A silly question re HDMI

[Geo]

So I'm standing there in Walmart, with a $79 HDMI upconverting DVD player in my hand, thinking "damn, these things got cheap since the last time I looked at them!". I'm there because a cheapy DVD player of ours died, and its a long holiday weekend, and we've got 7th season of West Wing and the complete Bablylon 5, and not having a DVD player is not an option.

So now we're down to it, and for the first time I'm seriously considering connections and stuff as it applies to my own setup. . . .and a factor that should have been, as my grandfather the engineer liked to say, "intuitively obvious to the most casual observer" finally crashes in on me --how the heck does HDMI work with a home theater? You need a home theater receiver that switches HDMI? Are there such beasties (and if there are I bet they cost a small fortune still)? Can you use HDMI to do the video, and still use digital coax or optical to do the sound and still get good sync --are there HDCP considerations to that approach?

Anywho, I got the $46 non-HDMI unit for now. :smile: Tho I admit to having the stray thought --"Well, if I happen to walk past a PS3 for sale at list, unbundled. . . " which of course I didn't.

 

[trinibwoy]

You need a home theater receiver that switches HDMI? Are there such beasties (and if there are I bet they cost a small fortune still)? Can you use HDMI to do the video, and still use digital coax or optical to do the sound and still get good sync --are there HDCP considerations to that approach?

Yep, there are a few that do HDMI-switching but it doesn't look like that's what you need. You have two options I think.

-- Hope the DVD player can output sound via coax/optical in parallel with HDMI
-- Get a receiver with HDMI passthrough

Not sure about HDCP implications.

 

[Geo]

Ah, passthrough rather than switching, meaning switching would be multiple HDMI in/single HDMI out? That's the distinction you're pointing at?

 

[nelg]

I was thinking the same thing yesterday. I am awaiting the arrival of my new Sony KDF 46E2000 and plan to hook it up to a HD PVR via HDMI. Fortunately I will be able to use the TVs optical audio out to hook it up to my receiver.

 

[Geo]

I was thinking the same thing yesterday. I am awaiting the arrival of my new Sony KDF 46E2000 and plan to hook it up to a HD PVR via HDMI. Fortunately I will be able to use the TVs optical audio out to hook it up to my receiver.

Ohhh, hmm. Digital audio out from the TV. Hadn't considered that possibility.

 

[nelg]

Ohhh, hmm. Digital audio out from the TV. Hadn't considered that possibility.

Don't you get it geo? In their attempts to make home electronics sexy, CE manufacturers have made a real push to make it all about in/out in/out. Man is this new tech sexy!

 

[pascal]

One possibility is have the AVR as the central part of the Home Theater.
Something like this JVC which has HDMI switching and upconversion:
http://reviews.cnet.com/JVC_RX_D412B/4505-6466_7-32106061.html

edited: a single HDMI cable can be usefull with wall-mounted displays.

 

[trinibwoy]

Ah, passthrough rather than switching, meaning switching would be multiple HDMI in/single HDMI out? That's the distinction you're pointing at?

Yep, manufacturers have been using this capability to distinguish between low and high-end models. Not sure if HDMI switching is filtering down into lower end receivers as yet. The TV audio-out is a good suggestion too if your TV supports a digital out.

 

[Ty]

One possibility is have the AVR as the central part of the Home Theater.
Something like this JVC which has HDMI switching and upconversion:
http://reviews.cnet.com/JVC_RX_D412B/4505-6466_7-32106061.html

edited: a single HDMI cable can be usefull with wall-mounted displays.

I think that Receiver has TRANSCODING, not Upconversion.

 

[mrcorbo]

I've been generally very unimpressed by Sony's A/V receivers in the past finding them gimmicky, but I think the best deal out there is their STR-DA3200ES: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...me=hav_HiFiComponents_Receivers_HiFiReceivers

This can be had online for <$600. 2X HDMI inputs and ALL video inputs can be converted and sent out the single HDMI out. Also utilizes a PSP/PS3 style GUI.

The next model up adds video upconversion and an additional HDMI and component input.

Planning to buy one of the latter for myself, actually.

