Home Theater Audio

[cjcdaman]

I have a question that I'm sure you guys can help me with. Let me see if I can say this without confusing you. I have my HDTV, HD DirecTV receiver, XBox 360, and my DVD player/Sound System. I currently have my HDMI going from my DirecTV receiver to my TV. When I want to play XBox 360, I disconnect the HDMI from my DirecTV receiver and plug it into my XBox 360. Obviously, I am going to get a HDMI switcher. So here is my question . . . If I have a 3-way HDMI switcher and connect the DirecTV receiver, DVD/SoundSystem, and XBox 360, will I not be able to get digital sound to my DVD/Sound System in my games? Will I have to use an optical cable to connect from the XBox 360 to my sound system? Hope that isn't very confusing. Any help is appreciated.

[Fergasun]

What are you using for sound on that setup currently? I'm guessing you have one of those combination DVD/sound systems. Do you have any audio cables running into your dvd/sound system? Does your HDTV have more than 1 HDMI input? Do you also have to do a similar switch when you want to watch DVDs? How is your audio wired up?

[cjcdaman]

What are you using for sound on that setup currently? I'm guessing you have one of those combination DVD/sound systems. Do you have any audio cables running into your dvd/sound system? Does your HDTV have more than 1 HDMI input? Do you also have to do a similar switch when you want to watch DVDs? How is your audio wired up?

I have an optical cable running from my DirecTV receiver to my DVD/sound system. My HDTV only has one HDMI input. Yes I do have to a similar switch, I disconnect the HDMI from my DirecTV receiver and plug it into my DVD/sound system.

[SpringfieldSkins]

Does your reciever have a HDMI input? Does it have optical or coaxial audio inputs?



I have a PS3, HDTV DVR and Wii.
My TV only has 1 HDMI, 2 components... My reciever (is albeit old) has 1 optical and 1 coaxial.

My setup goest like this.
HDTV DVR: HDMI to TV and coaxial to reciever for Dolby Digital
PS3: Component to TV (can still view in HD with component) and optical to reciever for Dolby Digital
Wii: Component to TV and stereo to reciever (Wii can't handle DD anyhow)


Hope that helps. If I wanted to, I could get a HDMI switch and still have the audio run to the reciever. Your HDTV should have component inputs as well that can still output an HDTV picture.

[81artmonk]

I have a question that I'm sure you guys can help me with. Let me see if I can say this without confusing you. I have my HDTV, HD DirecTV receiver, XBox 360, and my DVD player/Sound System. I currently have my HDMI going from my DirecTV receiver to my TV. When I want to play XBox 360, I disconnect the HDMI from my DirecTV receiver and plug it into my XBox 360. Obviously, I am going to get a HDMI switcher. So here is my question . . . If I have a 3-way HDMI switcher and connect the DirecTV receiver, DVD/SoundSystem, and XBox 360, will I not be able to get digital sound to my DVD/Sound System in my games? Will I have to use an optical cable to connect from the XBox 360 to my sound system? Hope that isn't very confusing. Any help is appreciated.

I am running my video from my 360 to the TV and my Optical from my 360 to my surround system for audio. Works great.

[TorresA]

what kind of reciever you have?

My TV onlu has 1 HDMI, and I plan on running buying a new reciever and having everything run though the reciever and up conver to HDMI, This way I have only 1 HDMI cable running to my TV. This is probably one of the most costly solutions for you best one of the best IMO. This also solves the issue cus your HDMI will be carrying bnout audio and video, no need for opticals

[cjcdaman]

what kind of reciever you have?

My TV onlu has 1 HDMI, and I plan on running buying a new reciever and having everything run though the reciever and up conver to HDMI, This way I have only 1 HDMI cable running to my TV. This is probably one of the most costly solutions for you best one of the best IMO. This also solves the issue cus your HDMI will be carrying bnout audio and video, no need for opticals

Unfortunately, I have a Sony HTIB. It only has an HDMI output and I think I've solved my problem. I have to get an 3-way HDMI switcher, plug my DirecTV receiver, sound system, and XBox 360 into it and then plug that into my HDTV. For sound(because my sound system only outputs HDMI to the TV) I will get an optical switcher and connect my DirecTV receiver and XBox 360 to it and then plug it into my sound system. Anyone have any better ideas?

[ClemsSC7Skinfan]

Onkyo TX-SR705, 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, this solves your problems, the HDMI cable carries the HD video back to the TV while the Audio input has already been feed from your DVD,X-Box 360, & DirectTV to the Receiver for your Digital sound output.

Course if you cannot buy a new receiver then I'd say save your money because it will be worth it.

[Fergasun]

I agree that it's a new receiver you need. I don't know how much you're thinking of paying for two switches, but you could probably do well to upgrade the receiver. I don't know how much money you have to spend or not... just saying...

[cjcdaman]

Onkyo TX-SR705, 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, this solves your problems, the HDMI cable carries the HD video back to the TV while the Audio input has already been feed from your DVD,X-Box 360, & DirectTV to the Receiver for your Digital sound output.

Course if you cannot buy a new receiver then I'd say save your money because it will be worth it.

I only need 5.1, but cannot find a receiver with 3 HDMI inputs. So, with the receiver you specified . . . I would not need optical? In other words, I hook up DVD, XBox 360, and DirecTV receiver to the 3 HDMI inputs and the HDMI output goes to my HDTV? Will that take care of my sound or would I still need to use optical?

