Pioneer VSX-819H Questions

[tawny]

Hi y'all.

I just bought a Pioneer VSX-819H.

Just setting it up but for now I have 2 questions:

1. how do I best hook up a second DVD player? The main one is blu-ray and is connected with HDMI. The second one is an old one but I use it for region-free DVDs and compressed media playback (divx, etc). The second one has no HDMI (composite video & optical & coax digital audio out). There is a bewildering variety of "aux" connections and "configurable" inputs. Right now I'm already using the stereo aux input for streaming mp3s.

2. the first (regular) DVD i played had a slight video/audio sync problem which I found annoying. Less than .5 seconds. The blu-ray player (Samsung BDP-3600) is connected to the Pioneer with HDMI and then HDMI out to the TV (Panasonic Plasma). Is there any way to resolve that?

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BTW, I think this is the first thread on this new receiver other than a thread asking for reviews, so this could be the "official" thread for this receiver?

[callas01]

I think it may be best to just hook it up with some RCA Cables and run the Red, White and Yellows. Then you will need to run RCA from the Receiver to the TV, I think that may be the best way to go about it. Unless someone else knows something I am missing. EDIT:: also you could hook it up via S-video cable for video and then use and optical cable for audio, so you will get surround sound. 5.1 only

Your second issue you need to consult your owners manuals, there should be a sync feature that can make the voices and mouths match up closer together

[MCT]

so if I'm reading these specs correctly, the only thing that makes the 819H more expensive than the 519 ($199 on Amazon) is that the 819 can dock your Ipod and decodes DTS-MA/TrueHD....right?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by MCT

so if I'm reading these specs correctly, the only thing that makes the 819H more expensive than the 519 ($199 on Amazon) is that the 819 can dock your Ipod and decodes DTS-MA/TrueHD....right?

There are a couple of other little features that you get on the 819 that you don't on the 519 you can compare them here

[tawny]

Originally Posted by callas01

I think it may be best to just hook it up with some RCA Cables and run the Red, White and Yellows. ... Your second issue you need to consult your owners manuals, there should be a sync feature that can make the voices and mouths match up closer together

In the end I ended up connecting the second DVD player directly to the TV with component cables (video) and connecting the audio to the receiver with an optical cable into the CD-R input. This was because the "assignable" inputs were already all taken by other connections (TV/DVD/DVR). CD-R was not an available assignable input :-( for video) Sort of Frankenstein, but nothing my universal remote can't handle.

For the sync issue, the answer is the button called "Audio ?" (remote downstairs) that is the same button as Top Menu (in blue).

===

Other things I found out that might be useful to others:

1. a lot of the buttons on the remote are context sensitive -- even though they are blue does not mean you need to hit the shift key or the white "receiver" button (necessarily). For example if an iPod is connected, you do not need to shift to access the blue "Top Menu". However, you might need to re-specify the mode by hitting "iPod USB" on the remote, if you switched it on the receiver for instance.

2. If you are using a Harmony One universal remote, a couple buttons are missing (including the #6) and all the UsbThis-orThat functions are programmed wrong in the database -- they all had to be entered manually, and in the correct mode (see above).

===

Further Question -- on my old receiver it was possible to see whether all 5.1 speaker channels were engaged. I don't see any such way here other than walking up to them. Is there?

[got rice]

Originally Posted by tawny

In the end I ended up connecting the second DVD player directly to the TV with component cables (video) and connecting the audio to the receiver with an optical cable into the CD-R input. This was because the "assignable" inputs were already all taken by other connections (TV/DVD/DVR). CD-R was not an available assignable input :-( for video) Sort of Frankenstein, but nothing my universal remote can't handle.

For the sync issue, the answer is the button called "Audio ?" (remote downstairs) that is the same button as Top Menu (in blue).

===



Other things I found out that might be useful to others:

1. a lot of the buttons on the remote are context sensitive -- even though they are blue does not mean you need to hit the shift key or the white "receiver" button (necessarily). For example if an iPod is connected, you do not need to shift to access the blue "Top Menu". However, you might need to re-specify the mode by hitting "iPod USB" on the remote, if you switched it on the receiver for instance.

2. If you are using a Harmony One universal remote, a couple buttons are missing (including the #6) and all the UsbThis-orThat functions are programmed wrong in the database -- they all had to be entered manually, and in the correct mode (see above).

===

Further Question -- on my old receiver it was possible to see whether all 5.1 speaker channels were engaged. I don't see any such way here other than walking up to them. Is there?

See what you can learn for yourself after you read the manual.

Callas post was spot on based on the info given in the first post.

[Blu-ray Neo]

I've been looking for a moderately priced receiver that decodes Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA and I've found it in this Pioneer receiver.

Does anyone have a comment about it or does anyone have an opinion.

I would appreciate any and all feedback before taking the plunge. Thanks!




http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218065494188

[spekkio]

I have a question about this receiver, i hope someone knows.

Is it possible to listen to two inputs at the same time? I could do it on my old receiver by pushing the input buttons i wanted at the same time. But I don't see a way to do it on this one.

does anyone know if this is possible?

have a great day.

[jomari]

Originally Posted by spekkio

I have a question about this receiver, i hope someone knows.

Is it possible to listen to two inputs at the same time? I could do it on my old receiver by pushing the input buttons i wanted at the same time. But I don't see a way to do it on this one.

does anyone know if this is possible?

have a great day.

This WAS possible using older analog receivers or amplifiers, but wasnt something id consider doing in the first place. to get two sources to play at the same time, would be a mixer.

[Soundman]

I purchased the VSX-819H about a month ago and love it. The DTS-HDMA sounds great as well as the Dolby TrueHD. I was listening to Spiderman 3 on blu-ray the other day and noticed that title has an uncompressed pcm track. I selected that audio option and noticed that PCM flashed across the display. Is that accurate or should it say LPCM for lossless PCM? Are there any settings I need to adjust to be able to listen to uncompressed pcm? I thought the track sounded brilliant by the way.