Need help with older Pioneer Receiver

[Vargas01]

Ok, I have an older Pioneer receiver with no HDMI inputs so I have been using the optical connection from my samsung BDP-1500 and I've been enjoying movies with no problem (dark knigh, underworld 1 and 2, pinapple express) but recently I have rented two movies from blockbuster that will not play the audio through my receiver. They are:

Wanted

Max Payne.

I checked and the audio track on both of these titles is the DTS-HD audio and there is no choice to select "DOBLY DIGITAL 5.1". This is weird though because both TDK and Underworld will play the HD audio track on my receiver, it just isn't in HD (I understand this).

Am I just screwed here or is there some setting I am missing?

Help. All has been fine until Blockbuster has gotten involved. Also, if this is how all new Blu's are going to be (only with the HD audio and not the dolby digital) I will have to upgrade receivers.

[Sammy]

Change your audio output on the BD player to PCM or Bitstream (re-encode) and try again.

I've had no problems with audio (or anything for that matter) on anything I've put in my BD-P2500 and it is set to Bitstream (audiophile) and going through an optical connection to my 11-year-old receiver. These are three audio output options that I have and am assuming that the BD-P1500 is similar but I may be wrong.

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sammy

Change your audio output on the BD player to PCM or Bitstream (re-encode) and try again.

I've had no problems with audio (or anything for that matter) on anything I've put in my BD-P2500 and it is set to Bitstream (audiophile) and going through an optical connection to my 11-year-old receiver. These are three audio output options that I have and am assuming that the BD-P1500 is similar but I may be wrong.

For me to get it to work the first time I had to put it on bitstream(audiofile). I will try the re-encode and post back.

Ok, I tried bitstream (re-encode) and this did not work. PCM I do get audio but it is not 5.1. The little 5.1 speaker display does not show up on the receiver like it does when you get real 5.1. I don't know, this is getting frustrating. And it is ONLY these two discs from blockbuster.

Any other suggestions? I've tried all of the settings I can think of.

My receiver is Pioneer Vsx-d498 that is doby digital compatible and I'm running from blu ray player to receiver via an optical and have had NO problems until yesterday with Wanted and today with MAX PAYNE.

[Siri]

Using an optical cable and setting to PCM will get you 2.0 audio. Using bitstream is the only option. My guess is that the receiver doesn't decode DTS? exact model number if you could please OP.

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sirius389

Using an optical cable and setting to PCM will get you 2.0 audio. Using bitstream is the only option. My guess is that the receiver doesn't decode DTS? exact model number if you could please OP.

that is correct, it is not a DTS receiver. Dolby Digital.

[Siri]

Have you watched any other movies on it that use DTS-HD MA? Usually Universal movies, like Wanted and Fox movies like Max Payne use those codecs

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sirius389

Have you watched any other movies on it that use DTS-HD MA? Usually Universal movies, like Wanted and Fox movies like Max Payne use those codecs

I currently own or have rented the following:

1. Underworld 1+2
2. 21-rent
3. TDK
4. pinapple express
5. Pirates of the carribean curse of the black pearl.

I think that is all--I'm pretty new to blu. But in the case of TDK and underword, both the dolby digital and HD audio will play. maybe the receiver is down converting them?

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Vargas01

I currently own or have rented the following:

1. Underworld 1+2
2. 21-rent
3. TDK
4. pinapple express
5. Pirates of the carribean curse of the black pearl.

I think that is all--I'm pretty new to blu. But in the case of TDK and underword, both the dolby digital and HD audio will play. maybe the receiver is down converting them?

Yeah, if you are using an optical cable and set to bitstream you will get Dolby Digital 5.1, But I think that the reason you won't get 5.1 from Wanted etc is because of the DTS HD MA, since your receiver can't decode it, then it just wont play. to just get audio you can set it to pcm and let the player decode the audio, but you won't get any surround sound that way

[jomari]

vargas, give us the model number of your current receiver.

from your previous posting, youve mentioned it doesnt do DTS, am i correct? on a dvd with dts, does it play the audio track?

if so, max payne and wanted are both DTS based soundtracks, and would not play using your current receiver.

give us a model number if you please, so we can further assist you.

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sirius389

Yeah, if you are using an optical cable and set to bitstream you will get Dolby Digital 5.1, But I think that the reason you won't get 5.1 from Wanted etc is because of the DTS HD MA, since your receiver can't decode it, then it just wont play. to just get audio you can set it to pcm and let the player decode the audio, but you won't get any surround sound that way

The price for using older equipment, I guess. If I upgraded to a receiver that did decode DTS but did NOT use the HDMI hookup would that work. I've spent a small fortune since buying the blu-ray (i know, I know) so if I upgrade my receiver, I don't want to go crazy.

So, as long as I have DTS I'm ok or do I HAVE to have DTS-HD with the HDMI for it to work with ALL blu's?

Thank you for the help.

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by jomari

vargas, give us the model number of your current receiver.

from your previous posting, youve mentioned it doesnt do DTS, am i correct? on a dvd with dts, does it play the audio track?

if so, max payne and wanted are both DTS based soundtracks, and would not play using your current receiver.

give us a model number if you please, so we can further assist you.

My receiver is Pioneer Vsx-d498 that is doby digital compatible and I'm running from blu ray player to receiver via an optical and have had NO problems until yesterday with Wanted and today with MAX PAYNE.

I don't think I've tried on a DVD. I think my old FIGHT CLUB DVD was DTS but I know my receiver worked with that, I certainly watched it enough. But I cannot say for sure that I ever used the DTS on a regular DVD becasue I've been out of the surround sound game for a long time (about 5 years).

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Vargas01

The price for using older equipment, I guess. If I upgraded to a receiver that did decode DTS but did NOT use the HDMI hookup would that work. I've spent a small fortune since buying the blu-ray (i know, I know) so if I upgrade my receiver, I don't want to go crazy.

So, as long as I have DTS I'm ok or do I HAVE to have DTS-HD with the HDMI for it to work with ALL blu's?

Thank you for the help.

as long as you have DTS you are good you don't need DTS HD with an HDMI cable, can't forget about Dolby Digital though. Check out some receivers with HDMI though, many models are not crazy expensive, then you can take advantage of the HD audio codecs

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sirius389

as long as you have DTS you are good you don't need DTS HD with an HDMI cable, can't forget about Dolby Digital though. Check out some receivers with HDMI though, many models are not crazy expensive, then you can take advantage of the HD audio codecs

Oh the humanity!! I just instituted a spending freeze in our house today, much to the dismay of my wife and now look who needs to upgrade receivers.

Looks like I'll be hitting the discounted Circuit City in my area to look for a good new receiver. Now, how to switch them out without her knowing????????

they had a crazy Denon with 3 HDMI's (I think) and all the bells and whistles for around $219 a week ago.

[Vargas01]

Originally Posted by Sirius389

as long as you have DTS you are good you don't need DTS HD with an HDMI cable, can't forget about Dolby Digital though. Check out some receivers with HDMI though, many models are not crazy expensive, then you can take advantage of the HD audio codecs

Ok, now woudl I need HDMI passthrough or HDMI switching? The only HDMI's I woudl connect to this theoretical new receiver would be the Blu-Ray. I have a comcast cable box and my wife couldn't care less about the TV in surround. I do of course but I would still need to just turn the volume up on the tv when she is watching tv. So I would probably just run the cable box through the optical cable like I have it now.

[Siri]

I am not certain, and do not want to tell you the wrong info with that so my answer is google although someone else here surely will be able to give you a straight answer

[Sammy]

You need a dts enabled receiver or use PCM.