Setting Up a Pioneer DV-45A (1 Viewer)

[Joe]

Question on the 45A setup. Can you use the digital coax out without having the 45A doing the decoding? The reason I ask is because I would like to connect it to a 6.1 reciever and play DTS 6.1 DVDs. This would not be possible with the analog outs since they are only 5.1.

What are the options? Thanks.

 

[morrisjones]

Yep, both outputs are hot. You can pick off the analog if you want, or decode from the digital.

Mojo

 

[Brian L]

Brent, there's at least one disadvantage to having the DV-45 do all the audio decoding: It doesn't do Dolby Pro-Logic. So if you watch the (rare) movie that's encoded in two-channel with Dolby Pro-logic, you won't get the decoding. Also most of the menu audio and extra features audio is encoded that way.

Morris is correct, but its not fatal. Most of us are connected to a receiver or pre/pro that can easily handle that.

My 45a is connected to my receiver via the 5.1 analogs AND the stereo outputs. I normally will use the stereo outs when listening to 2 CH stuff (the few SACDs I have, such as the Stones re-releases).

An additional benefit of that approach is that I can use the BM in the receiver, which is at 80Hz. If I do stereo material via the 5.1 outs (obviously only actually using the L/R mains and the LFE out), I would be using the crossover in the 45A which is at 100Hz. In my system, while it is not a huge difference, I prefer to use the lower crossover.

BL

 

[Brian L]

Also, anyone else's 45A have a red dot sticker next to the analog subwoofer output? Mine has it, and my bass level seems to be ok, although I need to do more testing.

A friend purchased a 45A this weekend, and I helped dial it in.

FWIW, he has the same reduced LFE level that others have noted. Balancing via his 6CH in's versus the DD decoder in the Denon receiver resulted in a pretty large difference (around 10dB I would say). Fortunately, he had more then eough adjustment on his input trims and sub level pot to get things balanced across the board.

Based on the Joe's red sticker observation, I checked my friend's player, and found that he has a white "dot" sticker near the LFE output jack, and a August 2002 build date.

I checked my July 2002 player, and noted I had a red sticker, but also do have the low LFE issue.

I guess I would say that the sticker may or may not denote anything related to this issue.

Joe, I would be curious if you did any additional testing. Just to be clear, even with low LFE output, it is possible to balance the output to 85dB with the other channels. It just takes more gain in the LFE signal path to do so.

I am able to get things balanced in my system, and the 45A (with appropriate software and subwoofer) is quite capable of shaking the room.

BL

 

[morrisjones]

I just discovered another surprise with my DV-45a.
For some reason it's taken me until now to put a standard redbook CD in the 45A. It played beautifully through my Rotel 1065 decoder, but I wasn't getting any audio on my distributed system.
What appears to be the case is that the 45A only presents the digital audio for a CD, not the decoded analog. Since the Rotel receiver only presents the analog inputs to the record audio output, I can't record a CD or distribute it to my house system.
Is it just me?
Mojo

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I've gotten analog audio out of the 45a from a CD. Through the 2 channel outputs, as well as through the L & R of the 5.1 outputs. Maybe a setting somewhere...

 

[Ben Jordan]

Yup, I also get the analog outs for Redbook CD's, as Kevin has. In fact, I think it sounds better that way than through the digital outs.

 

[Brent_H]

has anybody had any issues with the player stopping out of nowhere when watching DVD's?? I have had it happen to me twice now.....Once I was able to fast forward past a part and it worked fine the rest of the way. The other time I fast-forwarded and it still would stop....Anyone else have this happen at all?

 

[Ben Jordan]

Not here... mine has been performing flawlessly. I would suggest trading it in for another one - sounds like that one has problems. What discs did this happen with? If I have some of the same ones, I'd be glad to test them out.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Brent- Yes. But it was the DVD, not the player in my case.

(I bought a few of those "previously viewed" ones from a rental store. Last time I'll do that... I'll return it, but I didn't save enough money to "gamble" with the quality of discs I got.)

 

[Brent_H]

Well, the first one was with A Walk to Remember....I just popped it in today and tried it in the same spot....it didn't stop. The other was Mary Tyler Moore.....but that was from Netflix and scratched to hell...understandable. Either way, I have had this player since September, so I don't think I can exchange it now. If it continues to be a problem, I DO have an extended warranty on it. I already need to trade in the remote, my bro-in-law spilled water on it!!!!! Everything works on it except the jog dial....I am too lazy to bring it in though
~Brent

 

[Lewis Besze]

In the same issue of S&V they test three dvd players, two with dvd-audio & a Sony--of course--with SACD. The Panasonic DVD-XP50's maximum subwoofer output was 4.2 volts, whereas the JVC's was only 0.84 volts & the Sony's was 1.9 volts.

Those are only valid for the built in decoders,like DD,not the MC output of the "decoded" DVD-A.

 

[Leo]

So is everyone setting their speakers to Large using the analog connections? Or just the front L/R to large and the center/rear surrounds to small?

 

[Ben Jordan]

Small all around here, letting the sub handle the low stuff. Have played with setting the fronts as large, which sounds good also, especially for some material.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Tony G. has spotted that the bass management might not even work on the 45a.

(I'm going to try to test my 47ai later on.) But I go all large on the player, and use the 80 Hz analog crossover in the Outlaw 950.