The "Official" RX-V3800 Issues & Observations thread

[Rich-n-Texas]

All better now.

[L.J.]

What did you do wrong? Your not getting off that easy

[Rich-n-Texas]

Okay, well... uhhh... I uhhh, didn't go far enough into the receiver setup for Net/USB. I didn't run the steps where I press the Display button on the remote to get me to the Top Net/USB menu, and then select the PC/MusiCAST sub input. When I selected it, it then showed my computer name. I came back to my PC and sure enough there was a callout box on my desktop telling me a device was trying to connect and did I want to run the Media Connect procedure. After I went through that I was then able to start working my way into the music folders on the hard drive. I guess there's more handshaking going on between the receiver and the PC than I thought.

After I discovered all that I went into the Internet Radio sub input and found some stations. Favorite among them is a Classic Rock station called "Pink Floyd Rock-o-Roma".

So the moral of the story is... RFD! AND, no need to sub to XM!

[L.J.]

Okay, well... uhhh... I uhhh, didn't go far enough into the receiver setup for Net/USB. I didn't run the steps where I press the Display button on the remote to get me to the Top Net/USB menu, and then select the PC/MusiCAST sub input. When I selected it, it then showed my computer name. I came back to my PC and sure enough there was a callout box on my desktop telling me a device was trying to connect and did I want to run the Media Connect procedure. After I went through that I was then able to start working my way into the music folders on the hard drive. I guess there's more handshaking going on between the receiver and the PC than I thought.

After I discovered all that I went into the Internet Radio sub input and found some stations. Favorite among them is a Classic Rock station called "Pink Floyd Rock-o-Roma".

So the moral of the story is... RFD! AND, no need to sub to XM!

Too funny. I think I did the same thing but figured it out in about 2 minutes Don't worry, I won't tell anyone

OK, that was cheap shot

So, isn't the remote just awful. Waaay to many dang buttons man. I assume it's similar to the 2700 remote. Good thing you gotta Harmony. I still you use the Yammie remote when making adjustments though.

Hmm...seems we're limited to only 10 smilies per post. I didn't know that.

[pixelthis]

here's some words of advice: windows networking sucks

i've tried several solutions for getting my mp3s to my stereo, external pc usb audio cards, streaming to my xbox60, streaming to my ps3 etc

i found that all of it sounded terrible.

in the end i wound up using an apple airport express with the optical output, it's nice cause it's wireless too. out of what i've tried i think it's had the best results.

True.
TO ME WHY DO YOU NEED THE COMPLICATION?
Just get high q audio running out of your computer wth a toslink or rca coax and enjoy.
I CAN LISTEN TO internet radio, my entire CD collection, downloads, etc, and control it through my computer, and dont have to worry about virus's in my receiver

The best thing is two computers, and network the two together, put one in your system
as a server, and use your main as, well, your main

[Rich-n-Texas]

Too funny. I think I did the same thing but figured it out in about 2 minutes Don't worry, I won't tell anyone

OK, that was cheap shot

See how Pix has subliminally brainwashed us? Looks like some of us have been Assimilated!!!

So, isn't the remote just awful. Waaay to many dang buttons man. I assume it's similar to the 2700 remote. Good thing you gotta Harmony. I still you use the Yammie remote when making adjustments though.

I wonder how many times from here on out I'm going to forget to flip the switch from Amp to Source. Something I've been wanting to ask: to what depth of functionality do you give the 880 for your receiver? I can't imagine that every single function the receiver's remote has can be duplicated, so where exactly do you draw the line? Not including the essentially one-time use functions?

Hmm...seems we're limited to only 10 smilies per post. I didn't know that.

Yeah. One time I wanted to fill up a response to resident bad-boy's post with smilies so the topic would take a rediculously loooooong time to open, but my attempt was thwarted by the site's s/w. <== Had to delete wonna your lol's so's I could include that one. ;biggrin5;

[L.J.]

See how Pix has subliminally brainwashed us? Looks like some of us have been Assimilated!!!

I go out of my way to do that

Something I've been wanting to ask: to what depth of functionality do you give the 880 for your receiver? I can't imagine that every single function the receiver's remote has can be duplicated, so where exactly do you draw the line? Not including the essentially one-time use functions?