For example, say I am playing XBow360. I know the HDMI cord input will give me my HD video, but will it also output digital sound without an optical cable? Does the Onkyo take care of all of that?


EDIT: I'm looking at this one.


http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do


It has 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, and I think 2 optical inputs.

Also, I'm think about upgrading my speaker wires. My Sony system has these connectors and I'm not sure what I will have to do with them in order to connect them to the Onkyo receiver.

[ClemsSC7Skinfan]

Yeah the HDMI cables transfer digital picture and digital sound so the optical cables you were asking about are unuseful unless you have an older receiver, I'm in the same boat with my PS3 but I've just decided to not hook it up with good sound right now until I can get me a new receiver the exact one I told you or perhaps even the 905 but I don't think you can beat the 705 for the price that I've seen it listd at. So you for any receiver you are looking at I'd say be sure it has the 3 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output to you're HD TV. The rest will hook-up exactly how you have it now as far as your speaker set up, if your DVD player does not have HDMI output capabilities then you'll still need to have 1 optical sound-input for your receiver and you'll probably have to use whichever is best (s-video, etc.) for the actual video transfer from the receiver to your TV. I don't know for sure about the video you'll just have to play and see if it converts it to the HDMI cable to input the signal from the receiver to the TV, if that is the case then there will be no need for the video side from the receiver to the TV specifically for the DVD player. But either way with a newer receiver you'll have all of the capabilities needed to achieve your goal.

[ClemsSC7Skinfan]

For example, say I am playing XBow360. I know the HDMI cord input will give me my HD video, but will it also output digital sound without an optical cable? Does the Onkyo take care of all of that?


EDIT: I'm looking at this one.


http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do


It has 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, and I think 2 optical inputs.

Also, I'm think about upgrading my speaker wires. My Sony system has these connectors and I'm not sure what I will have to do with them in order to connect them to the Onkyo receiver.

As for your question, yes that is correct. The only thing I don't know for sure about is the video conversion from an old DVD player. All of the audio things you are asking about will be taken care of via the HDMI cables input into the receiver. The SR506 will do what you need also, that will work.

See the next poster, I didn't read anything in the article so he is correct if it doesn't handle the HDMI audio with the receiver.

[SkinsMaster88]

I only need 5.1, but cannot find a receiver with 3 HDMI inputs. So, with the receiver you specified . . . I would not need optical? In other words, I hook up DVD, XBox 360, and DirecTV receiver to the 3 HDMI inputs and the HDMI output goes to my HDTV? Will that take care of my sound or would I still need to use optical?

For example, say I am playing XBow360. I know the HDMI cord input will give me my HD video, but will it also output digital sound without an optical cable? Does the Onkyo take care of all of that?


EDIT: I'm looking at this one.


http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do


It has 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, and I think 2 optical inputs.

Also, I'm think about upgrading my speaker wires. My Sony system has these connectors and I'm not sure what I will have to do with them in order to connect them to the Onkyo receiver.

The Onkyo SR506 will only handle the HDMI video, the audio would have to be routed with optical cables. The step-up model, SR576, will have HDMI audio capabilities as well so you can just have one HDMI cable to carry your video and audio between each source component (DVD, Xbox 360, DirecTV) to the Onkyo receiver.

Also, with the Xbox 360, if you don't have Microsoft's custom HDMI cable (incl. only with Xbox 360 Elite, otherwise separate purchase), you probably won't have optical audio out, because the connectors don't fit properly next to one another to use the standard A/V connection unless you take apart some of the plastic (google for more info). If you have a receiver with HDMI audio inputs however, you can just use the same HDMI cable (any brand purchased anywhere) for video and audio.

The new Onkyo receiver models are supposed to come out in April, but if you want something now, which might also be a better deal, look at the Onkyo SR605. The Silver model is there at Amazon for $350 + free shipping: (http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR605...6901510&sr=8-2)

If you want to buy local, Circuit City has them on sale as well: Black ($387), Silver ($342). Link: http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Searc...&go.x=0&go.y=0

The SR6xx models have HDMI v1.3 as well, so they'll be able to handle the decoding of the latest audio formats for Blu-ray, so it's more future-proof.

I second the recommendations for buying Onkyo receivers, as I'm about to buy the SR705 model to upgrade from 2 previous Onkyo HTIB systems that have been excellent.

[SkinsMaster88]

As for your question, yes that is correct. The only thing I don't know for sure about is the video conversion from an old DVD player. All of the audio things you are asking about will be taken care of via the HDMI cables input into the receiver. The SR506 will do what you need also, that will work.

Actually, the SR506 only uses the HDMI for video only. You have to be careful on some of the receiver models, because many of the cheaper ones only do video with HDMI, but require optical/coax for audio.

Check out the Onkyo official press release: http://www.onkyousa.com/press_releases.cfm?id=139
"The TX-SR576 features HDMI 1.2a with single-cable connectivity for audio and video functions, and additional decoding for Dolby Digital Plus high-resolution audio. The TX-SR506 includes HDMI pass-through, which has the ability to transmit 1080p video and Deep-Color™ data, but requires a separate connection for audio signals."

[ClemsSC7Skinfan]

Yeah sorry about that I didn't bother to read anything in the article, that is my fault there. I just looked at the HDMI input & outputs on the back of the model. That is why I originally suggested the SR705 anyhow since it has everything he is looking for and is priced very well for the quality of sound.