New Surround System: Question about Settings - Blu-ray Forum

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 02:16 AM

Here's the situation; I recently bought a surround system (Polk speakers and sub-woofer with Onkyo 606 receiver). DirecTv Hi-Def sat receiver and Blu-ray player hooked up to 606 with HDMI cables and HDMI cable out from 606 to TV. Sounds great when I play a Blu-ray. This is the strange part. My Directv sat receiver sends me both hi-def and standard digital signals for the local channels. (I have 2 channel 4's, 5's, ect.) When I play the hi-def channel the picture is great but the sound is quiet and comes only from the front speakers. Sounds thin and weak. Front panel reads HDMI with three small boxes to the left side. When I switch to the non hi-def channel the sound comes from all speakers. Sound is much louder and fuller. Front panel reads PCM and HDMI DSP. Is this something others have noticed? Is there a setting I've messed up. It just doesn't seem right but the sound is so much better on the non hi-def channels that I almost stopped watching the hi-def channels.

crackinhedz · 08-21-2008, 02:24 AM

I have Dishnetwork so I don't know how yours works...but in the DirecTV settings, is there an option to send?:

PCM
Bitstream
PCM + Bitstream

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

I have Dishnetwork so I don't know how yours works...but in the DirecTV settings, is there an option to send?:

PCM
Bitstream
PCM + Bitstream

I just checked my Directv receiver. It has an audio option of Dolby Digital on or off. Also analog if receiver is not capable of Dolby. Booklet says best option is Dolby Digital ON if receiver is capable of handling signal. I checked and Dolby digital is indeed ON.

crackinhedz · 08-21-2008, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I just checked my Directv receiver. It has an audio option of Dolby Digital on or off. Also analog if receiver is not capable of Dolby. Booklet says best option is Dolby Digital ON if receiver is capable of handling signal. I checked and Dolby digital is indeed ON.

oops, I ment dolby digital not bitstream!

get lost in thought sometimes.

what I was trying to get at, is try turning Dolby Digital off. Just use PCM, and see if the audio problem persists. (also could you possibly have dynamic range control engaged in the receiver for Dolby Digital?)

Also make note, that Over The Air information is not created equal...sound will vary no matter what.

cochise99 · 08-21-2008, 02:46 AM

For me, the only way to get Dolby Digital to work on Directv was to connect a optical cable to it . For some reason it will not pass the signal through the hdmi cable.

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 02:53 AM

OK; that's wierd. I did switch Dolby to off and did get sound from all 5 speakers. Also experimented and not all programs are affected that way. Some will play a fuller sound through all speakers with Dolby turned on while others sound better with the option turned off.

But at least I've learned a little more about my receivers and how they work. I can go back to watching my shows in hi-def and just change to setting if it doesn't sound right. Thanks for your help.

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cochise99

For me, the only way to get Dolby Digital to work on Directv was to connect a optical cable to it . For some reason it will not pass the signal through the hdmi cable.

If I read this correctly, my best bet would be to hook up an optical cable fron the Directv receiver to my tv and just turn down the sound on my Onkyo receiver when I'm watching tv? Or do I hook the optical cable to the Onkyo instead. If I do that will I need to run an optical cable from the Onkyo to the tv also or will the HDMI cable take care of that? Questions, questions, questions.

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 03:05 AM

ok; heading for bed. Got to get ready for work. I'll check back in tomorrow morning for anything further you might have to add. Thanks again for your help.

cochise99 · 08-21-2008, 07:45 AM

You will plug the optical cable into your Onkyo from the Directv receiver, and also make sure you have set Dolby Digital to on in the Directv settings. I don't know why Directv receivers are set up this way since hdmi can handle audio and video, but for some reason they want hdmi for video, and then the optical cable for audio. All your HD channels should then play sound in Dolby Digital, while the non HD channels will play in standard pcm (non HD channels are not encoded with Dolby Digital, unless it is a movie channel like HBO or Starz). Dolby Digital is the best sound encoding the reciever has, so while the HD channels won't sound as good as Blu-rays, they will sound better than the non HD channels.

cochise99 · 08-21-2008, 07:48 AM

You just need to the run the optical cable from the Directv receiver to the Onkyo. It doesn't need to the run to the tv as well.

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 11:44 AM

Thank you very much for your help Crackinhedz and Cochise99.