I have functions spreaded out over each activity. For example, under "watch a DVD" I have the movie dsp's, straight and a few others...... Under "listen to CD" I have the music dsp's, stereo, enhancer. Same goes for "watch Bluray" and so on. All AVR funtions are set on the obvious main buttons(menu,exit,mute) and the rest are set on the LCD buttons. I have most used ones set on the first page and rarely go into the 2nd.

Most functions are covered though. Go into "devices" and you'll see that the Yammie has like 12 LCD pages of functions


For the 2nd zone, I input it as if it was a total separate unit and named it zone 2. The Harmony software suggests doing this and was already preprogrammed to use all the zone 2 functions for my 2700. So under "outside music", I can control it as if I was using the zone 2 remote.

I have zone 2 set for 2 sources...CD or cable music channels.

I also have "network music" as an activity.

I go in and make adjustments as needed. I think I have everything laid out pretty well. My wife loves the harmony and would never understand the Yammie remote.

[pixelthis]

most OEM remotes are bad but yammies are the WORST.
People who dont use universals dont understand one of the main advantages, mainly you can put buttons ANYWHERE.
I seldom leave my cable box section, it has buttons for tv control, amp control, etc.
My CD section has buttons for dsp, cd direct, etc.
mines a pronto btw

[bobsticks]

most OEM remotes are bad but yammies are the WORST.

This has been my experience as well. My current Yammie came into a household that had seen Denon, Sony, and Onkyo units previously.

We all know how many times noobs come around these parts asking "Which receiver...?" questions. Before the Yammie I would've never thought to counsel using the remote as citeria. It's that bad.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I wish company's would make remotes an optional purchase. The functionality these days of those things is incredible, but the Harmony's and Pronto's of the world render them pretty much useless.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I was listening to music last night over the network and when I tried to play .wma's recently ripped from my fairly new Pink Floyd and Rush CD's I got "connection error" from every one of them. I checked to make sure the receiver can recognize wma's so I played some that were ripped a while ago and they played fine. I then did a side-by-side of the files and found that the PF & Rush tracks had a much bigger file size as well as a faster bit rate. I know I used WMP to rip these, but I may have used Rhapsody and my sound card's s/w to record the older stuff. That aside, am I drawing the right conclusion in thinking bit rate and file size are contributing factors leading to the connection error message?

[pixelthis]

I was listening to music last night over the network and when I tried to play .wma's recently ripped from my fairly new Pink Floyd and Rush CD's I got "connection error" from every one of them. I checked to make sure the receiver can recognize wma's so I played some that were ripped a while ago and they played fine. I then did a side-by-side of the files and found that the PF & Rush tracks had a much bigger file size as well as a faster bit rate. I know I used WMP to rip these, but I may have used Rhapsody and my sound card's s/w to record the older stuff. That aside, am I drawing the right conclusion in thinking bit rate and file size are contributing factors leading to the connection error message?

Could be a bandwidth problem but don't quote me on that.
It is such a hassle to keep nets going, this is why I use an USB souncard.
The idea of a "networked" receiver sounds great, but I watch computer video and listen to audio just fine without it.
When I listen to tunes or watch shows reliability is key, and this whole networked media
is just not ready for prime time, IMHO

[Rich-n-Texas]

I'm willing to bet it IS a bandwidth problem. I did some more research on the Rush & PF tracks and saw that I used the WMA Lossless format, which will certainly increase file size and bit rate, so I'm going to experiment with a few of the other wma formats that WMP supplies and see what happens. I'm going to shoot for the fastest bit rate that the reciever will recognize.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Just an update to the situation with the "connect error". It doesn't look like it has anything to do with bit rate or file size. It happens when it encounters an M4P file or a W4V file. At first I thought these are "protected" files, but instead, it seems like something is converting them to a type, or format that my receiver won't recognize. I don't really know what's going on at this point, but I'm going to try to reorganize my Windows music file structure and hopefully some good will come from that.

In the meantime I'm back to an old problem. I don't want to turn on my TV when I'm fiddling with the receiver setup. I have to use some kind of monitor (was using an old CRT TV), and I'd REALLY like to find an inexpensive display device of some kind. If I could use a monitor similar to my computer's display, that would be great. Something lightweight, small footprint with a sharp enough picture that I would be able to see from the couch would be perfect. Somebody HELP ME!!!

