Onkyo HT-S6100 w/ PS3

[Dreldan]

Ok the title says what i already currently own i don't need suggestions on what i should have bought lol.

What i need is someone to please help me set this up correctly. I currently can't get the back 2 speakers set up due to my apartment but i have 5 speakers set up. The front 3, and then the right and left side rear. I have my PS3 and my cable box all hoooked up with HDMI. When im playing a blu ray movie or a video game on my PS3 i can't seem to ever get any of the more advanced audio settings on the receiver all i can use is stereo, mono, direct, multi chan, or all chan. And as far as cable tv goes i can sometimes get VCR dolby and sometimes neo:6 music. Problem is i have no idea what is better i don't even know what neo:6 means.

With the ps3 i feel like i should be getting some better options as far as audio goes. No dolby? none of the red lights like DTS, i've never seen the TRUE hd light on. IS there some settings i need to change on the PS3 itself? I've been reading through this manual for ever and i've been messing with so many settings on everthing i can't figure this out.

Is it because im missing the 2 back speakers?

Also the receiver says it upscales to 1080i but it doesn't seem to do that? When playing normal dvd's on the ps3 it looks like crap and when watching regular channels that aren't in HD it sure doesn't look like its upscaling anything? Is there something im missing here?

[quest88]

Depending on what PS3 you have phat or slim it does not bit-stream audio so no nice dts hd light and so. I would suggest to search the forum and see what the proper settings are. As far as your cable box I would just hook it up threw optical to your receiver.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=24132

[Dreldan]

Well i've got one of the original PS3's. It is not a slim. I read that forum ...problem is there is 21 pages of it i went through a lot of it and it just keeps going back and forth one of the most inconclusive threads i've ever read lol. Also it was started in 2007 and i don't know how relevant all the information is. Also people in that thread have different equipment so settings differ. I was hoping to find someone that has a similar model onkyo receiver and a ps3 that could possibly help me out with more info.

Although that thread did give me some ideas to try out, i will get to that later tonight when my son won't kill me for turning off the backyardigans.

[Bizdady]

I dont know your cable box settings but as far as the ps3 you wont get the True HD or DTS MA lights since the ps3 outputs sends the audio as multi chan PCM.

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by Dreldan

Well i've got one of the original PS3's. It is not a slim. I read that forum ...problem is there is 21 pages of it i went through a lot of it and it just keeps going back and forth one of the most inconclusive threads i've ever read lol. Also it was started in 2007 and i don't know how relevant all the information is. Also people in that thread have different equipment so settings differ. I was hoping to find someone that has a similar model onkyo receiver and a ps3 that could possibly help me out with more info.

Although that thread did give me some ideas to try out, i will get to that later tonight when my son won't kill me for turning off the backyardigans.

youll never see those red lights on the reciever displaying true hd or dts ma because all the receiver will get is pcm audio since thats what your ps3 fat is sending (its doing the decoding). what you want to see on your onk when playing a blu ray is multi channel. during playback, hit the select button on a controller or remote and it will display what the ps3 is decoding so you know for sure what your getting. as long as it displays true hd on the screen when pressing the select button and mutlch is on the receiver, its correct.

i would check the avs forums for the exact model for your receiver. on my 705, i can go into the menu and change the scaling options for the receiver but what ever its set at, the receiver will scale any signal that is lower in resolution than its setting otherwise its suppose to just pass the video through untouched.

[Dreldan]

it reads simple and i think i understand it but im not experiencing this at all.

"i can go into the menu and change the scaling options for the receiver but what ever its set at, the receiver will scale any signal that is lower in resolution than its setting otherwise its suppose to just pass the video through untouched."

What does this mean exactly? it reads simple and i think i understand it but im not experiencing this at all.

I can go into the receiver options and pick from "through" "auto" "480p" "720p" and "1080i" no matter what option i pick i can't notice a difference. How or what can i test on this so i can see that it is working? I've gone to hd channels and my cable box says its 1080i and i can pick 480p on the receiver and i notice no difference. Then i can go to a channel that is the cable box says is outputing in 480i and no matter what setting i set the receiver to i notice no difference. I've put it on auto, 1080i and through and they all look exactly the same? When it says it will convert and upscale am i not interpreting it right? When I read that i think ok it is going to make it or at least try to make the signal im receiving look better by upscaling it, yet i notice no difference no matter what setting i put it on. Weather im on an hd channel or not. What is something i can do to test or atleast witness that its doing something that it claims it can do.

