Panny BD80 Audio setup quest....

[Mauskar]

So i pulled the trigger and purchased the Panny BD80, and have some questions cause Im completely new to setting up things to my HK AVR 347. Sorry if I dont know much- just trying to figure things out as I go...

First, Im connecting to my HK 347 via HDMI and then HDMI to my TV. I set both "DOLBY/DOLBY +/ DOLBY TRUE HD" and "DTS/ DTS-HD" to bitstreaming on the player. When playing the blue ray, the only option I have on my HK is for "Dolby Digital" and if I change the settings from bitstream to PCM, I have 5ch Multichannel PCM, which sounds horrible. Is this because my HK doesnt handle Dolby TRUE-HD (i've included what my HK handles below)

Second, from what I remember, the HK doesnt handle video processing that well. If that's the case, should I run HDMI from the blu ray directly to the TV. I was thinking of using an HDMI splitter to accomplish this- one HDMI to the TV, the other to the receiver for sound. Would this improve image quality?

Sorry if this is disorganized, but just alot of thoughts im trying to put together

Thanks!

HK AVR 347:
HDMI: 1.1
Dolby Digital Plus- No
Dolby Pro Logic® II- YES (Pro Logic IIx )
Dolby True HD- No
Dolby Virtual Speaker- Yes
Dolby Volume- No
Dolby® Digital- YES (Dolby® Digital EX )
DSP Processor- YES (Cirrus® CS 49510)
DTS 96/24™- YES
DTS Neo:6®- YES
DTS® 5.1- YES
DTS® High Resolution- No
DTS-ES® 6.1 Discrete & Matrix- YES
DTS-HD/DTS-HD Master Audio- No

 

[jostenmeat]

First, Im connecting to my HK 347 via HDMI and then HDMI to my TV. I set both "DOLBY/DOLBY +/ DOLBY TRUE HD" and "DTS/ DTS-HD" to bitstreaming on the player. When playing the blue ray, the only option I have on my HK is for "Dolby Digital" and if I change the settings from bitstream to PCM, I have 5ch Multichannel PCM, which sounds horrible. Is this because my HK doesnt handle Dolby TRUE-HD (i've included what my HK handles below)

"change the settings from bitstream to PCM" I assume to mean the player and not receiver. That is what you NEED to do to access the lossless codecs via HDMI. As for why it sounds bad, I have no idea. How would you describe sounding bad? Which codec did you try? (for me, I have to disable autoflagged DRC on TrueHD tracks every single time on the receiver).

I don't know why you got the BD80 though. You don't have mch analog inputs on the HK, I don't think anyways, and the BD60 can internally decode via HDMI. Anywho . . .

Second, from what I remember, the HK doesnt handle video processing that well. If that's the case, should I run HDMI from the blu ray directly to the TV. I was thinking of using an HDMI splitter to accomplish this- one HDMI to the TV, the other to the receiver for sound. Would this improve image quality?

I don't know. A quick glance shows varying reviews with this. Which looks better to you, and how so? What's your TV?

 

[Mauskar]

thanks for the reply...

"change the settings from bitstream to PCM" -> Yea, its for the BD player. I changed both settings from "bitstreaming" to "PCM" and when I play any blu ray, I only have "5CH Multi PCM" as an option on my receiver. The sound quality just doesnt sound the same as when its set to "bitstream"

"I don't know. A quick glance shows varying reviews with this. Which looks better to you, and how so? What's your TV? " -> I havent tried using the splitter just yet since I have to order it from monoprice. Wanted to know if others have had issues with video processing with the HK receivers. My current TV is a Sony KDF-E42A10, but am getting a new TV with 1080p in Feb once my loan money comes through for school...

 

[jostenmeat]

thanks for the reply...

"change the settings from bitstream to PCM" -> Yea, its for the BD player. I changed both settings from "bitstreaming" to "PCM" and when I play any blu ray, I only have "5CH Multi PCM" as an option on my receiver. The sound quality just doesnt sound the same as when its set to "bitstream"

May I ask again which codec you tried? You often have to choose the hidef codec on the bluray itself, especially TrueHD or mch PCM.

