NEW sony BDP-s550 decode 7.1MA?

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by johnnyd1

I will be getting my delivery today and will be hooking it up to my 7.1 analog multichannel Yamaha. What would you like me to look for ?

Thanks. dts-MA decoding for output over analog is at the top of the list.

My AVR lacks HDMI and I would likely wire/configure as follows (a fairly typical setup, I would think):

HDMI to the display
5.1 analog to the AVR for lossless BD playback
Optical to the AVR for DVD playback
Audio Output Priority = Analog Multichannel

Assuming that lossless codecs are properly decoded for output over analog (yes?), I am concerned about the optical connection for DVDs. I would prefer to use digital bitstream to my receiver for DVDs to take advantage of better bass management and signal processing in the receiver. But, p66 of the manual says "When Audio Output Priority is set to HDMI, Coaxial/Optical, or Multi Channel Analog, LPCM 2ch signals are output from jacks other than the selected jack". Does that mean the optical output will always be stereo PCM when the Audio Priority is Mulit Channel Analog? Or, is it merely saying 96 kHz is only supported for the Priority Output? It would be a pain if we had to change the Audio Output Priority depending on the disc being played.

In a similar vein, will the HDMI handshake with the TV affect how LPCM or analog are output? The manual is silent on the issue, which is usually a good sign. But, not always.