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  1. #1
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    Question Digital (toslink & coaxial), stereo, and 5.1 outs, Which to use from DVD and when?

    Ok.. i have a pioneer DVD 656A dvd player, RV-X1400 receiver, Pioneer SD-533 widescreen TV.

    I'm trying to figure out how to hook up the Audio.

    Which is used when and why?

    Should I only use the Digital? and if so, which is better toslink or coaxial?

    Should I or do I need to hook up the 5.1?

    I'm assuming the stereo is pretty useless unless you just want to hook up the DVD to the TV for non-surround viewing.

    I've read a few other posts and tried searching for more info but i can't find anything real helpful.

    Please let me know.

    thanks.

  2. #2
    Forum Regular Rockwell's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    Ok.. i have a pioneer DVD 656A dvd player, RV-X1400 receiver, Pioneer SD-533 widescreen TV.

    I'm trying to figure out how to hook up the Audio.

    Which is used when and why?

    Should I only use the Digital? and if so, which is better toslink or coaxial?

    Should I or do I need to hook up the 5.1?

    I'm assuming the stereo is pretty useless unless you just want to hook up the DVD to the TV for non-surround viewing.

    I've read a few other posts and tried searching for more info but i can't find anything real helpful.

    Please let me know.

    thanks.
    You can use either the toslink or coax. They both provide the same digital signal, so use whichever is most convenient/cheaper for you. The quality will be the same.

    The digital signal provided through either type of digital cable is the only audio connection you will need. Any type of surround/stereo signal will be transmitted through the digital connection.
    "You two are a regular ol' Three Musketeers."

  3. #3
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    I've read some comments that suggest that to listen to DVD-Audio that you will need to use the 5.1 connections instead of the digital drops.

    Is this true?

  4. #4
    Forum Regular Rockwell's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    I've read some comments that suggest that to listen to DVD-Audio that you will need to use the 5.1 connections instead of the digital drops.

    Is this true?
    I don't know, but my guess would be no. Perhaps someone else with more DVD-A knowledge will reply.
    "You two are a regular ol' Three Musketeers."

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Monstrous Mike's Avatar
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    I'll give you some background info first. We are now in the world of digital audio with many formats like CD-A, mp3, DVD-A, DTS, DD, etc. The one thing they all have in common is that they need a decoder (and subsequent D/A converstion) before they can be played.

    Most receivers today have a decoder for PCM (CD audio), DD and DTS with varying combos of 5.1, 6.1, etc. This means that a normal DVD connection to the receiver would be digital since the receiver can handle all of these digital signals.

    However, there are no decoders yet for DVD-A that can be found in a receiver. (As a side note, I believe that some of this problem lies in the fact that the recording industry does not want to make DVD-A digital signals available for copying until it has a sufficient way of encrypting or otherwise protecting them.) Therefore, the DVD-A decoder is located in your DVD player and you must use the 5.1 analog connection to your receiver when listening to DVD-A discs.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    I've read some comments that suggest that to listen to DVD-Audio that you will need to use the 5.1 connections instead of the digital drops.

    Is this true?
    Yes. Due to copy protection concerns, the uncompressed audio signal of DVD-Audio discs is only transmitted through the analog outputs. Many DVD-A discs also include a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 signal which may still be played back through the digital outs.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by BluesDaddy
    Yes. Due to copy protection concerns, the uncompressed audio signal of DVD-Audio discs is only transmitted through the analog outputs. Many DVD-A discs also include a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 signal which may still be played back through the digital outs.
    ahh.. i had heard/read that somewhere else and this confirms it i guess for me at least.. so it seems the manufacturers are sort screwing the buyers for now..

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Monstrous Mike
    However, there are no decoders yet for DVD-A that can be found in a receiver. (As a side note, I believe that some of this problem lies in the fact that the recording industry does not want to make DVD-A digital signals available for copying until it has a sufficient way of encrypting or otherwise protecting them.) Therefore, the DVD-A decoder is located in your DVD player and you must use the 5.1 analog connection to your receiver when listening to DVD-A discs.

    Thanks for all the great information.. i think i've decided to hook it up 3 ways then.. stereo outs to the tv for just tv playback, digital coax for recvr playback and 5.1 for dvd-audio.

    new questions:

    1. does this same reasoning apply to SACD? (i.e. must use 5.1?)
    2. should i hook my dvd straight to tv or thru the yammy?

  9. #9
    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    I still don't think you fully understand it.

    You have three separate audio paths to deal with here. I'll not even get into the video path here.

