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Help: Incorrect "surround" on Denon 2803 (1 Viewer)

ArthurCrandall

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Dec 21, 2004
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I have a Denon AVR-2803 receiver and am experiencing the following problem using various DVD players connected either by optical or coaxial cable.

When I play a movie with a Dolby 5.1 or DTS soundtrack, with the receiver set to "5 CH STEREO," the appropriate indicator light on the front of the receiver turns on to indicate that the surround track is detected. The problem is that I do not have proper separation between channels. The rear channel material is also being heard through the front channels, and I hear center channel material through all speakers. The volume is fine, and I clearly notice the difference between 5.1, 2-channel stereo and DTS tracks, but the surround placement is incorrect.

I confirmed my suspicions about improper sound placement when I rented two DVDs with a THX Optimizer feature. Using the audio test of this feature, I am supposed to hear a test tone travel around the room to one speaker at a time. Instead, when I am supposed to hear the center's sound, I hear that sound through all 5 speakers (except subwoofer), and when I am supposed to hear just the tone in the left front speaker, I hear that tone in the center, left front and left rear. The same goes for the right side. When I am supposed to hear the left rear speaker alone, I hear that tone in the left rear and left front. The same goes for the right.

When I check the 2803 setup menu, I see that the Digital In Assignment is correct, and when I use the receiver's test tone for Channel Level, I do hear that tone go around the room in each speaker individually. In the setup menu, the Auto Surround Mode is on.

When I use the 6 analog audio connections ("Ext. In.") from my DVD-2200 player, and play a movie with a 5.1 or DTS track, I finally *do* hear the correct sound placement, for example with the dialogue track solely in the center speaker. This is how I concluded that something is definitely wrong with the digital audio.

I'd appreciate it if someone could help me understand the problem, thank you.
 

AlbertA

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 3, 1999
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107
Well you have it on the wrong setting, 5CH stereo does that. It's a mode in which the stereo channels are replicated on the back, and a summed mono signal is sent to the center channel.

You need to to set in so that your display says Dolby Prologic II, and in auto mode.

Whenever a Dolby Digital or DTS track is played it will switch from Dolby PII to Dolby Digital or DTS.
 

ArthurCrandall

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Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
4
Thank you so much!! I can't believe the "5CH STEREO" mode is name for the faux surround mode while Prologic II, which I thought was for expanding 2 channels to 5, is the name of the correct digital surround mode.

Thanks again!
 

Ed Moxley

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May 25, 2003
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Prologic II takes a stereo signal and makes it a 5.1 signal, so it really is a faux surround mode. That's how you'll listen to tv. With the receiver in "Auto Detect" mode, it should automatically detect the DD track, and if you have chosen a DTS track from the movie's menus, it will automatically go to the dts mode.
Good luck. :)
 

Jack Briggs

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Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Yes, go into the Denon's setup mode and select "auto-detect" for the input signals. With the DVD player set up to output whatever digital signal comes its way, you're good to go. As you note, "5-channel stereo" just gives you a big, fat two-channel signal reproduced all around you.
 

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