Preferred audio source?

[pjviitas]

What's better:
1. Running numerous audio sources from all your components in an AV system
2. Running a single audio source from your television

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[j_garcia]

Depends on the TV. Many do not have ARC, which can pass audio back to the receiver allowing you to get proper audio from various sources without the TV trying to process it. In most cases, I'd say the display is the final destination, unless you have some weird reason to do it the other way.

 

[highfigh]

Depends on the TV. Many do not have ARC, which can pass audio back to the receiver allowing you to get proper audio from various sources without the TV trying to process it. In most cases, I'd say the display is the final destination, unless you have some weird reason to do it the other way.

What's better:
1. Running numerous audio sources from all your components in an AV system
2. Running a single audio source from your television

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Might not have ARC but most, if not all, have an optical output jack and that works just fine for most applications.

Fewer long cables if the TV is used as a monitor and the AVR does all of the switching.

 

[j_garcia]

The optical jack is fine for everything except HD audio however and still has the problem of the TV handling the processing. My dad's TV has the option of passing everything as DTS or DD. In both cases, most things come out sounding odd unless they were broadcast in those formats. When I got him a receiver with HDMI to solve that problem, it sounds better - because the receiver is now decoding everything from the sources. Prior to having HDMI on the receiver though, optical was the best way.

 

[slipperybidness]

My other gripe with using the TV as the hub is that for most TVs you have to cycle through the inputs.

I prefer to use the AVR as the hub where I can press 1 button to immediately activate the input that I want.

 

[Mark of Cenla]

I also run all of the sources into the AVR rather than the TV. Peace and goodwill.

 

[Seth=L]

I'm odd one out, I run all my video sources through my television and my audio only devices straight to the amplifier. In fairness it's a stereo setup. If it were a home theater setup all my video and audio sources would go through the receiver first if possible.

 

[KEW]

Personally, I think Smart TV's are Stupid unless you only plan to have a sound bar or HTiB.
Even then, I would argue the case for getting a Smart BD Player instead of a Smart TV. I will likely keep my TV for around 10 years or longer. I expect anything it has that is "smart" will start to seem "dumb" in ~5 years. I'd rather replace a $200 BD Player than a >$1000 TV.

(Aside from entry-level/HTiB receivers) AVR's process better and dedicated streamers (such as Roku) are better (convenience and performance).

 

[Seth=L]

Personally, I think Smart TV's are Stupid unless you only plan to have a sound bar or HTiB.

Most cases, yes.

Even then, I would argue the case for getting a Smart BD Player instead of a Smart TV.

Sadly the days of physical media are numbered. I've been a staunch supporter of physical media for years and even I'm starting to question my loyalty to it.

In another thread I referred to a JL audio subwoofer as a Lifestyle product. Much like the JL, many SmartTVs are Lifestyle products. Streamlining to the bare minimum is a popular concept. Every year more and more people are abandoning the concept of home ownership in favor of renting. Some of them are left with no other options, but most surprisingly it's become a choice for people to live a minimalist lifestyle. This means having hundreds of thousands of discs (Blu-rays, CDs, DVDs..... Laserdiscs ) isn't desirable for them.

I will likely keep my TV for around 10 years or longer. I expect anything it has that is "smart" will start to seem "dumb" in ~5 years. I'd rather replace a $200 BD Player than a >$1000 TV.

I agree. You can't hope to keep up with this madness unless you make it your business to do so.

(Aside from entry-level/HTiB receivers) AVR's process better and dedicated streamers (such as Roku) are better (convenience and performance).

Also agreed on the performance and ease of use, but convenience is a point of view the minimalists might not share.

 

[3db]

I'm another for the AVR being the hub and routing all sound thru it rather than the display.