Help (1st post): Connect DVD audio to stereo amp (no RCA output) (1 Viewer)

[Bill Bennett]

Dear HTFers
First post, and I apologise for the length
Have just purchased shiny new Lecson DVD-1000 player with distinctly minimal documentation :frowning:
The video is going straight to my TV via SCART-SCART, but I wish to run the audio through my Marantz PM4200 amp and get HiFi (not surround) sound.
The problem is this: The Lecson does not have a lone pair of audio RCA outputs, as far as I can see. It has a set of 6 RCA outs for 5.1 surround, but I don't believe I can use these to feed to a single stereo input on the amp (I'd be happy to be wrong about this, though). Somewhat confusingly, the manual shows a crappy diagram with a mystery "audio lead" running from the 6xRCA 5.1 outputs to a pair of stereo RCA inputs on an amp. Is there a cable that would do this? (perhaps by combining the 5.1 channels down to L and R)
Anyway, other output options from the Lecson are optical and co-ax (nope: no digital input on the Marantz), S-video, Luminance Y, Chroma Cb and progressive scan (these are all purely video feeds, correct?) and the second SCART socket.
My feeling is that the second SCART socket is the way forward here - run a SCART-phono lead to the amp for sound only.
This should work fine, but I was wondering if I might be compromising the quality of the connection by using the SCART socket (silvery pins) instead of the shiny gold RAC jacks on the 5.1 panel?

 

[John Garcia]

Welcome
If you are only looking for stereo, use the two RCA outs for the mains from the 5.1 analogs.
I've never seen a SCART connection, since we don't have them over here, so I can't help you there.

 

[Bill Bennett]

Thanks for the reply, but this is what confuses me:

There are only 6 RCA outputs I can choose from (all in the 5.1 block):

FL, FR, SL, SR and CENTRE/SUBWOOFER (x2).

I guess the question is: If I run a pair of interconnects from Front Left and Front Right to a stereo input on my amp, surely I'm only getting some of the audio information?

Edit: If I understand you correctly, you're saying that one pair of these 5.1 outs contains all the audio signal?

 

[Bill_Weinreich]

Hey Bill,
The DVD has 2 SCART connectors?
My limited knowledge of the SCART connector comes from Link Removed . The pinouts show a left and right audio output. A SCART to RCA connector would be the way to go.
Bill

 

[John Garcia]

I guess the question is: If I run a pair of interconnects from Front Left and Front Right to a stereo input on my amp, surely I'm only getting some of the audio information?

This is unfortunately correct IF you listen in a multi channel mode (DD,DTS), selected on the DVD itself. In many cases, DVDs have stereo tracks and by selecting this, you will only get sound via the two main outputs. Standard CDs are also only stereo, so there should be no issue there. You may also setup the DVD player to out put downmixed stereo only, for those cases where there is only a multi-channel track.

If there is a SCART to RCA that will give you the audio only, that could be the way to go. I don't have the info to help you on that one though.

 

[Bill Slack]

It's possible that there is a software setting in the DVD player that would switch the main (L/R front) 5.1 pre-outs to be stereo pre-outs, in order to save money on hardware. I would check the menu.

Also, your receiver/pre-amp doesn't have any digital inputs?

 

[Lew Crippen]

This is unfortunately correct IF you listen in a multi channel mode (DD,DTS), selected on the DVD itself. In many cases, DVDs have stereo tracks and by selecting this, you will only get sound via the two main outputs. Standard CDs are also only stereo, so there should be no issue there. You may also setup the DVD player to out put downmixed stereo only, for those cases where there is only a multi-channel track.

I don’t think that most DVD players (don’t know the specifics of yours) will downmix to output 2-channel to the two front channels for the analog 5.1 outputs. Its possible. John has listed a good number of reasons that might allow for using two of the 5.1 outputs to your receiver. However, many soundtracks put a lot of dialogue in the center channel. I strongly recommend that you consider this point before adopting the 5.1 to stereo approach.
Lots of potential in many of the suggestions, but the SCART to RCA ought to work fine.

 

[John Garcia]

In the DVD setup menu, since it will be handling all bass management and speaker settings when using the analog outs, you should be able to set the center channel to "none" or "phantom" so that the sound is redirected to the two mains.

I agree - I'm not sure all DVD players have the ability to downmix all the way to stereo via the analog outputs, but they will at least downmix to Dolby-Surround/pro-logic which is fed via stereo outputs. The question is, which are outputs are used for the downmix? The multi-channel outs or the ones on the second SCART connection?

 

[Bill Bennett]

OK, thanks for the replies. Now that I've actually got the thing hooked up, the DVD player DOES downmix the audio output to the two main RCA outs. Actually, it seems to be smart enough to auto-detect that I don't have 5.1 speakers hooked up and it did it automagically. Which is nice for a n00b like me
Just for future ref, SCART -> audio works well also, except the cables are directional. Just spent £25 on a cable that does nothing useful. (Sigh)