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by Dreldan

it reads simple and i think i understand it but im not experiencing this at all.

"i can go into the menu and change the scaling options for the receiver but what ever its set at, the receiver will scale any signal that is lower in resolution than its setting otherwise its suppose to just pass the video through untouched."

What does this mean exactly? it reads simple and i think i understand it but im not experiencing this at all.

I can go into the receiver options and pick from "through" "auto" "480p" "720p" and "1080i" no matter what option i pick i can't notice a difference. How or what can i test on this so i can see that it is working? I've gone to hd channels and my cable box says its 1080i and i can pick 480p on the receiver and i notice no difference. Then i can go to a channel that is the cable box says is outputing in 480i and no matter what setting i set the receiver to i notice no difference. I've put it on auto, 1080i and through and they all look exactly the same? When it says it will convert and upscale am i not interpreting it right? When I read that i think ok it is going to make it or at least try to make the signal im receiving look better by upscaling it, yet i notice no difference no matter what setting i put it on. Weather im on an hd channel or not. What is something i can do to test or atleast witness that its doing something that it claims it can do.

is your tv scaling too?

[Dreldan]

Hmm i have no idea.. im at work now and don't remember the exact model of my tv. It is a Toshiba 42" 1080p LCD Got it about a year an a half ago.

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by Dreldan

Hmm i have no idea.. im at work now and don't remember the exact model of my tv. It is a Toshiba 42" 1080p LCD Got it about a year an a half ago.

if it is scaling as well that could be the reason why you see no difference because something is always scaling it. i would disable all scaling except one then go from there.

[repete66211]

DVDs look pretty good, but standard definition cable looks pretty bad on my TV too. Upscaling can only help so much.

[Dreldan]

Yah its not like im expecting it to work miracles. Heck if its already doing it and working fine, then thats great. The problem is i can't seem to be able to tell if its working because i'll be playing a show on some standard television non HD channel. It doesn't take up the entire screen and looks crappy. I change the settings trying all like 4 or 5 different choises i get and i don't notice a difference between any of the settings.

I guess when i get home i'll need to look up my tv and see if it has upconversion. Although i don't know if that is pretty standard on most television but i certainly did not remember that being some sort of a selling point or heavily advertised on the t.v. when i bought it.

[repete66211]

SD cable will never take up the whole screen of an HDTV. That will only happen with Blu-ray discs, anamorphic DVDs and HD cable/satellite.

[simplepinoi177]

actually Dreldan, the whole upconversion thing is for composite, s-video, or component inputs. Now, depending on your connections, it looks the same because it's not being converted at all. If you use HDMI to connect the ps3, cable box, or both, then there is no upconversion because it does not upconvert HDMI. It is only in the HDMI setting because it shows the upconversion through the HDMI output.

about your cable box, what service do you have? Cable (comcast) or Sattelite(dish, directtv)? I'm only familiar with cable(comcast more specifically). I can usually tell the difference between an HD channel and an SD. My HD DVR outputs through HDMI though and upconverts 480 to 1080i. So either way, SD or HD, my channels fill up the screen as well BUT as I said before, one could always tell the difference between HD channel and SD. I'm asking because I had to set up my cable box this way (to show differently between SD and HD). You have to go through it's system menu and tweak it a bit. So I'm wondering if you have to do the same....

Hope this helps...

P.S. If it hasn't been clear yet, I also have the same setup: Onkyo HT-S6100, PS3 60GB, Comcast HD DVR set top, PN50A550 Samsung 50"plasma.

