HDMI with only Video?

[Pats2KDynasty]

I was looking for a cheap 5.1 surround sound system to hook up to my PS3 and a Samsung TV with 1080p. I liked the Yamaha YHT-391BL system with the HDMI, but a few sources have informed my that it only does video through the HDMI connection (it did mention HDMI switching) not audio.

So my question is how do I know whether a AV reciever speaker system has both A & V through the HDMI?

Also what would someone recommend for a cheap surround system sor a small room?

I am now eyeing the Sony HT-SS360, but I am still concerned about the AV part of the HDMI.

Thank you!

 

[MDS]

So my question is how do I know whether a AV reciever speaker system has both A & V through the HDMI?

To be certain, it must say it is an HDMI repeater.

Sometimes various models from a particular manufacturer will be labeled as 'pass-thru' vs 'switching' and the switching type is a repeater.

However, all models, whether pass-thru or repeater perform switching. Switching is just the ability to switch between multiple HDMI inputs just as you can switch between mulitple analog or digital inputs. So it is not necessarilly sufficient to claim that an HDMI switching receiver is a repeater.

 

[Pats2KDynasty]

OK, being a newbie to all this stuff I am now really confused. So with the cheap system I was looking at (Yamaha YHT-391BL) I was told that the HDMI connection only did video and that I would lose out on sound quality due to decoding. The system still has the optical audio connection but do I still lose out on sound quality with the decoding issue? So do I need the HDMI Audio connection to the get the optimum sound quality or will I still get that over the optical sound connection? I am now leaning toward the Sony HT-SS360 but I do not know if I will run into the same problem with audio.

 

[MDS]

I was looking at (Yamaha YHT-391BL) I was told that the HDMI connection only did video and that I would lose out on sound quality due to decoding. The system still has the optical audio connection but do I still lose out on sound quality with the decoding issue?

The only 'decoding issue' would be that you can't use the newer lossless audio formats on BluRay because the optical/coax s/pdif connections do not support the required bandwidth to transport those formats.

I wouldn't call that a quality issue...rather a small limitation on the available formats.

 

[BMXTRIX]

While not a tremendous issue, it does require that you are buying HDMI cables and digital audio cables and making the extra connections. You do not get to take advantage of HD audio formats available to Blu-ray Disc which may also trouble you, but may not matter if your speakers and room can't deliver the quality.

But, the price for the cables might just push you close enough to warrant just getting an A/V receiver which decodes audio.

I like Denon a lot and their AVR-1610 will do HD audio and gives you 3 HDMI inputs and some component inputs with video conversion to HDMI to simplify your setup. About $300 online.