How to setup a 3.0 configuration all around?

[sprunknwn]

Hi all,

Just got my first setup installed today and it consists of the following -
Focal Aria 926 Floorstand Speakers
Focal Aria 900CC Center Speaker
Denon x3700h Receiver.

Now, a sub and rear speakers are to follow but at the moment, this is the setup.
A few questions if you will.
- How do I configure this 3.0 setup in Windows? the closest I could find is "Surround" -

I do notice a different if I choose 5.1 or Surround as opposed to Stereo and I would like all the sound to come out of the front 3 without it sending anything to a non existing rear speaker.

- Regarding video, I connected my PC to the receiver and I use MPC-HC with MadVR to play 2160p/1080p mkv's.
What I'm experiencing is that most of the time when close MPC after/while playing a movie, the screen goes dark for a few seconds. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance! (sure to have many more questions after I play with it a little bit)

 

[Eppie]

I think you are ok to set the PC to Surround or even 5.1 Surround. That way you are sending all 5 channels to your receiver. You then go into your receiver's setup and only enable the front 3 channels. The receiver should handle any down mixing for non-enabled channels. Run some tests afterwards to see if you get the desired effect.

I think the momentary blank screen is normal. If the PC is changing resolutions or refresh rates when switching between desktop view and MPC, it may take a moment for your receiver to detect the change. Most receivers will upscale as needed but there might be a delay while it detects the new signal properties and changes upscaling modes.

 

[Pogre]

Yup, just set it to 5.1 and it should mix the surround info into your main speakers.

 

[sprunknwn]

Thanks for the feedback Eppie.
Regarding the 3.0 configuration, I think I found a solution.
If I go through the 5.1 option, I can uncheck the rear and sub speakers (which I couldn't do in the Surround option).
So now it is setup for 3 front speakers and nothing more.
Regarding the video, I was not aware of any resolution change when I watch MPC.
It also doesn't happen always. Sometimes it goes dark for a few seconds, other times it does not. The Receiver is not setup to do any upscaling as far as I know and the mkv is already either 1080p or 2160p.
You sure this is normal behavior and not a faulty hdmi connector or cable perhaps? (don't have any additional cables to test but I'm going to order some).

BTW, which are the best value for money hdmi 2.1 cables (4k@120hz and 8k@60hz) available?
I saw some reviews regarding Zeskit, Stouchi and Belkin. Any of these will do?

Thanks again!

 

[Eppie]

I haven't played with MPC for a long time as I've moved to VLC but MPC handled pretty much everything that I threw at it, including subtitled MKVs. The momentary blank screen could come either from your PC or the AVR and would take some investigating. Is the TV your only display? PCs handle video changes pretty quickly, which is why I would suspect that it's the AVR as they take longer to adapt to signal changes. If running MPC in full screen mode it may override your desktop resolution like a PC game would, but typically it would just scale to whatever your desktop resolution is set to. Your AVRs menu should be able to tell you what resolution it is receiving. There may be signal info on your AVR's front display as well and you can watch for changes there as well to see if something is changing when you switch out of MPC. Maybe try VLC or Window's built in player and see if you get the same behaviour.

After watching Linus Tech Tips test various cables, I'm not sure what to recommend. I tend to stick with name brands like Monoprice or Belkin, as long as it's rated for the bandwidth you require.

 

[sprunknwn]

Thanks Eppie!
I would use VLC also but my GFX card is a little old (GTX760) and it doesn't output HDR so I have to user MadVR to get them nice colors so I keep using MPC.
Just order some Satouchi and Zeskit cables, hopefully they're good because Belkin was almost double the price.

 

[BMXTRIX]

BTW, which are the best value for money hdmi 2.1 cables (4k@120hz and 8k@60hz) available?
I saw some reviews regarding Zeskit, Stouchi and Belkin. Any of these will do?

Any cables that are 6' or less and are rated at 18Gb/s should work fine. In the video of cable testing above, not a single cable of 6' or less failed in testing.

If in the USA, Monoprice remains an excellent choice at the 6' length.

 

[j_garcia]

I ordered a bunch of Amazon Basics HDMI cables for work and never had an issue with any of them, though this is for PC to monitor connection. Decent cables OEM'ed by someone else for Amazon and similar to Monoprice standard cables. I've ordered the basic Belkin cables and they are good too.