[Dreldan]

Originally Posted by simplepinoi177

actually Dreldan, the whole upconversion thing is for composite, s-video, or component inputs. Now, depending on your connections, it looks the same because it's not being converted at all. If you use HDMI to connect the ps3, cable box, or both, then there is no upconversion because it does not upconvert HDMI. It is only in the HDMI setting because it shows the upconversion through the HDMI output.

about your cable box, what service do you have? Cable (comcast) or Sattelite(dish, directtv)? I'm only familiar with cable(comcast more specifically). I can usually tell the difference between an HD channel and an SD. My HD DVR outputs through HDMI though and upconverts 480 to 1080i. So either way, SD or HD, my channels fill up the screen as well BUT as I said before, one could always tell the difference between HD channel and SD. I'm asking because I had to set up my cable box this way (to show differently between SD and HD). You have to go through it's system menu and tweak it a bit. So I'm wondering if you have to do the same....

Hope this helps...

P.S. If it hasn't been clear yet, I also have the same setup: Onkyo HT-S6100, PS3 60GB, Comcast HD DVR set top, PN50A550 Samsung 50"plasma.

I have Comcast cable with a DVR box. Everything is hooked up HDMI. I can tell a huge difference between HD and SD channels. I'm not having any trouble with getting the actual HD channels those look great. Its just when i switch to a none HD channel it doesn't appear to be upconverting anything it all looks like crap and doesn't take up the entire screen. I've looked through some of the settings on the DVR box i never saw mention of upconversion on it itself. I'll have to take a look when i get back home.

I do recall on the digital read out on the front of the dvr cable box it says the output and it is at 1080i for the HD channels but then switces down to 480i when im on none hd channels and if i hit the button next to it i can switch up to 480p but it won't let me go higher.

So if i want up conversion i would have to switch to a different kind of imput to my receiver? Wouldnt i lose some qaulity on audio and video when i am watching HD channels or even more so blu rays on my ps3? I was always told HDMI was the best and to just stick with using HDMI where ever i can.

[NJMetsFan]

Originally Posted by Dreldan

I have Comcast cable with a DVR box. Everything is hooked up HDMI. I can tell a huge difference between HD and SD channels. I'm not having any trouble with getting the actual HD channels those look great. Its just when i switch to a none HD channel it doesn't appear to be upconverting anything it all looks like crap and doesn't take up the entire screen. I've looked through some of the settings on the DVR box i never saw mention of upconversion on it itself. I'll have to take a look when i get back home.

I do recall on the digital read out on the front of the dvr cable box it says the output and it is at 1080i for the HD channels but then switces down to 480i when im on none hd channels and if i hit the button next to it i can switch up to 480p but it won't let me go higher.

So if i want up conversion i would have to switch to a different kind of imput to my receiver? Wouldnt i lose some qaulity on audio and video when i am watching HD channels or even more so blu rays on my ps3? I was always told HDMI was the best and to just stick with using HDMI where ever i can.

Turn your cable box off, then press "menu" on the unit and make sure your tv and receiver are on. You should see some more menu's appear. You should specify that your TV is 16:9 and adjust the other setting to whatever your preference is.

This is my Comcast HD DVR box set-up,
TV Type -16:9
HDMI.... - 720P
4:3 override - 480P

On additional HDMI settings,
Audio Output - Pass-through

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a similar set-up as well.

Onkyo HT-S6100
80g PS3(motorstorm bundle)
Panasonic Plasma TH-50PZ77U

[simplepinoi177]

This is why I asked what company you were getting your TV signal from. It's helpful to know so we can help you out. But you should do as NJMetsFan did and get into that menu.
But here's where I suggest differently. You must specify your tv, (Most likely 16:9). Then HDMI output should be set to 1080i to get the best quality. NOW HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE; in 4:3 override, if you want the 480 signals to fill your screen, set it to "Stretch". Now a 480 picture will fill up your screen. Also, when you change to an SD channel, it shouldn't change back to 480 but stay 1080i (at least that's the way it happens with my setup.)

Also, it's as you said,

Originally Posted by Dreldan

So if i want up conversion i would have to switch to a different kind of imput to my receiver? Wouldnt i lose some qaulity on audio and video when i am watching HD channels or even more so blu rays on my ps3? I was always told HDMI was the best and to just stick with using HDMI where ever i can.