You will only ever see PCM lit up on the receiver. The receiver doesn't know which codec packaged the PCM to begin with.

Try a couple of things. Turn off secondary audio in player setup. Look for DRC of any kind in player, and turn it off. And most importantly, make sure you are selecting the correct codec in the disc menu.

 

[Mauskar]

Ok, I think i kinda figured it out. The player doesnt allow you to choose a specific audio codec per say, but based on whether you choose bitstreaming in category 1 and PCM in category 2 it will choose the appropriate codec. I've attached the pdf of the owner's manual and i believe this is what the chart is trying to explain on pg 8.

Plus it also states that when choosing bitstream :"When the connected equipment is not supported with these audio formats, the audio is output as Dolby Digital bitstream, DTS Digital Surround
bitstream or down-mixed 2ch PCM (e.g., TV)."

When choosing PCM: "When the connected equipment is not supported with multi channel surround, the audio is output as down-mixed 2ch PCM."

So since my receiver doesnt handle the certain codec, its automatically outputted to the default which is in the bold above....

I also turned Dynamic Range Control to off.

I guess my issue is the receiver I am using- since it only handles HDMI 1.1 and doesnt handle the other codecs (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, etc)???

I really appreciate any and all input!!!

 

[jostenmeat]

You will only ever see PCM lit up on the receiver. The receiver doesn't know which codec packaged the PCM to begin with.

Let me clarify the above for you. Codecs are only there to package your audio into a smaller space. Yes, that's it. Once you "open up the package", you get the same thing, the same gift. The codec is the box that wraps the gift. Ok?

So, because your player already unwrapped the gift, the receiver has absolutely no idea if it was wrapped in newspaper or fine silk. It will and only can see it as PCM.

Set BOTH your Dolby and DTS as PCM, and not bitstream.

Assuming that you actually select the correct codec, ahem gift wrapper, on the bluray disc menu, you will get to enjoy all of the gift's contents per se, but your receiver will only show PCM.

Congratulations on defeating DRC.

 

[Mauskar]

Okay, just did that and I think i see what you are saying... in my player, we have a pop up window that has the status of what is going on- currently it reads "TrueHD", "PCM", and "5.1". Is there anyway of being able to change from TrueHD to others such as "Dolby Digital +"? I know you said that it depends on the codec I select on the player, but I cant find a specific area in settings that allows you to choose a specific codec, rather I see only what was mentioned before- 2 categories that can be set to either "PCM" or "Bitstream", which is now "PCM" and now understand why!

 

[jostenmeat]

Is there anyway of being able to change from TrueHD to others such as "Dolby Digital +"?

1. Why on Earth would you want to?

2. Even if you had good reason, I've never seen a disc that I can remember that actually had both TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus.

3. TrueHD tracks are accompanied by a lossy version (DD), but the former is better. DTSMA is a different animal as it's compromised of dual bitstreams (core + extension). I don't want to confuse you, and I don't want to teach you more about this sort of detail atm, but it's something you may learn about.

I know you said that it depends on the codec I select on the player, but I cant find a specific area in settings that allows you to choose a specific codec, rather I see only what was mentioned before- 2 categories that can be set to either "PCM" or "Bitstream", which is now "PCM" and now understand why!

Some discs don't have any menu to choose codec. As somewhat alluded to above, most any DTSMA title I can remember doesn't have one, because they never needed to. If it handles MA, the extension stream goes through, and if it can't, then only the core DTS does.

With TrueHD, for quite a while did one have to select it. That includes big blockbusters like The Dark Knight for example. OTOH, I just watched the first half of Gone With The Wind tonight, and that's defaulted to TrueHD, with nothing to select. This means to me that implementation has improved quite a bit in the last few years (even a "separate" accompanying lossy track will make its way through the audio chain w/o having to select it).

I have yet to see, or if I have I don't remember it, a disc coming as defaulted to a "codec-less" 5.1 PCM track.