HDMI switching - problems (1 Viewer)

[Rick_Brown]

Helped my son hook up a cheap A/V receiver (Sony STRDG510). Although I've hooked up many times with component cables this was my first foray in HDMI. We have run the HD cable box and the DVD player via HDMI to the receiver and then one HDMI cable from the receiver HDMI out to the plasma TV. Also have a Squeezebox connected via analog cables.

The Squeezebox plays through the receiver and the 5.1 speakers fine, but the cable box and DVD can only be heard from the TV speakers - nothing from the receiver and 5.1. I've double-checked all of the usual setup settings.

There is a rather cryptic note in the user manual that seems to imply that if you use HDMI all-around like we have that we will also have to connect the cable and DVD by digital coax or optical in order to hear 5.1. Is this the way it is for most HDMI receivers these days or did we just go in too cheap? Thanks.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

It is common for lower range receivers to have HDMI passthru and switching, but no HDMI audio decoding. I'm 99% sure is what you are experiencing. You are going to have to hook up a digital audio connection as well as the HDMI or upgrade to a receiver that does HDMI audio.

Note: If they ever want to get into HD-DVD/BluRay, it would be a good thing to upgrade. HD-DVD/BluRay require a receiver that can decode HDMI audio in order to use the DD+, TrueHD and DTS-HD audio. You will only get a downmix over the optical/coax for these formats.

 

[zpdrummer]

If you have to use an optical(I'd use that over coaxial anyday if you have the option) and I assume you do, couldn't you just run both the cable and dvd into the tv(if you have enough inputs) and then use the digital audio out from the tv into your reciever. That seems like the easiest solution to me, unless there are other unforseen problems I did not account for.

 

[Bluzman]

The 510 is just as Jeff described - it requires the separate digital audio connections. Pages 18 and 19 of the manual are specific in illustrating and saying this.

Also, taking audio from the TV back to the receiver is usually a non-starter for getting surround sound unless you're receiving a signal with DD5.1 from an antenna (over the air broadcast). Otherwise, the TV will most often just convert the DD5.1 from the HDMI cable to 2 channels (appropriate for the number of TV speakers).

 

[Rick_Brown]

Thanks, everyone. Guess I'll add some digital/optical cables for the DVD and cable box. I might even connect the HDMI cables directly to the TV now, seeing as their is no real advantage to connecting them to the receiver.

As a caveat to potential A/V receiver buyers - make sure you know if the receiver can decode HDMI audio before you buy, as it will affect your expenditures on cables.

 

[Bluzman]

The one advantage of connecting HDMI and digital audio to the receiver and then running a single HDMI cable to the TV is that all switching between sources can be done with the receiver's remote.

As for your caveat, very often the manual is available on-line for free. Folks should make downloading and reading it a standard part of their "due diligence" before buying.