7.1 set up, back surround isn't on?

[yellowblanket]

OK, could anyone explain to me why in 5.1 movie. The back surround sound isn't on but instead the surround speaker on left and right are on.

The back surround speakers are behind me, the surround speakers are on left and right sides of me. My set up is ps3, onkyo sr605 *pcm/multi*

i always thought that watching 5.1 movie, it should be better if the back surround sound would be better coming from the back not from the sides.

Thanks for ur inputs

[MatrixS2000]

In a 5.1 system, the surround sound should be coming from the rears.

In a 7.1 system, the surround sound should be coming from the sides (surround) speakers and the rear speakers are used for surround rear sound.

So it's working properly.

To use your rear surrounds, have your receiver matrix the sound to them.

[yellowblanket]

...could u explain more about the matrix set up please?

[daronk]

In a 5.1 system, the surround sound should be coming from the rears.

Nope, it's coming from the sides (surround) speakers.

[RandDawg]

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

OK, could anyone explain to me why in 5.1 movie. The back surround sound isn't on but instead the surround speaker on left and right are on.

The back surround speakers are behind me, the surround speakers are on left and right sides of me. My set up is ps3, onkyo sr605 *pcm/multi*

i always thought that watching 5.1 movie, it should be better if the back surround sound would be better coming from the back not from the sides.

Thanks for ur inputs

Did you cross your wires?

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by daronk

In a 5.1 system, the surround sound should be coming from the rears.

Nope, it's coming from the sides (surround) speakers.

Most people place the surround speakers behind them in a 5.1 setup....so yes and no.

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

...could u explain more about the matrix set up please?

Your receiver should have a surround mode where it will expand 5.1 to 7.1 so that all your speakers will be active.

Examples are Lexicon's Logic 7 or Dolby Prologic IIx.

[yellowblanket]

=| ok, i must have did something there, I chose lpcm on the ps3 and now thru my sr605 i can only chose between direct or multichannel. *looking for the reset button now* lol

[kccarl]

I'm experiencing something very similar and can't quite figure out why. I have my BD S1 set to PCM. I have my receiver which does PLIIx, set to PCM. I do this because I have the rxv 2700 and it doesn't do any of the HD decoding. PCM seems to be the best I can get.

When I don't have the blu ray on, the receiver screen does show that I have PLIIx turned on. When ever a movie is using dolby prologic 5.1, PLIIx works fine and I have all 7 speakers firing (knowing that the two side surrounds are just repeating to the rear surrounds).

But, when I movie is playing PCM 5.1, I cannot engage PLIIx and the rear surrounds do not play. I'm assuming that the reason is because PLIIx is still dolby prologic and PCM is not, thus the signal is not there for the PLIIx to engage.

But, another side of me thinks PLIIx should always play as it just repeats the side surrounds.

Does anyone know why on PCM 5.1, PLIIx isn't used?

KCCARL

[Crème Blu-ray]

Originally Posted by kccarl

But, when I movie is playing PCM 5.1, I cannot engage PLIIx and the rear surrounds do not play. I'm assuming that the reason is because PLIIx is still dolby prologic and PCM is not, thus the signal is not there for the PLIIx to engage.

But, another side of me thinks PLIIx should always play as it just repeats the side surrounds.

Does anyone know why on PCM 5.1, PLIIx isn't used?

I'm guessing you're using coax or optical for digital audio. These only have the bandwidth for PCM 2.1. You'll need to serve the audio signal through HDMI.

[yellowblanket]

i run mine thru HDMI and i have the same problem =\

[SDon1969]

With LPCM5.1 and a Onkyo 605 (HDMI), you cannot matrix 5.1 sound to all 7 speakers (there are no listening mode options available, like PLIIx, with PCM5.1 on the 605). Your setup is correct, and it is also correct the way your speakers are working (rear sides).

Setup Image:
http://www.teac.com.au/images/dolby-digital2.gif

By the way, for some 7.1 movies, try 3:10 to Yuma, The Descent & War.

[yellowblanket]

poooey

well thanks you all for the fast responses, i guess i'll deal with it. Does the sr805 act the same? i ordered an 805 a few days ago and i wonder if it would help?

[SDon1969]

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

poooey

well thanks you all for the fast responses, i guess i'll deal with it. Does the sr805 act the same? i ordered an 805 a few days ago and i wonder if it would help?

Some 805 owners here will answer you I'm sure, but I would say the 805 must have a lot more options for you regarding converting LPCM5.1 to 7.1.

[un4gvn94538]

in case there is still confusion about how to place 5.1 vs 7.1 speakers

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_e...omlayout2.html

when you add 2 spkrs for 7.1, they are behind you kinda like where you ceter speaker is in front

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by SDon1969

Some 805 owners here will answer you I'm sure, but I would say the 805 must have a lot more options for you regarding converting LPCM5.1 to 7.1.

if the 705 can do it, the 805 must

[hc666]

Originally Posted by un4gvn94538

if the 705 can do it, the 805 must

It can, it's only the 605 that acts this way.

Which is fine with me.

[kccarl]

Thanks for the responses. One has to wonder if PCM 5.1 is better than dolby digital plus with PLIIx engaged? I'll have to experiment.

I recently bought/watched 28 days later and hellboy. Both were PCM since as I said, it is the best I can get. The sound staging was incredible even with only 5 speakers engaged. But, I wonder if having all seven engaged, even with an inferior dynamic surround, would sound better?

In both of the above movies, the back and forth and across sounds were incredible. When they were thowing molotov cocktails at the zombies, they were streaking across the room. Pretty cool. But, man, I still want all seven speakers firing.

KCCARL

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by kccarl

Thanks for the responses. One has to wonder if PCM 5.1 is better than dolby digital plus with PLIIx engaged? I'll have to experiment.

I recently bought/watched 28 days later and hellboy. Both were PCM since as I said, it is the best I can get. The sound staging was incredible even with only 5 speakers engaged. But, I wonder if having all seven engaged, even with an inferior dynamic surround, would sound better?

In both of the above movies, the back and forth and across sounds were incredible. When they were thowing molotov cocktails at the zombies, they were streaking across the room. Pretty cool. But, man, I still want all seven speakers firing.

KCCARL

if im correct, pcm is lossless where as dd+ is lossy. lossless is better where the audio is more pure and not messed with

[J6P]

Originally Posted by kccarl

When I don't have the blu ray on, the receiver screen does show that I have PLIIx turned on. When ever a movie is using dolby prologic 5.1, PLIIx works fine and I have all 7 speakers firing (knowing that the two side surrounds are just repeating to the rear surrounds).

But, when I movie is playing PCM 5.1, I cannot engage PLIIx and the rear surrounds do not play. I'm assuming that the reason is because PLIIx is still dolby prologic and PCM is not, thus the signal is not there for the PLIIx to engage.

But, another side of me thinks PLIIx should always play as it just repeats the side surrounds.

Does anyone know why on PCM 5.1, PLIIx isn't used?

KCCARL

When the player (any player, not just the PS3) decodes the audio to PCM, the receiver (any receiver) cannot apply any post-processing, such as PLIIx or proprietary "sound fields" or "matrixing" of the rear speakers. If the signal is bitstreamed to the receiver, you can apply those effects to the sound. Whether or not you should, is up to personal taste. But this is one reason why some people prefer the receiver to do the decoding, as opposed to the player.

But the point is you don't have a bad setting there or anything. If you are playing PCM as decoded by the BD player via HDMI, you are getting the best possible sound available from that system. I wouldn't throttle down to lossless to get PLIIx, no way.