Quick question about hookup (1 Viewer)

[Chris Elm]

What (if any) disadvantages are there to hooking up your DVD player via analog outputs vs. digital outputs, besides the fact that then the internal processors in the DVD player do all the decoding, as opposed to the receiver's?

This is my understanding... please shed some light.
thanks

 

[Dave Milne]

You've pretty much got it. The D/A converters in your DVD player may sound better than your receiver's, particularly since the receiver must regenerate the clock. However, make sure you're receiver or pre-pro has true analog pass-thru capability. Otherwise it might be converting the incoming analog to digital and then back to analog (can't be good for sound).

Also note that virtually all receivers and pre-pros that I know of use digital filters for bass management. So, if you connect up the DVD with analog, and your receiver has true pass-thru capability, you give up bass management.

Another (minor) disadvantage is that with analog, you of course need six interconnect cables. If you're into esoteric cables, this can add up to $$.

I connected both (although only L&R for analog). I use exclusively digital for DVDs (need bass management since I run multiple subwoofers and surrounds are only 60Hz capable), sometimes digital and sometimes analog for redbook CDs (mains have good bass capability and processing quality is a close call between the internal DACs on the Sony 9000ES and the Lexicon MC-12 pre-pro) and exclusively analog for SACD (player doesn't output SACD in digital).

 

[TanD]

if your receiver is 6.1 capable, then when using analog connection you will not be listening to 6.1 at all. I don't known any dvd player can decode DD 6.1 or DTS-ES internally.

 

[Marc H]

Dave is right. If it's an older DVD player with a newer receiver, the reciever's D/A convertor may be more up to date and with faster processing which may sound better.
Same if the DVD player is new and the receiver is older.
Best try it both ways and see if you hear a difference.

 

[StephenL]

Using the digital connection for Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM will make use of the receiver's DACs, bass management and time alignment, which are typically better than the DVD player's.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

The DAC's in a receiver are usually better than the ones in a DVD player. And as Stephen pointed out - this lets the receiver handle all the adjustments, usually while the signal is still digital. If you send ANALOG to the receiver, it may convert things back to digital to process things - not something you really want.