Newbie question older yahama receiver

[JohnnyEF]

Hello, just joined the board. I have a few questions in regards to dolby digital surround sound. The receiver that I have was given to me by a friend. The reciever is an older yahama RX-V2092 7 channel dolby digital. I can't figure out how to get the receiver in dolby digital mode. The instructions say to select the option dolby digital/pro logic. When selecting that feature it always shows pro logic on the reciever and never goes to dolby digital mode. The dolby digital/pro logic option share the same button. What makes the reciever go into pro logic mode rather than dolby digital? Whats the difference between the two? I went through the instruction manual and set up everything according to number of speakers I am using. Currently I am using two main speakers, one center speaker, and one subwoofer. I am waiting to get the rear speakers in about a week. I have direct tv right now and tried every channel including HBO movies and the dolby digital mode does not come on. Also have another question regarding main or front speakers. Would the surround sound be more effective if I used two front speakers instead of two main speakers? Right now I have two main speakers hooked up and no front speakers. I can't afford both right now and wanted to know if the speakers would produce better surround sound hooked up to the main speaker output or front speaker output?
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[markw]

Did you try it with a Dolby Digital DVD?

My Denon (set to "auto") won't kick into DD mode until the source sends the signal. It defauls to DPL until the source sends a DD signal. In fact, many movie trailers that preceed the movie are only recorded in DPL and only kicks into DD when the main movie starts.

 

[jcPanny]

To get dolby digital . . .

Make sure you have an optical or digital coax connection from your source to the receiver. The red/white RCA connection will only send 2 channel analog audio.

Not sure what the different jacks for "Fronts" and "Mains" mean on your receiver. Current Yamahas can have "Presence" speakers to expand the front sound stage which sounds similar to your extra jacks. Download a copy of the manual for clarification.

 

[DJ Scotty]

My Denon (set to "auto") won't kick into DD mode until the source sends the signal. It defauls to DPL until the source sends a DD signal. In fact, many movie trailers that preceed the movie are only recorded in DPL and only kicks into DD when the main movie starts.

Mark,

With regard to what you say here, I have a question that maybe you can help me with...I have noticed that also on my Onkyo TX-SR600, you need to select the soundtrack from the DVD menu before the receiver kicks into any kind of digital mode; once sensing any kind of DVD/digital signal, the receiver trips automatically into PRO LOGIC II MOVIE mode, and then waits until either the feature presentation begins with Dolby Digital or you choose it from the DVD's menu; but, every time I shut the receiver OFF and then turn it back on another day to watch a new disc, or even later that same day, the receiver's display reads PRO LOGIC II MOVIE but its NOT lighting up in the DIGITAL domain -- it reads PCM and PLII MOVIE, not PLII MOVIE with the little Dolby Digital symbol on the screen....is this normal every time I shut the receiver down and then back on, that it comes back on in PCM format until a digital signal is fed from the DVD soundtrack menu?

 

[JohnnyEF]

Make sure you have an optical or digital coax connection from your source to the receiver. The red/white RCA connection will only send 2 channel analog audio.

Not sure what the different jacks for "Fronts" and "Mains" mean on your receiver. Current Yamahas can have "Presence" speakers to expand the front sound stage which sounds similar to your extra jacks. Download a copy of the manual for clarification.

So dolby digital cannot be sent through composite rca cables (red) (white). I just hooked up my dvd players digital coaxial output to my digital coaxial input in my receiver and the surround sound turns on! I had always thought that dolby digital works through composite cables. On the back of my yahama receiver there are two digital coaxial inlets and an optical inlet that says PCM/digital in (AC-3 digital in). So I have to hook all the audio through those two inlets in order to get dolby digital? My direct tv only has composite connections, no digital coxial connections. Can I convert my two audio composite connections on my direct tv receiver to a digital coxial cable or optical? I would really like to get the direct tv movies in dolby digital surround.
Thanks again for you reply to my post

 

[Nick250]

So dolby digital cannot be sent through composite rca cables (red) (white). I just hooked up my dvd players digital coaxial output to my digital coaxial input in my receiver and the surround sound turns on! I had always thought that dolby digital works through composite cables. On the back of my yahama receiver there are two digital coaxial inlets and an optical inlet that says PCM/digital in (AC-3 digital in). So I have to hook all the audio through those two inlets in order to get dolby digital? My direct tv only has composite connections, no digital coxial connections. Can I convert my two audio composite connections on my direct tv receiver to a digital coxial cable or optical? I would really like to get the direct tv movies in dolby digital surround.
Thanks again for you reply to my post

You need a dedicated digital out from the Direct TV box into a digital connection on your receiver in order to get DD surround sound from Direct TV. I would suspect (guessing here) that Direct TV has both analog and digital outs. My Comcast Motorola digital box has an optical out which goes to my receiver which decodes the signal to DD if one is available for the particular channel I am watching.

 

[JohnnyEF]

You need a dedicated digital out from the Direct TV box into a digital connection on your receiver in order to get DD surround sound from Direct TV. I would suspect (guessing here) that Direct TV has both analog and digital outs. My Comcast Motorola digital box has an optical out which goes to my receiver which decodes the signal to DD if one is available for the particular channel I am watching.

You are correct. I just called direct tv and they stated my receiver was not capable of DD. I would need to upgrade to there DVR receiver in order to enjoy DD. For $100.00 more I will probably do it. Does anyone know why the DVR receiver needs to be installed by there techs. Prior to this I had changed a defective regular receiver myself. With the DVR upgrade does the satellite need to be changed?

 

[markw]

Sounds like a receiver issue.

Mark,

With regard to what you say here, I have a question that maybe you can help me with...I have noticed that also on my Onkyo TX-SR600, you need to select the soundtrack from the DVD menu before the receiver kicks into any kind of digital mode; once sensing any kind of DVD/digital signal, the receiver trips automatically into PRO LOGIC II MOVIE mode, and then waits until either the feature presentation begins with Dolby Digital or you choose it from the DVD's menu; but, every time I shut the receiver OFF and then turn it back on another day to watch a new disc, or even later that same day, the receiver's display reads PRO LOGIC II MOVIE but its NOT lighting up in the DIGITAL domain -- it reads PCM and PLII MOVIE, not PLII MOVIE with the little Dolby Digital symbol on the screen....is this normal every time I shut the receiver down and then back on, that it comes back on in PCM format until a digital signal is fed from the DVD soundtrack menu?

It sounds like it's not holding it's setups. Not being familiar with your receiver I can't offer much more advice than to check the manual to see how you can set the default. Also, I believe that you need to set it to "bitstream" rather than "PCM". FWIW, it took me a few days reading the manual and surfing the various menus to get my Denon 2802 locked in to the way things needed to be done. Even then, I would hate to have to go thru it again.

good luck