Preferred Connections & Surround Sound Problems (1 Viewer)

[wnstncp]

Question 1:
What is the preferred way to set up a system, run components to the AV Rec with one video output to the TV, or components to the TV with only audio out to the AV Rec?

Question 2:
I am having troubles with my sound from my Blu-ray as well as my Apple TV. Both components are connected to the AV Rec by HDMI. I can flip through all of the sound options on the AV Rec and can only hear the main audio track when I am on the "2 Channel" setting on the AV Rec (sometimes I can hear it but it is REALLY quiet). Do you think I have something set up wrong, or a problem with my AV Rec? (since both the Blu-ray and Apple TV are having the same issue)

My System:
TV - Pioneer PDP-5080HD
AV Rec - Sony STR-DG810
Blu-ray - Sony BDP-S300
Dish Network - ViP722DVR
Apple TV
Wii
Bose Acoustimass 10 Series IV
Logitech Universal Remote

Thanks for any help or insight...

 

[Ed Moxley]

Originally Posted by wnstncp

Question 1:
What is the preferred way to set up a system, run components to the AV Rec with one video output to the TV, or components to the TV with only audio out to the AV Rec?

Run components to the AV Rec with one video output to the TV.

Question 2:
I am having troubles with my sound from my Blu-ray as well as my Apple TV. Both components are connected to the AV Rec by HDMI. I can flip through all of the sound options on the AV Rec and can only hear the main audio track when I am on the "2 Channel" setting on the AV Rec (sometimes I can hear it but it is REALLY quiet). Do you think I have something set up wrong, or a problem with my AV Rec? (since both the Blu-ray and Apple TV are having the same issue)

Yes, I think something is setup wrong.
Did you assign the HDMI inputs, to what you plugged into them?
Have you calibrated the speakers?

Does it automatically go to the Dolby Digital soundtrack, when you play a dvd, or watch a tv channel that's broadcasting in DD? If not, you need to set the receiver audio output to "Auto".
Is the audio output of the BD player set to "Bitstream". Apple tv may be the same, or the wording may be different (Dolby Digital, Digital, etc.). I'm not familiar with Apple tv.

I'm not a Bose lover (doubt you'll find one in a home theater community), so I don't know how well, or how compatible, it works with surround system, since the speakers plug into the bass module instead of the receiver. This would be a major suspect to me, but as I said, since I'm no fan and don't know how well they work, I could be wrong on that point.

I see that the receiver is HDMI "pass through". It also looks like it doesn't have 5.1/7.1 multi-channel analog inputs. How do you have the BD player and Apple tv connected, for audio? Optical or digital coax? Did you assign the digital audio inputs you used?