Pioneer VSX-520, Xbox 360 setup and netflix issues

[patryn]

I just recently had my old Sony go into protect mode and decided it would be a good time to upgrade. So I scooted over to Best Buy and bought a Pioneer VSX-520. Both my Xbox 360 and Blu-ray player are routed through the HDMI slots. So far I've been happy with it, until I've run into these two problems.

First, I run a Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player and it mainly just streams netflix. The issue is that once the stream loads and starts to play the movie/show, the picture and sound cut out. This happens as soon as the stream finishes loading and picture/sound start to output about every ~5th time I load a stream. Cycling the receiver or BD player off and back on will correct it. It's wearing on me using the duct tape fix though and I need to take it back soon to exchange it if this is a problem with my unit and not a general issue.

Second issue is getting my Xbox 360 to trigger the receiver to run 5.1. I'm outputting 5.1 from the 360 but only getting stereo through the receiver. I'd rather not lose my receiver switching by routing the 360 directly to the TV and outputting to the receiver with an optical but I'm not seeing any other options.

 

[MDS]

First, I run a Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player and it mainly just streams netflix. The issue is that once the stream loads and starts to play the movie/show, the picture and sound cut out.

That could be an HDCP issue and would occur if the receiver is not an HDMI repeater. It could also just be network lag issues if the internet connection isn't fast enough.

Second issue is getting my Xbox 360 to trigger the receiver to run 5.1. I'm outputting 5.1 from the 360 but only getting stereo through the receiver.

That sounds like a settings issue on the XBox. Perhaps the XBox is set to downmix DD 5.1 to 2 channel PCM so the receiver only sees two channels. I don't know if the XBox has settings like a DVD player but if it does you need to set the digital out to 'bitstream'.

 

[patryn]

The Blu-ray player never had an issue until routed through the receiver, so I know for a fact that the receiver is the issue. I just don't understand how. I don't see how it could be an HDCP issue either since I'm streaming netflix.

The 360 only has three settings. Stereo, Dolby 5.1, and Dolby 5.1 w/ WMPro. As far as I know, it doesn't do any audio decoding itself like a Blu-ray, DVD, or PS3 will do.

 

[MDS]

I'm sure that Netflix content is protected since it is streaming movies after all. Can you verify whether the receiver is an HDMI repeater? If you are certain the receiver is the problem, that would be one possible reason why.

So is the XBox digital audio out set to DD 5.1? If the receiver is seeing stereo, it may be set to Stereo. The XBox doesn't have to decode any formats but it is certain that it can downmix multi-channel DD to Stereo (that's why that option is available in the menu).

 

[patryn]

It is an HDMI repeater according to Pioneer's site.

Yes, the Xbox is set to DD 5.1. I have not changed any settings since the previous receiver when it was outputting DD 5.1. That's the problem. The Xbox is outputting 5.1, but the receiver is not.

 

[M Code]

I just recently had my old Sony go into protect mode and decided it would be a good time to upgrade. So I scooted over to Best Buy and bought a Pioneer VSX-520. Both my Xbox 360 and Blu-ray player are routed through the HDMI slots. So far I've been happy with it, until I've run into these two problems.

First, I run a Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player and it mainly just streams netflix. The issue is that once the stream loads and starts to play the movie/show, the picture and sound cut out. This happens as soon as the stream finishes loading and picture/sound start to output about every ~5th time I load a stream. Cycling the receiver or BD player off and back on will correct it. It's wearing on me using the duct tape fix though and I need to take it back soon to exchange it if this is a problem with my unit and not a general issue.

Samsung Blu-ray players are not HDMI/HDCP certified and have many interoperability issues. I would suggest that you return it and get a different brand.

Just my $0.02..

 

[patryn]

That would be spectacular, but I've had the Blu-ray player for over 6 months. And the Blu-ray player never had an issue when connected directly to the TV.

The Pioneer decided to start outputting in 5.1 for the 360 when I got home today. Guess it knew I was talking about it.

 

[M Code]

That would be spectacular, but I've had the Blu-ray player for over 6 months. And the Blu-ray player never had an issue when connected directly to the TV.

The Pioneer decided to start outputting in 5.1 for the 360 when I got home today. Guess it knew I was talking about it.

Connecting the Samsung Blu-ray player directly to the TV display via HDMI is very different than through an AVR, as the AVR uses what is called an HDMI Repeater circuit. You mite check with Samsung to see if they have a software update to fix the issue.

Just my $0.02...