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Correct 5:1 setup?

post #1 of 7
5/18/09 at 9:52am
Thread Starter 
I'm a newbie to all of this, so I can use some help making sure I have everything set up properly. I have a HD cable box, Samsung HD TV, Onkyo 706 receiver, Samsung Blueray, Xbox 360 and a 5.1 speaker setup.

The cable box is connected to the TV by hdmi and to the receiver by optical cable. The Xbox 360 is also connected to the TV via hdmi. Everything else is connected to the receiver by hdmi. I connected the Xbox and the cable box to the TV thinking it would be simplier for the kids to just turn on the TV and watch a show or play a game and not have to mess with the receiver.

The cable box audio output is set to 'pass through' and digital output is set to 'dolby digital'. However, I notice some lip sync issues while watching TV at times. The Blueray is set to 'bitstream'.

I'm not sure if these are correct or not?? What are the preferred receiver listening modes for watching blueray, tv, and music with this setup? I know it's all subjective, but any recommendations would be helpful.
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post #2 of 7
5/18/09 at 3:26pm

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

I get your point about making things easier for the kids, but I would personally run everything through HDMI to the receiver and then buy a good activity-based remote like a Harmony.
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post #3 of 7
5/18/09 at 4:31pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SethH
I get your point about making things easier for the kids, but I would personally run everything through HDMI to the receiver and then buy a good activity-based remote like a Harmony.

Which Harmony do you have? What are the advantages on running everything through the receiver?

Thanks.
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post #4 of 7
5/19/09 at 4:17am

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

I have an older model Harmony, the 676. You can probably still find them on Ebay, but you might look at the 510, 550 or 670 in the current line-up of remotes.

I guess there isn't a huge advantage to running everything through the receiver. Typically the stated advantage is that you then get support for the newer high-def audio formats (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), but that's more important for your BluRay player than for your cable box or Xbox. I guess the other advantage is simplicity . . . fewer cables and not having to switch input sources on your TV.
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post #5 of 7
5/19/09 at 10:59pm

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SethH
I have an older model Harmony, the 676. You can probably still find them on Ebay, but you might look at the 510, 550 or 670 in the current line-up of remotes.

I guess there isn't a huge advantage to running everything through the receiver. Typically the stated advantage is that you then get support for the newer high-def audio formats (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), but that's more important for your BluRay player than for your cable box or Xbox. I guess the other advantage is simplicity . . . fewer cables and not having to switch input sources on your TV.

For me less cables and simplicity are important.I get confused with a lot cabled all mingled up.
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post #6 of 7
5/24/09 at 10:43pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

One last question...when playing a Bluray movie, there is a black band on the top and bottom of the picture on my Samsung 52" tv. Is this normal? When watching a HD cable channel, the picture fills the entire screen.

Thanks.
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post #7 of 7
5/25/09 at 5:21am

Re: Correct 5:1 setup?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ocjdf
One last question...when playing a Bluray movie, there is a black band on the top and bottom of the picture on my Samsung 52" tv. Is this normal? When watching a HD cable channel, the picture fills the entire screen.

The short answer is "yes". The longer answer is, "It depends on the movie." Your screen has an aspect ratio (the relationship between the height of the screen and its width) of about 1.77:1. Most HD TV content is produced to be displayed at this ratio. Older, standard def TV was produced to be shown at 1.33:1, a considerably narrower image. Theatrical films have, over time, ranged from roughly 1.37:1 to 2.66:1 - a ratio much wider than your TV. 1.77:1 was chosen as the HDTV ratio because it is a good compromise among all these ratios.

The compromise part comes in the fact that for any aspect ratio other than 1.77:1, you're going to have some kind of bars or band at the top and bottom or sides of the image, in order to properly display it. Side bars for 1.33:1 TV or 1.37:1 films, top and bottom bars for an epic like Ben Hur, shot at 2.76:1. Most modern American films are shot to be shown as 1.85:1 (comedies, intimate dramas, lower budget films) or 2.35:1 (most "big" dramatic films and action films, think Titanic, Star Wars, etc.)

Regards,

Joe
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