[f0rge]

you really need to watch out for what filetypes are actually supported by your receiver, i'm betting it's just the basics (AAC, MP3 etc) and the ones you're talking about are a bit less widely supported.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I agree. The thing is, I don't know how they became files with that "4" in the extension. It will play WMA's, MP3's and WAV's, that I know.

[GMichael]

Just an update to the situation with the "connect error". It doesn't look like it has anything to do with bit rate or file size. It happens when it encounters an M4P file or a W4V file. At first I thought these are "protected" files, but instead, it seems like something is converting them to a type, or format that my receiver won't recognize. I don't really know what's going on at this point, but I'm going to try to reorganize my Windows music file structure and hopefully some good will come from that.

In the meantime I'm back to an old problem. I don't want to turn on my TV when I'm fiddling with the receiver setup. I have to use some kind of monitor (was using an old CRT TV), and I'd REALLY like to find an inexpensive display device of some kind. If I could use a monitor similar to my computer's display, that would be great. Something lightweight, small footprint with a sharp enough picture that I would be able to see from the couch would be perfect. Somebody HELP ME!!!

How about a computer display? Could you fit a 20" LCD somewhere in the room, close enough to view it?

[f0rge]

I agree. The thing is, I don't know how they became files with that "4" in the extension. It will play WMA's, MP3's and WAV's, that I know.

i'd wager it's how they were ripped to your computer. just looking at media player it really doesn't tell you what you're ripping to, i'd just pick mp3 and crank the slider to 320kbps

[Rich-n-Texas]

How about a computer display? Could you fit a 20" LCD somewhere in the room, close enough to view it?

A computer display would be great, but AFAIK there are no computer displays with composite/s-video/component video inputs. Essentially all I need is a dumb terminal since the setup menu isn't graphics intensive. What I now no longer have room for is the 19" CRT TV that I was using previously to set up DVD-A's.

[GMichael]

A computer display would be great, but AFAIK there are no computer displays with composite/s-video/component video inputs. Essentially all I need is a dumb terminal since the setup menu isn't graphics intensive. What I now no longer have room for is the 19" CRT TV that I was using previously to set up DVD-A's.

There's more than one was to skin a cat. But most of them make the cat scream and fight back.

This seems like just one of many reasonable answers. But I'm not to keen on Acer.
http://biz.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=A179-1944

DVI to component adapter. http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[Rich-n-Texas]

There's more than one was to skin a cat. But most of them make the cat scream and fight back.

I haven't mentioned this before but one of my cats; Thelma has diabetes. She gets an insulin injection every 12 hours, but she seems to be handling it okay. The giveaway was higher than normal water consumption and frequent cat box trips. She's about ten years old now and the only sad thing is the fact that she's lost some of her independance.

This seems like just one of many reasonable answers. But I'm not to keen on Acer.
http://biz.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=A179-1944

DVI to component adapter. http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

What I remember about the previous conversation was that computer monitors wouldn't recognize NTSC/PAL formats. The question is, what format is the setup menu outputting in?

[GMichael]

I haven't mentioned this before but one of my cats; Thelma has diabetes. She gets an insulin injection every 12 hours, but she seems to be handling it okay. The giveaway was higher than normal water consumption and frequent cat box trips. She's about ten years old now and the only sad thing is the fact that she's lost some of her independance.


What I remember about the previous conversation was that computer monitors wouldn't recognize NTSC/PAL formats. The question is, what format is the setup menu outputting in?

Poor kitty. It's good that she has you to take care of her.

[pixelthis]

I used a DVI>hdmi cable to watch my cablebox on my 19in Samsung while I was between TV sets , worked great and was HI-DEF

[Rich-n-Texas]

And found this old post...

I was talking to an engineer here at work who has recently done some IP testing on a Digital Audio/Video chip and he tells me that what I propose won't work. He said the only way to accomplish this would be by using the HDMI out of the DVD player, through an HDMI - DVI adaptor cable then into a DVI capable monitor.

I own an LCD monitor now with a DVI input, so I'll get one of those adapters GM showed and see what happens.

BTW GM, I'm looking at a 19' Acer LCD right now here at work; the one at home is also an Acer, and so far, no problems.

[f0rge]

you would actually be surprised how many computer monitors have multiple inputs, my 22" LCD is like 3 years old and has composite, svideo, component, vga and dvi.

of course it will depend on how much you want to spend.