Will we need to upgrade our current receivers ? (1 Viewer)

[T r o y]

Will we need to upgrade our current plain vanilla 5.1 receivers in order to decode the HD+DD/ DTS HD plus lossless audio tracks found on the high def discs coming out ?
If so, when will they be available ?


Thanks
Troy

 

[Garrett Lundy]

If every major manf. of 7.1 recievers doesn't have the new codecs on every model by Christmas '06 I'll be shocked.

 

[JediFonger]

short answer: yes.

 

[Travis Hedger]

If you have 5.1 analog inputs you can hear Dolby Digital + as the HD DVD player can decode it and just pass the decoded audio to those inputs.

 

[Craig Sherman]

Here's why I plan to upgrade my receiver (but not, thankfully, my 7.1 JBL speakers): multiple HDMI inputs. Most HDTVs today come equipped with only one HDMI input. Well, this X-mas, I hope to have a TiVo Series 3, a Playstation 3, and possibly an HD-DVD box (doin' a little bet-hedging on this format war). That's three devices best suited for HDMI output. From what I saw at CES in January, there will be plenty of receivers by year end with multiple HDMI inputs.

Plus, if I get the PS3 and TiVo3, and a new receiver, technically, I don't have to sweat getting an HDTV yet, because all those will still work in SD.

Don't laugh. My first HDTV will be 1080p and have HDMI. I'm usually an early adopter (DVD in '97), but I'm glad I waited this time.

BOMM,

CS

 

[Garrett Lundy]

make sure your new AVR decodes TrueHD to all 7 channels (The current HD DVD player can only do it for 2-channel).

 

[JediFonger]

any announcements on HDMI 1.3 ready a/v recevers handling the 3 new formats?

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Supposedly Panasonic has a Blu-Ray player and a new receiver coming late summer/early fall. Early indications are they'll use HDMI 1.3 (2.0?) connections and the receiver will do all the new formats.

Things can change, however.

Dan

 

[JediFonger]

is HDMI 1.3 officiallly approved? i just checked the hdmi.org website:

"When was the HDMI specification released?
The HDMI 1.0 specification was released in December 2002.
The HDMI 1.1 specification was released in May 2004.

The HDMI 1.2 specification was released in August of 2005.

The HDMI 1.2a specification was released in December of 2005."

how can any AVR have 1.3 spex when HDMI hasnt' even finalized the 1.3 spec?

 

[Dan Hitchman]

The rules for 1.3 are out, but many suppliers of U.S. made HDMI chip sets are behind so some manufacturers won't be able to add it until 2007. If they can get supplies from other sources, then some new units can have 1.3 connections, but not the majority until 2007.

Dan

 

[JediFonger]

dan, true, but not finalized or approved. it's like the 802.11n spex, out but not approved.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Have the new surround processors been held back by hdmi 1.3? I was wondering if the hdmi 1.3 was responsible for manufacturers not having new surround formats available?

I had put off buying a new reciever waiting for assignable digital inputs, assignable video inputs and HD video switching. That is all now available but when I heard that a new DTS-HD format would be available and that a new HD video format was going to be out soon. So now I am still using my old 5.1 surround reciever and will end up waiting for the new 7.1 reciever to become available at local retailers. I am waiting to buy a reciever until DTS-HD is available and then hdmi 1.3 should be available and the number of hdmi connections might just end up increasing. My goal is to have a 1080p HT that will give me a great theater exsperience.

It is my hope that most hardware manufacturers will have new models available sometime next year. By that time I hope to own a Pioneer Elite Blu-ray HD player.

 

[Lee-c]

According to Dolby, any high definition DVD movie with a DD+ or Dolby TrueHD soundtrack (which should
be just about all of them) will send a high quality 640k bit-rate DD 5.1 audio output to your standard
DD 5.1 receiver over coax or optical cable for audio decoding instead of DD+ or Dolby TrueHD if a standard
DD 5.1 receiver is what you have. So it should be no problem.

Only to use the DD+ (higher bit-rate) soundtrack or Dolby TrueHD or another HD soundtrack in their
native formats would you need a new receiver. If you're only interested in standard DD or DTS 5.1,
then you're all set with your current receiver.

 

[Adam_R]

the answer i was hoping for!