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Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

#1
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5/4/09 at 2:32pm
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
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Hey folks

So I'm about to buy a new plasma tv. I was also going to get a new receiver to handle the switching and get all HDMI stuff (cable box and blue ray, and my Wii will be a component connection). I have an 8 year old 5.1 receiver that I've always liked and only planned to replace it because of HDMI. I don't need 7.1 speakers, 5.1 is all I need right now and all I have room for in my living room anyway.

So then I started thinking... Is it better, or even possible, to just have my 3 things plugged into the TV directly, and then use my TV's optical audio out port to go right to the receiver? So I'd have audio passing through the TV, instead of video passing through the receiver. It will definitly be a cheaper way to go since I won't need to buy a new receiver, but is it a better way to go? or will it just not sound as good that way?

Some call me Tim.

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#2
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5/4/09 at 3:27pm
  • Joined: May 2003
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Kline
So then I started thinking... Is it better, or even possible, to just have my 3 things plugged into the TV directly, and then use my TV's optical audio out port to go right to the receiver?
99% of the tvs out there won't allow that. The handful that will pass the audio out the optical output will downconvert it to 2.0, so the best you'll get is pro logic (simulated surround).

The optical output on tvs is for getting 5.1 surround from the built-in tuner, from your local HD channels, while hooked up to an antenna. The tvs aren't built to do the switching..............
Samsung HL61A750 (LED DLP)            Onkyo TX-SR805
Oppo BDP-83 Blu ray                                  Polk Audio LSi9
Polk Audio LSiC                                  Sony SS-MB100H
JBL PSW1200 (Sub)                        ...
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#3
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5/4/09 at 7:33pm
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

Aw, just my luck thanks for the info.

Some call me Tim.

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#4
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5/5/09 at 7:03am
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

If you do not care about the newer audio codecs that come with Blu-Ray, you can always just connect the HDMI from the BD player directly to your TV for video only, and run a separate digital (optical or coaxial) cable for audio only to your existing receiver. You will get lossy Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1, just as you currently do from your DVD player. You will not get the newer Dolby and DTS lossless formats, though.

I did the above for awhile before upgrading my receiver to one with HDMI and newer audio codec support.

HDMI from an HD cable box offers very little over component video, since you will not get the newer audio formats from HD cable anyway (Dolby Digital 5.1 is the best audio available there). It just saves you from running separate video and audio cables, provided your receiver has HDMI support.
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#5
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5/5/09 at 7:36am
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

hmm.. well, I was thinking about that.. but then if an optical cable can't do the latest stuff I guess HDMI is really the way to go. So, HDMI is the standard now for real? nothing new is gonna replace it next tuesday? I like the idea of 1 cable for all. I just wish affordable receivers would have more hdmi ports. Here's the TV I'm getting.. Samsung PN50B550. For the receiver I'd like to stay around $500 or less but be able to have good video converting though all I will really need that for is my Wii that will have a component connection. I don't have any more things that use S or Composite video. I have a 400 CD changer that can use optical so I don't even need RCA jacks. I may get This receiver. A little more than I wanted to spend but seems to have the best reviews for the features I want like the up conversion and 3 hdmi ports. I also will need a new center speaker and 2 surround speakers so hopefully I can do it all for under $1000.

Some call me Tim.

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#6
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5/5/09 at 9:57am
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

Here's one that's cheaper, does all the new decoding, and has five HDMI inputs.
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR607...1542359&sr=1-7
Onkyo is a lot of bang for the buck.
Samsung HL61A750 (LED DLP)            Onkyo TX-SR805
Oppo BDP-83 Blu ray                                  Polk Audio LSi9
Polk Audio LSiC                                  Sony SS-MB100H
JBL PSW1200 (Sub)                        ...
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#7
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5/5/09 at 10:08am
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

Hmm.. that one looks good. I was going to go with onkyo but best buy didn't carry it. I wanted to get it somewhere where I could hear it first and play around with it. I don't really have anywhere else that I can buy this stuff from, or at least nothing better than the basic stuff you get at target or walmart. But maybe I will just go ahead and get that. But what do you think it means by "Includes HDMI Pass-Thru for connecting up to three video sources for output to a high-definition display" when there are clearly 5 ports on the back? ANd this will up-convert anything to 1080p?

Some call me Tim.

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#8
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5/5/09 at 11:49am
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

I didn't see the quote you mentioned, and don't know exactly what they mean by it. The owner's manual may explain it. I did see this statement though, to answer your other question: "Lower-resolution analog video signals, meanwhile, can be upscaled to 1080i and fine-tuned by Faroudja DCDi Edge™."
Samsung HL61A750 (LED DLP)            Onkyo TX-SR805
Oppo BDP-83 Blu ray                                  Polk Audio LSi9
Polk Audio LSiC                                  Sony SS-MB100H
JBL PSW1200 (Sub)                        ...
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#9
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5/5/09 at 12:48pm
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  • Location: New York City Area
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Re: Switching with a TV instead of receiver?

Unless you're getting top-of-the-line processing for the video upconversion, I seriously doubt it'll improve on what the Samsung display already provides.

I have the Samsung 61" DLP (same one Ed has), and I've decided to just pass DVD video from my old Denon (which has Faroudja DCDi) at 480p instead of upconverting before sending to the TV. I found the TV seems to do equal-or-better upconversion more often than not than my old Denon player (w/ its Faroudja chip). And I have not noticed any significant PQ diff between the TV's upconversion and the PS3's. Still, you may want to have film-based video deinterlaced *first* before sending it to wherever for upconversion (if not done by the same processor) -- original interlaced video content, OTOH, may upconvert better if not deinterlaced first, depending on the scaler.

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