Audio setup for HD A1 (1 Viewer)

Whats the best way to hook up your audio for the HD A1. Currently Im using coaxial and I know that you guys knows whats best. I learn a lot in this forum and probably you can help me decide on how should I hook up my audio for my HD A1. I have a Denon 1804 which is old and SXRD KDS50". Im very happy to buy the Toshiba. Now I want some good quality sound. Thanks!

In addition to your coax digital connection, I'd suggest also connecting the 5.1 analog outs from the HD A1 to your Denon 5.1 analog inputs, in order to listen to the Dolby TrueHD audio tracks (where available) that will be supported in the 2.0 firmware upgrade.

Hi glenm - You'll want to output HDMI from your HD-A1 to your TV for video, and digital coax from the HD-A1 to your receiver for audio. Your setup is already ideal. Next step in increasing sound quality would be to upgrade your receiver or speakers. Also, as Bob noted, you would need to connect the 5.1 analog outputs if you wish to enjoy Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD in the future. Enjoy your new player!

If I have both 5.1 analog setup and optical digital from HD-A1 to my Onkyo 595, does the 5.1 analog shut off the digital? I say this because after I upgraded to FW V2.0 (the official), I can't toggle between analog and digital. Only the 5.1 analog produces sound; nothing from the optical. I have SPDIF set to "bitstream" and 5.1 "on". I don't know if it was this way before 2.0 as I just hooked up the 5.1 for Dolby TrueHD.

Ted

my current firmware is 1.2 Im still waiting for the disc to arrive from toshiba. So what you mean is connect my coax and the same time connect the 5.1 analog.

I'm curious in this subject as well guys. Right now Im running everything over HDMI, my display is a Panny PT60DL54 and my AVR is the Sony 7100ES. Are you guys saying in order to get Dolby True HD, I need to connect both the HDMI and the analog outputs of the A1 player. Advise please. Just confused a tad bit about these connections.

So as of now Im running my A1 into the AVR, and from the AVR to my display. Do I also need to run analog cables from the A1 to the AVR as well.

Hi Sherard - your receiver will not accept Dolby TrueHD over HDMI - for that you will need to wait for receivers with HDMI 1.3, which will be available next year. The interim solution is to connect 5.1 analog cabling, otherwise you will be listening to a downmixed DTS signal on the SPDIF output.

Actually, Alon, according to what I've read on AVS Forum, those (few) people who have HDMI 1.2-compatible receivers/preamps ARE getting the TrueHD signal sent to their receivers (and can decode it, of course). It isn't dependent on the arrival of HDMI 1.3.

But I'm just reporting what I read elsewhere. My HD A1 hasn't arrived yet, and I'll be an "analog-input" guy for a while.

Q1. What does this update do?

A1. This update adds some new features (extended support for Dolby True HD® and some network connectivity features). It also addresses some problems Toshiba has identified with HDMI/DVI connectivity and disc playback.

Q2. What are the added Dolby True HD features?

A2. Support for Dolby True HD is extended from two channels to 5.1, which will be available in full resolution on the HDMI and analog 5.1 outputs and down-mixed to a DTS bit stream on the SPDIF output.

This is incorrect.

With HDMI 1.1, you get the full TrueHD 5.1 audio.

Using HDMI gets you the best sound quality possible -- even higher quality than analog if your processor/receiver doesn't have analog bypass.


Here's what happens on a HD-DVD with TrueHD 5.1 when you have the latest firmware on your player:

1. TrueHD 5.1 is decoded by the HD-DVD player's advanced signal processor into 5.1 LPCM at up to 14Mbps.
   
2. The 5.1 LPCM digital stream is output directly over HDMI 1.1.
   
   The 5.1 LPCM digital stream is run through 24/196 digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and output over 5.1 analog.
   
3. The 5.1 LPCM digital stream is run through a PCM->DTS downconverter (encoder) for output as lower-fidelity 1.5Mbps DTS over legacy optical / coax.

Your statement is only true for players without built-in TrueHD decoders. The Toshiba HD-DVD player includes an advanced signal processor that decodes TrueHD 5.1. Most Blu-ray players don't include these advanced signal processors as a cost-cutting measure, which is why some people keep referring to HDMI 1.3 -- because with Blu-ray, you need a player with HDMI 1.3 and a new receiver with HDMI 1.3 to do what HD-DVD can do today with HDMI 1.1.