 

[RobertR1]

If you want a good receiver that will last you a while look at the Pioneer Elite or Yamaha RX series.
yamaha: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/avreceivers/rxv_rxz.html?CTID=5000300
pioneer: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/album/compare/0,,2076_310069789,00.html

If you want something cheap but quite effective look at the Panasonic.
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wc...rogram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

I have the Panny SA-XR57 and it works great. No HDMI handshake issues. Get a HDMI switcher from www.monoprice.com to get multiple HDMI in's.

I'm waiting for a high end receiver with full HDMI1.3 so it can decode the advanced audio codecs such as TrueHD and DTS HD.

 

[jamesnmandy]

just hook the HDMI to the input on the back of the TV for the video, and run either a Toslink optical or SPDIF coax audio cable to your surround receiver, there's no HDCP or audio/video sync issues, at least never has been for me, i had that same exact setup for a while, never have used the audio portion of the HDMi signal/cable

who wants to use the TV speakers or force the audio from the DVD player, through the TV and back into the surround receiver?

 

[Geo]

Sync was my concern, so its good to know that hasn't been an issue for you. Having the digital audio out on the TV (and at least one of ours does, haven't checked the other) at least provides a "Plan B".

I really don't want to buy a new AV Receiver with HDMI right now.

 

[RobertR1]

just hook the HDMI to the input on the back of the TV for the video, and run either a Toslink optical or SPDIF coax audio cable to your surround receiver, there's no HDCP or audio/video sync issues, at least never has been for me, i had that same exact setup for a while, never have used the audio portion of the HDMi signal/cable

who wants to use the TV speakers or force the audio from the DVD player, through the TV and back into the surround receiver?

Not sure if the reply is to me but TruHD and DTS HD/MA can only be passed via HDMI1.3. Otherwise they need to internally decoded by the player and sent out via PCM to the receiver over HDMI or analog.

They will not pass over optical/spdif.

 

[Gubbi]

You need a home theater receiver that switches HDMI? Are there such beasties (and if there are I bet they cost a small fortune still)? Can you use HDMI to do the video, and still use digital coax or optical to do the sound and still get good sync --are there HDCP considerations to that approach?

I've got a Denon AVR-3806, it does HDMI switching. HDMI is 1.1 so 720p or 1080i and no 1080p.

Besides the video switching capabilities it is also an excellent piece of audio kit.

It has both bigger (4306) and smaller (2306, 2307, 2806 and 2807) siblings, so you should be able to get one to fit your budget.

The only negative thing to say about it is that the interface is user-hostile (you have to think like an EE to "get it")

Cheers

 

[Gubbi]

Update: Got my Pioneer 507XA today. Bleeding gorgous. Got DVD (HDMI) and the 360 (RCA) hooked up to the receiver, which then converts (or relays in the DVD case) the signal to the 507 via HDMI, works flawlessly (although it took me, Denon being Denon with their user-hostile interface, a few moments to get it up and running)

Real easy to appreciate the difference between HD and SD.

Does anybody know of some really high bitrate DVDs, Black Hawk Down (long movie) is one big MPEG2 artifact mess. Minority Report (shorter and fantastic cinematography) is better but still way less than the HD clip that comes standard with the XBOX.

Cheers

 

[bobbobbins]

Audio Video Sync Problems

Hi,

I have this same set up. I have a Sony DVP-NS90V upconverting dvd player and a pioneer 816-k receiver without HDMI input.

I use the digital coax out from the dvd player which goes to the receiver and the HDMI goes to my Hitachi 42HDS69 TV with HDMI inputs.

I get terrible audio video sync problems and using the digital out from the TV doesn't help as it only outputs the audio in 2-channel not the full dolby surround or DTS surround which I want.

SO if I were you I would get a HDMI capable receibecause I certainly wish that I had.

 

[Ty]

Try Component Video to see if that fixes your sync issues. Picture Quality wise, you probably won't notice a difference.

 

[kyleb]

Is the sound before the video or the video before the sound? In many cases the TV takes time processing the video, in which case hopefully your receiver has a delay option you can use to sync up the sound or perhaps your TV has a "game mode" that will turn off the laggy processing.