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Shouldn't the Blu-ray go into the receiver and the receiver splits the video and audio to the right sources?
What do I need for DTS HD output? I have a relatively new receiver and five speakers. Specifically, we have this.
I have the HDMI input for the blu-ray player plugged directly into the tv, and then the tv is connected to our receiver via an optical cable. I don't see why it wouldn't work under these circumstances, but it doesn't. The speakers are all very old, but the receiver is practically brand new. Any ideas? All I want is my damn Apocalypse Now... if this helps, this is our blu-ray player. If someone could help you'd be y hero for the day.
A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em
Shouldn't the Blu-ray go into the receiver and the receiver splits the video and audio to the right sources?
S/PDIF (digital coaxial/optical) cannot pass high resolution multichannel audio. To do so you must use an HDMI connection to the receiver, and the receiver must be able to decode the new codecs.
Decoding can also take place in the player, with the audio being sent via multichannel analogue connection, but your player supports stereo analogue output only, so this is not an option.
Obviously, you will need a second HDMI cable to go from the receiver to the tv. Such cables can be outrageously overpriced in stores, particularly the Monster brand. Try a website such as www.monoprice.com instead. I don't have HDMI myself but I ordered my S/PDIF cables and speaker wire from there and recommend them wholeheartedly.
Be aware that some devices have issues with 'HDMI handshake', the communication each component must perform with the others to ensure compliance with the copy protection scheme. Problems may arise if a manufacturer has not implemented the spec correctly on a certain model, or in a fashion incompatible with the component on the other end.
Of course, you can still obtain good results from using S/PDIF. While it will not be the full high resolution audio signal, all DTS-HDMA Bluray discs contain a 1509 kbps 'core' track for backwards compatibility. Depending on the quality of your speakers and audio equipment (not to mention room acoustics), this may well be nearly indistinguishable from the uncompressed version. Similarly, discs with PCM or Dolby TrueHD tracks also contain AC3 versions, usually at 640 kbps.
Regardless of your connection type, check your Bluray player settings to ensure that it is outputting a 5.1 signal and not a stereo downmix.
Thanks hairy_hen! I figure it'll be worth investing in the extra cord if only for ease of it later on. Plus, I'm pretty sure it plays other stuff in regular 5.1 so the downmix can't be the problem.
A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em
Since this is an audio tech help! thread, I'll also ask for audio tech help!
My center speaker on my HTIB system died. It's at least 8 years old so I'm looking to replace the whole system. I'm still looking at an HTIB, probably in the $300-$500 range.
Any suggestions?
no
HotRod said:
no
I would definitely try to future-proof yourself as much as you can. Even if you don't have a Blu-ray player, get something with HDMI switching, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio. You know, for the future.TV's Frink said:
Since this is an audio tech help! thread, I'll also ask for audio tech help!
My center speaker on my HTIB system died. It's at least 8 years old so I'm looking to replace the whole system. I'm still looking at an HTIB, probably in the $300-$500 range.
Any suggestions?
DTS-HD 2.0 + Digital Out denotes the ability of outputting
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 2.0 Lossy channels directly to a
TV or external amplifier through analog outputs. Also capable of
outputting DTS-HD High Resolution Audio streams to an
external decoder such as an A/V receiver or pre-amp/processor.
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doubleofive said:
I would definitely try to future-proof yourself as much as you can. Even if you don't have a Blu-ray player, get something with HDMI switching, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio. You know, for the future.
Thanks. I have a Blu-ray player, but my HDTV is old enough to not have an HDMI connection (it's a 1080i to boot). It seems like almost anything you could buy today would have the HD audio capability, but I haven't actually started looking yet.
You'd think that, but not all of them have DTS, which means you won't be able to hear the movie audio. At least the cheap ones at Walmart don't (why should they?)TV's Frink said:
doubleofive said:Thanks. I have a Blu-ray player, but my HDTV is old enough to not have an HDMI connection (it's a 1080i to boot). It seems like almost anything you could buy today would have the HD audio capability, but I haven't actually started looking yet.
I would definitely try to future-proof yourself as much as you can. Even if you don't have a Blu-ray player, get something with HDMI switching, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio. You know, for the future.
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005: It sounds to me like your Bluray player is sending out a stereo or Prologic downmix over analogue to your receiver. It also sounds like it is capable of sending out the core DTS track via S/PDIF, but your receiver has Dolby Digital only. Am I understanding what you mean correctly?
If that's the case, you'll probably need to upgrade your equipment to get 5.1 from most Bluray discs. If your current receiver has multichannel analogue input capability, then a player with this kind of output and the ability to decode all the new codecs would be your best bet. As long as the player's digital-to-analogue conversion is of good quality, you'll get HD audio regardless of how it is encoded on the disc. The other option is to get a new receiver, so that you'll at least be able to bitstream the core DTS 1509 tracks with coax or optical. (Of course, by upgrading both you could send all audio via HDMI, but that's down to how much you can afford.)
