Have I reached the limit of a 5.1 setup? (1 Viewer)

[Karim Nogas]

I have a Sony BDP-S1 which is not HDMI 1.3a. I currently have it connected to a Denon 3808 via HDMI and cannot get lossless audio without adding six cables for analog output. That's what I had to do with my old non-HDMI receiver but I bought the 3808 to have it do all the sound processing.

The BDP-S1 only has the option to output via PCM or Auto, not Bitstream.

If I want the Denon to "light up" with DD-TrueHD or DTS-MA, do I need a new HDMI 1.3a compatible Blu-Ray player that can output Bitstream via HDMI? If so, am I still screwed since I only have a 5.1 setup?

Thanks. I don't want to buy another BR player if I've reached the limits of a 5.1 setup (don't have room for more speakers).

 

[David Willow]

It looks like youe Sony decodes some of the high def formats (PCM, TrueHD). Allow it to decode and send it via HDMI (as PCM) and you have the new formats. You do not need 7.1. In fact, most movies are 5.1.

 

[Karim Nogas]

Thanks, David. I decided to upgrade to the BDP-S550 which enabled me to have a complete HDMI setup. The Denon now processes all of the formats which is what I wanted.