HDMI and digital (optical) audio out

Newbie Forum
#1

I have a Pioneer DVD player hooked up to my HD ready LCD TV for th video using component video cables and the audio is routed through an optil digital audio cable to carry 5.1 audio to my amplifier.

The other day i purchased an expensive HDMI cable (as my DVD player and TV both have this port). I muted the audio OUTPUT of the TV so that i could use the amplifier audio but SUPRISINGLY THE AUDIO INDICATION OF MY AMP HAD WITCHED FROM5.1 TO REGULSAR STEREO

Is this supposed to happen? Any workaround?

Though the HDMI was a branded cord i got CRAP quality of video. Would HDMI video quality ank above or below that od component ideo and S video or was this because i had the componenet video cords yet plugged in?

I have now returned the HDMI cable

Advise, explanation and comments on these issues please

#2

Welcome to the forum. Unless the TV has a digital audio out it will be only stereo (red RCA, white RCA). As to the picture quality, in HDMI cables expensive is not necessary. Try MonoPrice.com or Amazon for reasonably priced cables. Your TV has to have some kind of upscaling built in (or else the DVD picture would just be a tiny box in the middle) and I think what you saw was that the TV does a better job of upscaling than the DVD player. I’d stick with the component in and send the digital audio to the receiver as you have been doing.

#3

What’s the model of the Amp?, Be specific.

:cool::cool:

#4

The quesion was more about whether the 5.1 audio should get cut off if HDMI is also plugged in (as the latter carries both audio and video sigals)

Amplifier brand is Pioneer Model - i will get back to you

#5

I know what your question was.

So which one does your Pioneer Amp support?

[B]HDMI Passthrough/Switching[/B]

No repeated handshakes of the HDCP codes. Will only allow video to pass through and requires a separate audio connection.

[B]HDMI Repeater[/B]

Repeats the the handshakes of the HDCP codes and allows both video and audio to pass through.

  • Note future updates of the HDCP code may require a firmware update or a device that support the change.

:cool::cool:

#6

Its an HDMI Repeater

#7

Then in theory, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t be able to output 5.1.

What are the characteristics of the Pioneer Amp for HDMI, Automatic detection or do you have to do it manually?

It helps a lot when model #'s of specific components are shared, Version #'s of specific accessories ( IE: HDMI Port Ver) etc etc. Otherwise one can only see half the picture and can only presume in some cases what the problems may be.

:cool::cool:

#8

My amplifies is yamaha 1400 and my DVD player is a Pioneer P490 U

#9

You sure that particular yamaha supports HDMI?..Googling results show an RX-V1400 that doesn’t?..In any case using the, Optical Digital Input should work…

#10

The audio is routed thru an optical cable to the Yamaha amp from the Pioneer DVD player

The video was routed thru the HDMI from the DVD player direct to HDTV (no amp in the picture here). The DVD player showed that the HDMI was recognized as connected

Yet 5.1 audio was switched to 2 channel audio.

#11

Your causing confusion.

I thought you said you had a Pioneer Amp, now we have a Yamaha RX-V1400?

Pioneer does not have a P490 model in there DvD line up, Samsung does?

You have no means of capturing a 5.1 audio stream from the HDMI cable.

What were you trying to accomplish with the HDMI cable then?

Regardless,

If you were doing it just for the video then there should be no issues with you connecting HDMI from the DVD Player to the TV and then connecting the optical from the DvD Player to the Yamaha RX-V1400 for sound.

:cool::cool:

#12

Sorry mod - i did cause some confusion about the brands and models numbers initially.

In a nutshell
Earlier
I used to connecting my DVD player to my TV for video signal with a set of component video cords and 5.1 audio was carried from DVD player to amplifier with an optical audio cable.

Now
I am replacing the component vieo with HDMI cable (from DVD player to TV). Since this HDMI cable also caries audio i mute the TV audio My optical cord is still carrying the audio signal to the amplifier

Result - the amplier shows 2 channel stereo audio signal carried rather than 5.1 audio signal ever since the HDMI cable is attached

On removing the HDMI cable and switching back to component the audioreturns to 5.1

Needed to understand the downgrading of audio when HDMI was experimented with

DVD player is Pioneer 490V

Sorry for the confusion. I hope i am more clear now!

#13

No worries.

I would say that the conflict is within the DvD player.

With the HDMI and the optical both plugged in at the same time you are getting a default output of 2 channel LPCM. In the Dvd Player initial settings will it allow you to turn off the audio aspect of the HDMI out and allow to have the digital out (optical) on?

If this is the case than turn off the HDMI audio aspect and turn on the digital out aspect on. You should then be able to output the 5.1 audio to your Amp.

:cool::cool: