sure how to go about checking that out either, and I’m not sure why that would only affect two specific discs, one released in 1999, the other in 2000. Both ARE Warner Brothers (“Deathtrap” and “The Green Mile”, in chronological order). Other WB discs do play correctly in this player, though (such as “Blazing Saddles”).
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/11 "2012-09-19T17:16:28Z")
> [@Seanette](#):
>
> **Knead** , I honestly do not know how I would check that.
When you start the disc up you go to the audio setting in the menu, and see where it defaults.
> [@](#):
>
> **Munch** , I’m not sure how to go about checking that out either
You go into the bluray player’s settings, and see where it’s set at.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/12 "2012-09-19T17:58:30Z")
Looking at the player’s Audio menu, the only thing that looks remotely informative is “Digital Audio Output”, but when I go into that submenu, what I get doesn’t make any sense at all to me. It’s talking about things like “bitstream”, DTS, etc. and I really don’t understand any of it.
Checking “The Green Mile”, the Warner screen has normal audio, sound problems begin in the disc menu, which has no audio settings. Checking “Deathtrap”, there is no menu, it goes straight into the movie, with no sound on my setup. Checking another Warner disc, “Blazing Saddles” (mine was released in 1997), audio performs correctly, no audio settings option in the menu.
We do have a workaround, using the VCR/DVD combo (component connection) for discs that the BluRay can’t handle, but it’s not the preferred solution. 🙂
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/13 "2012-09-19T18:06:26Z")
If you can give us the make and model of your Bluray player, I’d be happy to look up the manual online to see if I can help with the audio settings there.
Not all DVDs start at the menu, but you should be able to get to a menu by hitting the “menu” or “top menu” button on the remote. Also, be sure to look under headings like “Setup” for the audio options. It’s very rare for a DVD to give you no audio setup options at all, though older disks like that 1997 _Blazing Saddles_ would be a likely candidate not to.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/14 "2012-09-19T18:11:02Z")
> [@Seanette](#):
>
> Looking at the player’s Audio menu, the only thing that looks remotely informative is “Digital Audio Output”, but when I go into that submenu, what I get doesn’t make any sense at all to me. It’s talking about things like “bitstream”, DTS, etc. and I really don’t understand any of it.
You may not understand it, but could you at least list the options, and what it’s currently set at? This is getting really frustrating.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/15 "2012-09-19T18:12:14Z")
Also, be sure to tell us what kind of cable(s) you are using to connect the player to the TV.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/16 "2012-09-19T18:13:51Z")
He said HDMI on that one.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/17 "2012-09-19T18:22:01Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> If you can give us the make and model of your Bluray player, I’d be happy to look up the manual online to see if I can help with the audio settings there.
>
> Not all DVDs start at the menu, but you should be able to get to a menu by hitting the “menu” or “top menu” button on the remote. Also, be sure to look under headings like “Setup” for the audio options. It’s very rare for a DVD to give you no audio setup options at all, though older disks like that 1997 _Blazing Saddles_ would be a likely candidate not to.
It’s a Panasonic DMP-BDT100, connected by HDMI directly to the TV (Vizio E3D420).
And I’m a she. 🙂
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/18 "2012-09-19T18:23:55Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> He said HDMI on that one.
Missed that somehow. Looking at the manual now.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/19 "2012-09-19T18:29:39Z")
Okay, based on a quick perusal of the manual, I’d try this for the misbehaving disks (presuming something in a disk menu doesn’t resolve it):
Go to Functions \> Other Functions \> Setup \> Audio
Somewhere around “Digital Audio Output,” select PCM. They don’t show the actual menu, so I can’t say exactly how to do that. Also, if you see an on/off setting for “PCM Downmix,” turn it on.
FWIW, I own the _Deathtrap_ DVD, so I can look when I get home tonight and see if I can find where its audio setup is, if it has one.
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### Author:  [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-playback-on-bluray-player-oddity/635165/20 "2012-09-19T18:39:00Z")
Digital Audio Output is the right menu. There are a lot of settings, but they boil down to you wanting it set to two things:
PCM output (NOT Dolby, or any of the other options)
Stereo (not 5.1, surround sound, etc) sometimes you’ll have to make the settings say something like “downmix audio” to get this setting.
You want this because the most likely problem is that the bluray player is sending your TV audio it can’t handle. Play with the options and test with a problematic disk until you get it to work.
Edit to add, I really should refresh before replying, basically, what he said.
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