7.1 ch analog out from blu-ray player

[mistergsf]

Home theater newbie here and sorry if this has been answered but my search did not yield any answers.

I have a Samsung BD-P2500 blu-ray player that has 7.1 analog outputs at the rear. The manual says that if I am connecting to a 7.1 a/v receiver, which I am, I should connect the analog outs to the proper inputs on my receiver. This is my set-up right now:

Motorola DCH3416 HD Cable Box and Samsung BD-P2500 connected to Onkyo TX-SR706 Receiver via HDMI and HDMI out from Onkyo to Samsung LN46A650 LCD TV.

It was my understanding that HDMI carries BOTH audio and video in one cable so I am confused when the manual says that I should also connect the analog outputs from the blu-ray to the receiver.

Can someone please explain this to me in very simple terms?

 

[Nomo]

The biggest advantage to the the pre-out is for people with a receiver that does not have HDMI or the ability to decode the newest audio formats.
Your Onkyo has both.
You can try to use the pre-outs, but the best connection is with HDMI.

 

[mistergsf]

The biggest advantage to the the pre-out is for people with a receiver that does not have HDMI or the ability to decode the newest audio formats.
Your Onkyo has both.
You can try to use the pre-outs, but the best connection is with HDMI.

Thanks, Nomo. So basically, because the manual wasn't clear, as long as I'm connected to the Onkyo via HDMI, I'm good to go and no need to add additional cable clutter?

I should have mentioned in my original post that prior to posting here, I called Samsung tech support to clarify what the manual was advising and they were totally useless; they insisted that I also use the analog out in addition to HDMI.

 

[Nomo]

There is nothing wrong with the redundant wiring in itself, but generally the thing that makes the connection inferior is the loss of the receiver's EQ and bass management capabilities. That task is put on the player and will most likely not sound as good.

 

[mistergsf]

There is nothing wrong with the redundant wiring in itself, but generally the thing that makes the connection inferior is the loss of the receiver's EQ and bass management capabilities. That task is put on the player and will most likely not sound as good.

I totally agree. The Onkyo is supposed to do the work and more capable than the player. There is definitely a noticeable difference in the sound with the redundant wiring and I'm going to remove it. Thanks again!