Of course, one must never discount the importance of good speakers. It is entirely possible to get better results from lossy codecs heard from high quality speakers than from a lossless signal played through a flimsy low fidelity system. It is for this reason that I highly recommend anyone looking for a new audio setup do themselves a favour and get some real speakers, and avoid HtiB's. Not only are HtiB speakers usually of low sound quality and high distortion, their small size means they cannot reproduce the audible spectrum its entirety--there will be 'holes' in the frequency response, particularly in the midrange, meaning that the sounds our ears are most sensitive to will sound thin and weak. This also forces the subwoofer to be crossed over at a higher frequency than is desirable, meaning it can be localised as a source of sound. If you can hear the bottom end of voices coming from the sub, something is seriously wrong! The subs themselves tend to be little more than noise makers, over-emphasising distorted tones around 60 hz to compensate for the fact that they can't actually get much deeper than that.
Avoid anything from Bose like the plague--contrary to their ubiquitous advertising campaign, they are not of good quality, and in fact exemplify all the bad traits I listed above. Even other HtiB's would be preferable. The fact that they claim to be hifi and charge at least six times what their products are worth is one of the great crimes of the audio world; that so many people believe them without question shows how little many know about what makes for good sound.
I don't mean to sound like some kind of audio snob or anything like that--I don't exactly have the world's best sound system myself, not even close. But with a bit of research and effort it is quite possible, even easy, to put together a system that greatly exceeds the quality of an HtiB, and for not that much more money either. Depending on budget you may have to build it over time and get only a few components at once, as I did, but it's well worth it in the end. When I was starting out I found the 'HtiB Alternatives Thread' on avsforum to be a very useful place to look for recommendations.
Great, thanks! Apparently I was able to describe myself well. I've not really planned anything yet, but I'd love to be able to upgrade my receiver with my current speakers, then upgrade my speakers, you know, in steps.
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Any thoughts on this?
http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-RM705-Theater-System/dp/B000WGJX5A/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Or this?
I haven't actually heard either of those, but I think they will be about as good as can be expected from small satellites in that price range. They should both exceed an HtiB in quality, particularly the Energy system, according to what I've read.
If you're not dead set on satellites, though, I'd recommend another option, which will be superior in sound quality to either, and not too much more expensive: get two pairs of Polk Audio M10 bookshelf speakers, and a CS1 center channel. Then add an Hsu Research STF-1 subwoofer, and you will have a real 5.1 setup. With the holiday discounts they've got going at the moment, this whole system will only set you back a total of $486, and it will deliver greater results than anything that will come bundled together in one package. The Hsu subwoofer in particular is a high fidelity component, offering superb sound quality that makes it a great choice for listening to music, in addition to movie bass.
Polk M10: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290224
Polk CS1: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290211
Hsu STF-1: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-1.html
Even without being on sale, these would be great choices. Of course, you will need a separate 5.1 receiver to power any of these systems.
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, the wife wants all speakers as small as possible (including the sub) which is why I'm looking at small systems. The Energy one in particular seems to get really good reviews.
Any recommendations on a receiver? If I go with the Energy system, that probably only leaves me $200 or so for the receiver.
Funny thing is that those speakers are about as small as they can be to get down to 80 hz, which is the recommended frequency at which to redirect bass from the main channels to the subwoofer. With smaller ones you'll have to go for a 100 or (more likely) 120 hz crossover instead, which may make the sub a localised source of sound depending on its placement in the room and the surrounding acoustics. It is possible to minimise this problem with appropriate setup, however. (For reference, 80 hz is approximately the pitch of the E below the bass clef, while 120 is closer to the B above that, rather higher into male vocal range.)
Amusingly, audiophiles often lament the inescapable influence of WAF (wife acceptance factor) in making their purchases. I'm grateful not to have been restricted this way--though I did make sure to get nice-looking speakers. ;)
Anyway, receivers--I haven't really been keeping up with the latest developments or specific models, but I can recommend Onkyo receivers without hesitation, as I own one myself. They deliver good sound quality and are well put together, even in the lower models, and are also quite user-friendly. Don't underestimate the importance of this--while Denon makes good quality products also, their interface and user manuals are nearly unintelligible, and I avoided them for that reason. You should be able to get a good entry level Onkyo for $200 if that's the way you want to go, and I think you'll be happy with the Energy system.
Thanks again. There's a Onkyo receiver for $199 I'm going to take a look at.
Looks like even the basic models have HDMI and support decoding for all the new audio formats, so you should be set for that. If your Bluray player supports it, you may want to set it to bitstream the lossless audio and let the receiver handle it all just to be safe, as there are sporadic reports of minor problems with multichannel PCM. If you use HDMI for the audio, you'll need a second cable to go from the receiver to the tv, and by default the receiver will have to be on to get a picture (though there is apparently a way to change this in the settings, so that it will pass through the video even in standby).
Of course, you can still get great results from standard 5.1 over coax or optical, which some people find less problematic to use. If you cannot bear the thought of anything less than lossless, keep in mind that Bluray discs from Warner Bros that have Dolby TrueHD audio will for some reason default to the 640 kbps AC3 track, even over HDMI, and the TrueHD option must be selected manually in the menu.
Yamaha Receiver $230 at Amazon:
JBL Speaker Package $460 at Amazon:
A local Ultimate Electronics is offering these two items together for $500, which is a savings over Amazon of $190. I can't find too many good tech reviews, but Amazon reviews are generally positive.
Thoughts? Sale ends Saturday.