Audio question (I'm still slow I guess) (1 Viewer)

[werty7777]

Okay ladies and gentlemen I posted a thread on here a few days back on another topic and the support was great so here I go again.
I've been reading about DTS and all the other formats of audio and I'm really lost. On my receiver there is a blue light on the front that lights up when it receives "multi channel decoding" according to the user manual. When I was using Cox cable it lit up whenever I was watching a HD channel, now I have AT&T U-Verse and regardless what channel I'm watching it never lights up. When watching Blu-ray or playing a game on the PS3 it lights up all the time as well as watching a DVD on my Sony DVD player. So really my concern isn't about the light, I wonder if AT&T doesn't send sound at whatever level to make this light come on or I have it hooked up retardedly?
I also have been trying to make sure everything is set up properly with my receiver via the manual and I'm just to freakin dumb I guess. I have read this and other forums for weeks and I just don't know what I have and if I'm doing it right. Anyway to know exactly how to set my receiver and speakers up other than using the cal mic? I have the receiver set to Pro Logic IIx Movie.
Here is what I have in my system.

Mitsubishi DLP 73"
Sony upconvert DVD player
PS3 for Blu-ray
Monster Power HTS 1600 (with everything plugged in it)
Sony DA5200ES receiver
Martin Logan Dynamo (sub)
Definitive CLR 2000 (center)
Definitive BP2004TL's (fronts)
Definitive ProMonitor 1000's (rear sides)
Definitive BP-6's (rear behind)

I plan on adding an external amp soon based on recommendations from my previous post. Thinking most likely a 200x3.

I have the DVD, PS3, and the U-verse box all running to my receiver via HDMI, and the output to my TV via the output HDMI of my receiver. I have all the speakers connected with monster (I know) wire and banana plugs. Hope I have provided enough insight for the pros to let me know about questions I had. Thanks in advance all!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Dolby Pro Logic is an analog, not digital, pseudo-surround sound system that pre-dates all of the true discrete digital formats like Dolby Digital, DTS and their variants. By using this setting you are forcing your receiver to take the high quality signals from all of your sources and downconvert them to something inferior. Your receiver should have something like an "auto" setting that will allow it to adjust to whatever the input signal is. Use that.

As for your U-Verse problem: I don't have that service, but I suspect it isn't too much different than my Comcast HD cable service and its (Scientific Atlanta) hardware. You probably have to go into the set-up menu of the U-Verse box and specifically enable digital audio. If that isn't turned on all it will output is matrixed 2-channel audio, hence the lack of a blue light on your receiver. Of course, with your present settings, that's all you're hearing anyway, so up until this point you haven't actually missed anything.

Regards,

Joe

P.S.

If it isn't too late, please return all those Monster cables and interconnects and replace them with stuff from Blue Jeans cable or Monoprice. Then you can use the refund money to buy that power amp.

 

[Ed Moxley]

The Pro Logic IIx he's talking about, takes a 5.1 signal and makes it a 7.1 signal. It shouldn't down convert. It's not like regular Pro Logic, that takes a stereo signal, and makes it 5.1 simulated surround.

I agree with making sure the AT&T box is set to output "Dolby Digital".

 

[werty7777]

Ed's right, the Pro Logic IIx movie is used for movies in dolby formats and will "create" 7.1 surround where it doesn't exist. So I have been getting the sound from all my speakers the whole time. I was just wondering was I not getting the best possible sound there was, based on what I own.
The Monster wire I own is only the speaker wire not interconnects or HDMI's so no worries there. When I buy some new speakers I just can't bring myself to wait for the wire from Monoprice to arrive so I make the trek over to BB and there it is. I know better planning could prevent that but it never goes down that way.
On the motorolla U-verse box there is no option for sound at all. The only HT option at all is the aspect ratio, which I got covered. I've been through the U-Verse website and it only seems to say 100% digital sound which doesn't say a whole lot. Thoughts?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Sorry, Ed. Didn't realize that "IIx" was something wholly different than the older Pro Logic II. Thanks for the correction.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Ed Moxley]

Glad to help an "old hand" at this stuff, upgrade his info.