Sony HTIB issues (1 Viewer)

[Biffarama]

My friend just purchased the Sony HT-7000DH HTIB system on my recommendation and asked me to install it for her. Because the receiver included in the system has 2 HDMI in and 1 out I had her buy a couple HDMI cables for the best picture and surround sound to go with her Panasonic 50" plasma.

I set the system up this way:

Motorola 3412 STB - connected to HDMI-in labeled Video 2 on receiver
Sony DVD player - connected to HDMI-in labeled DVD on receiver
Panasonic plasma - connected to HDMI-out on receiver

I then wire up all the speakers and run through the speaker test configuration to make sure they all work. Then I put a Star Wars DVD in the DVD player, but I get no surround sound. The only sound is coming from the TV, not the speakers connected to the receiver. I run through all the setup options I can find on both the DVD player and the receiver but nothing changes. I try the STB and I get the same thing, only sound from the TV. I turn the volume on the TV off, no change. Very frustrating because I thought that the HDMI connection would take care of both the picture and the sound.

The receiver does a good job passing through the video via HDMI. But I want the sound too. So, as a test I get a digital optical cable and connect the DVD player to the receiver, start the DVD again, but still no surround sound. Frustrated, I try moving around on the remote to the other inputs and when I hit Video 1 I get the DVD surround sound but no picture, when I hit DVD I get DVD picture but no surround sound. When I hit Video 2 I get the picture from the STB but still just the TV sound.

So, my question is, why is the HDMI not carrying both the picture and sound? Why do I need to connect an optical cable to get surround sound?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Biff

 

[Eric Samonte]

U might need to "assign" ur optical or HDMI sound on the receiver. The latter is suppose to have both audio and video that's why u get the pic and sound on the TV. The receiver on the other hand is probably has the sound but it cannot determine which output to give it to. A thorough look over ur manual should clear this up..that is if the manual has it there.

 

[Biffarama]

OK, so I'm not wrong in thinking that the HDMI should be handling both the video and surround sound together and that the receiver should be able to determine that is the case, correct?

 

[Eric Samonte]

Yes...but the receiver seems to be just "funneling" thru everything to the TV and not processing the sound itself. Again, assigning sources could very well resolve ur issue.

 

[John Brill]

Page 25 of the manual clearly states with regards to HDMI connections that the audio portion is simple passed through to the TV and will only come out of the TV speakers. Next bullet clearly states that in order to enjoy surround sound processing, you must use the digital coax or fibre optic connections in order to use your HTIB's speakers.

 

[Biffarama]

Obviously I must have missed that. So then this is a situation where the receiver is not built to handle HDMI as I thought it would. I thought it was to good to be true that a HTIB at this price would do it all, apparently so.

I assume then that receivers that will handle HDMI sound and video are much more expensive?

 

[frogpond]

Now youre looking at getting out of the HTiB area of HT with receivers like that. Even my Denon 2106 doesn't have HDMI just optical. So my set up is connected like this:

DVD player HDMI connected to Sanyo Z4
DVD audio optical connection out to Denon
5.1 speakers connected to Denon
DirectTV to Denon with RCA connection to Z4 and to older CRT tv.

With an investment in a plasma like that I wouldn't have gone for a 500 HTiB solution for surround. But hey thats just me.

 

[Biffarama]

I hear you frogpond, but my friend just wanted something quick and dirty for her husband's birthday this weekend. As it is she doesn't really understand most of what she bought, just which buttons she pushes to turn it off and on.

 

[frogpond]

Eeek! She shoulda come here first BEFORE making the purchase. Of course I'm just a little biased against plasmas but hey thats just me. Hope she's prepared for the electric bill once they plug that sucker in.