    1) For Dolby Digital/DTS soundtracks, you can use Either a coaxial OR toslink cable. This must go directly from the DVD player to the receiver. IMNSHO, I find coaxial easier, cheaper and justas good as toslink.

    2) As far as DVD-Audio and/or SACD is concerned, no receiver at this time has the decoders for these built in. To avail yourself of these features, you MUST use the decoder built into the DVD player. This will require 6 individual coaxial cables with RCA connectors on the ends be fed from the 5.1 outputs on the DVD player directly to the receiver. Of course, if your DVD doesn't have these features, simply ignore this paragraph.

    3) As far as TV audio goes, a simple stereo pair of audio cables (like the 6 in #2) to the receiver's input will do fine. If you feed a stereo VCR to the TV, you will be able to use it's stereo output for DPL programs as well. With a well recorded movie, VHS can still provide quite satisfying sound even in this digital age. Witness "Iron Giant".

  10. #10
    Forum Regular TinHere's Avatar
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    QUOTE=dellhome123]
    new questions:

    2. should i hook my dvd straight to tv or thru the yammy?[/QUOTE]
    Yes...Enjoy the convenience of having a receiver. From the Yamaha site about the RX-V1400:

    "Component video up conversion:S-video/composite signal conversion to component video signal."
    TinHere

    Enjoying a virtual life.

  11. #11
    Forum Regular Rockwell's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    Thanks for all the great information.. i think i've decided to hook it up 3 ways then.. stereo outs to the tv for just tv playback, digital coax for recvr playback and 5.1 for dvd-audio.

    new questions:

    1. does this same reasoning apply to SACD? (i.e. must use 5.1?)
    2. should i hook my dvd straight to tv or thru the yammy?

    You didn't mention it, but if you have Directv receiver with digital out, you can connect this using digital cable as well and not use the stereo connectors.
    "You two are a regular ol' Three Musketeers."

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rockwell
    You didn't mention it, but if you have Directv receiver with digital out, you can connect this using digital cable as well and not use the stereo connectors.
    i actually have a digital Time Warner box.. which i hope to exchange with a HD Time Warner box..

    Does anyone know (or just think) that the decoder in the Yammy is better than the decoder in the DVD player for DVD movies (it IS a progressive scan DVD player w/ component out)??


    (BTW.. thanks everyone for the info so far.. it's been extremely helpful..)

  13. #13
    Forum Regular Rockwell's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    i actually have a digital Time Warner box.. which i hope to exchange with a HD Time Warner box..

    Does anyone know (or just think) that the decoder in the Yammy is better than the decoder in the DVD player for DVD movies (it IS a progressive scan DVD player w/ component out)??


    (BTW.. thanks everyone for the info so far.. it's been extremely helpful..)

    I tried a TW Digital cable for a few days, but cancelled because it only plays some of the channels in digital and the rest in analog. I would have to switch the reciever to a different source. Of course it's not that big a deal because only certain pay per view movies broadcast 5.1, but it still bothered me.
    Last edited by Rockwell; 12-10-2003 at 07:25 AM.
    "You two are a regular ol' Three Musketeers."

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rockwell
    I tried a TW Digital cable for a few days, but cancelled because it only plays some of the channels in digital and the rest in analog. I would have to switch the reciever to a different source. Of course it's not that big a deal because only certain pay per view movies broadcast 5.1, but it still bothered me.
    Have you tried the HD box? supposedly it has component outs instead of composites/s video.. dunno what else you can do tho..

  15. #15
    Forum Regular Rockwell's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dellhome123
    Have you tried the HD box? supposedly it has component outs instead of composites/s video.. dunno what else you can do tho..
    No, but my TV only has SVideo anyway.
    "You two are a regular ol' Three Musketeers."

  16. #16
    Forum Regular Monstrous Mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rockwell
    I tried a TW Digital cable for a few days, but cancelled because it only plays some of the channels in digital and the rest in analog. I would have to switch the reciever to a different source. Of course it's not that big a deal because only certain pay per view movies broadcast 5.1, but it still bothered me.
    I had digital cable as well but I connected the box with a digital coax and a set of analog stereo cables both (i.e. to the same source) to the CBL/SAT input on my receiver. The input was then set to AUTO so if I was on a digital channel it accepted the digital audio and when changing to an analog channel, the audio switched also automatically. I never really knew if I was on a digital channel or not and it didn't really matter.

    I have ExpressVu satellite now, which all digital, but I would switch back to digital cable if I could (just moved and now no cable in the country) due to much more 5.1 content, more HD channels and the high speed internet capabilities.
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