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Not getting 5.1 sound with Blue Ray

post #1 of 12
7/22/09 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
Hey Guys,

Not sure if i am in the right thread area but i am sure you can help me.

I have a HK 445 and Sony Blue Ray BDP S301 and recently with the new movies all i get is the dolby surround sound not the 5.1. I am sure now i must have either out dated receiver or something hooked up wrong. I have a HDMI cord going from the player to my tv and Optical cord goinf from the player to the receiver.  Is that right or is there something else wrong?

Thanks in advance.
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post #2 of 12
7/22/09 at 1:52pm
When using optical or coaxial out the audio in the player needs to be set to "Bitstream" and your receiver will process the incoming data using it's Dolby Digital or DTS decoders.  PCM is used when the audio from the player is sent to the receiver via HDMI, or analog outs, resulting in the player performing the Dolby Digital and DTS decoding.
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post #3 of 12
7/22/09 at 2:22pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Ernest i will check that next time i play.
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post #4 of 12
7/23/09 at 8:34am
You may also have to assign the input you used in the receiver, to the dvd player. If you used the factory default input for dvd, you won't need to assign. If factory default input is for digital coax, instead of optical, you probably will need to assign, if your player doesn't have digital coax output. Input should be labeled on back of receiver. Receiver's manual will walk you through assigning digital inputs. Good luck!

EDIT..........
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
Doesn't the S301 have the 5.1 analog outputs on back? If so, and your receiver has the 5.1 analog inputs, you should be able to get some of the HD audio from the BD movies.

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post #5 of 12
7/23/09 at 10:19am
Um, Ed,
- 301 does not have analog multi-channel outputs
- it's 0% chance that the issue is input assignment since Bob reported getting surround sound with an optical connection.  Suggest input assignment if a poster reports *no sound at all*.

Basically Ernest has the right answer, set DD + DTS output to "bitstream".
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post #6 of 12
7/26/09 at 8:05am
Thread Starter 
hey guys

Looks like the advise Ernest gave worked. I went into my setting and changed it to bitstream and i finally got some 5.1 sound. the settings must have reset.

Thanks again
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post #7 of 12
7/29/09 at 12:55am
Stephen - Check again on the S301. I have the S300 which is the same model (sold at Circuit City) and it does have 5.1 channel analog outputs (even though Sony's own website says it only has 2-channel analog in the marketing specs). You have to look at the back of the unit or in the manual to see where it has 5.1 channel analog. As far as I know, the S300 and S301 use the same manual.

Sony even says it does not decode TrueHD, when in fact it does after a firmware update. (decodes and converts to PCM for 6-channel analog output)

Sony makes some good stuff but their marketing editors are awful.
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post #8 of 12
7/29/09 at 12:00pm
Oops I got the model numbers mixed up in my head, sorry, you & Ed were right about that part.
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post #9 of 12
9/2/09 at 1:01am
Clinton,
I have the 300 as well. Sorry to derail the thread, but maybe you could help.  I have the firmware upgrade, using analog outs, but there is no indication anywhere in my players settings that I am in fact getting Tru-HD sound.  What settings do I need to change?  I never owned any Tru-HD discs before I did the upgrade so I have no way of telling.   
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post #10 of 12
9/2/09 at 4:52am
Using the analog outputs of the player, you won't see anything about Dolby TrueHD. I think what you'll see is PCM, if I remember correctly. You'll just know that's what you're getting, by the settings you're using. Also, if you have a pretty decent sounding system, you should notice a difference in the sound, between Dolby TrueHD and regular Dolby Digital 5.1 surround.

That has been a complaint by a lot of people, who use the analog outputs of their players, or even over HDMI, but letting the player do the decoding, and sending to the receiver. They want to see "Dolby TrueHD" across the window of their receiver, or a light lit up somewhere, and it doesn't work that way under those circumstances. I don't have BD yet, and am going on memory of what other's have said. I hope I am remembering correctly...........

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post #11 of 12
9/2/09 at 7:10am
Isn't there a status button on Sony players that indicates what the video and audio codecs are for the disc you're watching? I know the PS3 has this, and even though it decodes the audio and sends it out via PCM, pressing the status button alerts me that it's processing Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA. Don't standalone Sony players also have this info button?
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post #12 of 12
9/2/09 at 2:10pm
What do I need to set my settings at? 
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