Old Geezer · 08-21-2008, 12:47 PM

Well - it seems nothing is as easy as it should be. After checking the back of my Directv receiver it only has an optical digital output. I have in my possession 2 coaxial digital cables.

Guess I'll purchase an optical cable in the near future. Onkyo receiver has imputs for both optical and coaxial so that's not a problem. The other hitch is the #2 coaxial imput is automatically assigned to cable/satalite imput so I'll have to go into my settings and change that also. Hopefully not too much of a hassle.

08-21-2008, 02:16 AM	#1
Old Geezer Special Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Missouri Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:459 Blu-ray collection:2643 DVD collection:137	New Surround System: Question about Settings Here's the situation; I recently bought a surround system (Polk speakers and sub-woofer with Onkyo 606 receiver). DirecTv Hi-Def sat receiver and Blu-ray player hooked up to 606 with HDMI cables and HDMI cable out from 606 to TV. Sounds great when I play a Blu-ray. This is the strange part. My Directv sat receiver sends me both hi-def and standard digital signals for the local channels. (I have 2 channel 4's, 5's, ect.) When I play the hi-def channel the picture is great but the sound is quiet and comes only from the front speakers. Sounds thin and weak. Front panel reads HDMI with three small boxes to the left side. When I switch to the non hi-def channel the sound comes from all speakers. Sound is much louder and fuller. Front panel reads PCM and HDMI DSP. Is this something others have noticed? Is there a setting I've messed up. It just doesn't seem right but the sound is so much better on the non hi-def channels that I almost stopped watching the hi-def channels.

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08-21-2008, 02:24 AM	#2
crackinhedz Super Moderator Member since:Feb 2007 Home Theater Gallery:10 Blu-ray reviews:8 Trading Score:19	I have Dishnetwork so I don't know how yours works...but in the DirecTV settings, is there an option to send?: PCM Bitstream PCM + Bitstream

08-21-2008, 02:46 AM	#5
cochise99 Junior Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Texas	For me, the only way to get Dolby Digital to work on Directv was to connect a optical cable to it . For some reason it will not pass the signal through the hdmi cable.

08-21-2008, 02:53 AM	#6
Old Geezer Special Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Missouri Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:459 Blu-ray collection:2643 DVD collection:137	OK; that's wierd. I did switch Dolby to off and did get sound from all 5 speakers. Also experimented and not all programs are affected that way. Some will play a fuller sound through all speakers with Dolby turned on while others sound better with the option turned off. But at least I've learned a little more about my receivers and how they work. I can go back to watching my shows in hi-def and just change to setting if it doesn't sound right. Thanks for your help.

08-21-2008, 03:05 AM	#8
Old Geezer Special Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Missouri Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:459 Blu-ray collection:2643 DVD collection:137	ok; heading for bed. Got to get ready for work. I'll check back in tomorrow morning for anything further you might have to add. Thanks again for your help.

08-21-2008, 07:45 AM	#9
cochise99 Junior Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Texas	You will plug the optical cable into your Onkyo from the Directv receiver, and also make sure you have set Dolby Digital to on in the Directv settings. I don't know why Directv receivers are set up this way since hdmi can handle audio and video, but for some reason they want hdmi for video, and then the optical cable for audio. All your HD channels should then play sound in Dolby Digital, while the non HD channels will play in standard pcm (non HD channels are not encoded with Dolby Digital, unless it is a movie channel like HBO or Starz). Dolby Digital is the best sound encoding the reciever has, so while the HD channels won't sound as good as Blu-rays, they will sound better than the non HD channels.

08-21-2008, 07:48 AM	#10
cochise99 Junior Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Texas	You just need to the run the optical cable from the Directv receiver to the Onkyo. It doesn't need to the run to the tv as well.

08-21-2008, 11:44 AM	#11
Old Geezer Special Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Missouri Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:459 Blu-ray collection:2643 DVD collection:137	Thank you very much for your help Crackinhedz and Cochise99.

08-21-2008, 12:47 PM	#12
Old Geezer Special Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Missouri Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:459 Blu-ray collection:2643 DVD collection:137	Well - it seems nothing is as easy as it should be. After checking the back of my Directv receiver it only has an optical digital output. I have in my possession 2 coaxial digital cables. Guess I'll purchase an optical cable in the near future. Onkyo receiver has imputs for both optical and coaxial so that's not a problem. The other hitch is the #2 coaxial imput is automatically assigned to cable/satalite imput so I'll have to go into my settings and change that also. Hopefully not too much of a hassle.

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