TrueHD is a losslessly compressed signal. Think of TrueHD as a zip file. The LPCM is the sound data inside. The HD-DVD player decodes or "unzips" the TrueHD file and sends the contents through HDMI. Currently Blu-ray players lack the signal processor necessary to do this, so they must output the entire "zip file" through HDMI, and you can only do that with HDMI 1.3.

Ken is right, Toshiba HD-A1 re-encodes the decoded TrueHD signal to lossless 24/96 PCM and outputs that via HDMI, so you do get the full resolution.

Anyway, to the OP, your best bet is to use the 5.1 Analog Outs or HDMI output. If you use the analog outs and you are getting weak LFE compared to the digital outs, in the HD-A1 setup adjust all channels except the subwoofer to -10db. A little trick that works for some receivers.

are there any recommendations for the best set/kind/type of analog cables to get for this application? MY HD-DVD player will be about 6 - 8 feet away from the receiver, a Denon 2803.

Wow thats awesome news, thanks Ken/Pete. I was getting confused and was thinking I should connect to the analog side of things for the best possible sound. I do notice when watching a hd dvd, my receiver reads LCPM followed by some other stuff. I have my settings in the A1 player set to Auto and Bitstream, should I change this or is this fine as is?

This settings relates to the optical output; it shouldn't affect analog or hdmi.

good info Ken, thanks again guys.

Okay...like so many I've taken the plunge. But my 30 day return guarantee is quickly coming to an end and I'm still on the fence and although I want to love my Toshiba with all my heart, I can't yet fully commit. I'm hooked up to an NEC LT240k projector (HD compatible) with a component/vga breakout cable and a Kenwood VR6070 receiver.

The WB discs have had great images. The Universal ones don't seem as smooth and the Paramount discs have a lot of flare ups and don't have that "looking through glass" sensation that everyone talks about. This was most evident in Sleepy Hollow which I showed my friends to impress them and it left them with a "so what" feeling. The audio has also been pretty weak.

Looking through this site I've seen where I should set up my speakers to -10db with the exception of the subwoofer (0db) and a 120 crossover but that still didn't help. I thought the Apollo 13 launch should have given my subwoofer a great work out, but I got very little vibration even after the adjustments. When I ran through the test sequence I didn't get anything out of the sub. This weekend I was all excited to update to 2.0 thinking this would solve some of the problem but I feel it's only worse. I wound up changing the analog back to the optical because the receiver's DTS still sounded better.

I have Atlantic Technology bookshelf speakers and after hooking up the analog I've tried switching between small and large type speakers in the setup menu. This has caused the surrounds to stop emitting sound during the setup and when the center fires the sub does as well. Also, the great thing about the Kenwood is that it decodes DTS-ES (6.1 discrete), however the HD-A1 doesn't and now my rear surrounds (total 7.1 matrix) do not produce any sound.

The situation with the rears may have more to do with the receiver, but how do I get the test sequence to run properly? And should I set these speakers to small or large? On the receiver they're listed as normal (aka medium). I understand that TrueHD is only available on specific discs, but if nothing else shouldn't the DD+ and even DD soundtracks equal what I had before on standard discs?

I know this is long and I would appreciate any help from anyone who made it through my sometimes over explaining explanations. Thanks!

I picked up my HD-A1 this past Friday and I have only watched 2 movies on it so far. My HD-DVD player is hooked up to my HDTV via component and hdmi and to my Yamaha RX-V995 via 5.1 analog and fiber. I have also noticed that the sound is lower when using the analog 5.1 inputs. However even though I am not using a dedicated subwoofer I still get good bass out of my Altec A-7's. However it still seems like there is less bass using the 5.1 inputs on the reciever.

I guess its off to the HT and pick out a movie to watch, see ya

I'm using the 5.1 analog ouputs on the HD-A1 but, when I push the "display" button to bring up the on screen disply, it says for auido output: digital bitstream. Is this normal? Does this mean I'm not really hearing the DD+ and TureHD tracks? I was expecting it to say something like "analog" or "5.1 analog."

Hey Cris,

I don't think there is anything wrong. As far as I know it will ether say digital bit stream or pcm. I dont think it will say what format you have selected or that you are using analog. Because it does not know what output you are using at the time. It is displaying the output that was selected in the setup menu.

Connect the 5.1 Out on the Toshiba to the 5.1 In on the Denon with high quality RCA cables. If they have a directional arrow, make sure the arrow points to the receiver. On the front panel of the Denon, select External. The Denon display will now show something like 6.1 External In DVD. By doing it this way, yoy are using the newer electronics [decoder] on the Toshiba rather then on the Denon, which is older. Control the volume, etc., from the Denon. I have a similar setup and it is great! Steve