The HT-667 Receiver DOES NOT upconvert HDMI. But you area also right in the assumption that HDMI is the best in terms of sending audio and video signals. There is little difference AFAIK between sending audio/video signals through HDMI or through component/digital out (in terms of 1080i). The main difference is you use a single cord rather than multiple. Also, especially for ps3 and dvds, trying to upconvert can only be achieved by using HDMI because of a copyright/upconversion block set to dvds. This security feature may be present in other sources as well. In addition, you can only achieve 1080p through HDMI. This are reasons why HDMI is the best.
So to your question about losing quality when watching HD channels and bluray, you would be losing quality watching a bluray if you do not watch through HDMI (as you will not be able to watch it to its fullest of 1080p). As for HD channels, it shouldn't be any different because unless you have DirectTV's service of displaying in 1080p (which I can assume you don't since you talk about having comcast and comcast setups), the highest definition comcast tv signals can go is 1080i and Dolby Digital 5.1. So there's nothing specific that you would be missing out on in terms of using/not using HDMI cord. The thing is that your box and the use of HDMI cord is already upconverting the tv signal. That's why even though you are watching an SD 480 signal, it will display on the box as 1080i as well as filling up on your tv screen. I don't think it can get any better than that if you outputted differently than an HDMI and had the receiver upconvert it to 1080i as well.

If you have any more questions or need to clarify (as I understand how I explain can be quite confusing) please feel free to post them.

Also, there is an extensive discussion on the Onkyo HT-S6100's capabilities, news, and troubleshooting in AVS forums that you may want to try; whether to ask questions, or research answers/other questions. You could find it here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1048206 . You may find it helpful.

Hope this helps...

[NJMetsFan]

Originally Posted by simplepinoi177

But here's where I suggest differently. You must specify your tv, (Most likely 16:9). Then HDMI output should be set to 1080i to get the best quality. NOW HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE; in 4:3 override, if you want the 480 signals to fill your screen, set it to "Stretch". Now a 480 picture will fill up your screen. Also, when you change to an SD channel, it shouldn't change back to 480 but stay 1080i (at least that's the way it happens with my setup.)

I prefer 720p over 1080i, I noticed jagged lines on 1080i. That's the reason for my 720p selection. My SD channels fill the screen on 480p. I don't remember where I did the settings for that, whether it was on the box, receiver, or tv. I will have to do my set-up all over in a couple of weeks anyway. I'm moving into a new house, I'm also thinking of going with Dish.

[Dreldan]

Well that worked! now these crappy stations are actually watchable!


Thanks so much for the help i've been able to learn a lot about my receiver these last couple days. I've gone through this manual a million times but it doesn't do much for me if i don't understand what all the terms mean. Now i've also turned up the center speak a bit so so i don't have to keep turning the sound up and down during a movie just to hear dialog and then back down when all the action comes in and im worried about waking the kid or disturbing the neighbors.

[simplepinoi177]

Originally Posted by Dreldan

Well that worked! now these crappy stations are actually watchable!


Thanks so much for the help i've been able to learn a lot about my receiver these last couple days. I've gone through this manual a million times but it doesn't do much for me if i don't understand what all the terms mean. Now i've also turned up the center speak a bit so so i don't have to keep turning the sound up and down during a movie just to hear dialog and then back down when all the action comes in and im worried about waking the kid or disturbing the neighbors.

glad it worked for you...and glad I was able to help...
but yeah, this sound system can go past walls and rooms so...good idea...

[Dreldan]

Well im back.. so that worked for some channels like my sons cartoon channels they now look better and take up the entire screen. But i have some HD channels that have commericals and some programs that come on that aren't in HD.

The commercials i could really care less if they took up the entire screen. I mean it would be nice to have everything always take up the entire screen so it just looked normal and wasn't switching around between commericals and programming but really not a big deal.

What my issues is and ill give you the example i ran into last night. My wife watches the show "the biggest loser" It is on an HD channel but not broadcasted in HD. Almost everything on this channel is HD so i was testing out the channels last night and when i went to the biggest loser it was small again and looked crappy. Now i can't remember but i thought this show was normally in HD but i think i remember there being issues with it doing this before where some nights it would be in HD and other nights it wouldnt. Is there a reason it wouldn't stretch and convert that to take up the entire screen? If i recall correclty and im not positive about this but the cable box still said 1080i on it while it was playing the show that was certainly not in HD or 1080i.

I'll check again tonight but maybe if you already know the answer to this you can just set me straight now.