dsa_shea

Here's my equipment:

1. DVD Player: Toshiba SD-4980 (supposedly enhances dvds for HD tvs)
2. Surround System: Sony STR-K750P
3. Television: Sony 30" HD KV-30HS420

Now here's is how I have everything set up: My DVD player is hooked up to the tv through an HDMI Cable. My DVD Player is hooked up to the surround sytem through an optical cable. Now the problem is that when I turn on my dvd player and want to watch a dvd with surround sound (as it is recorded and not pro logic II) as well as have the audio on the tv work it doesn't. My dvd player has to be set to PCM audio for the tv to be able to put out the audio. When I change it to bitstream it doesnt put out any audio from the dvd. But when the dvd player is set to PCM audio it doesnt put out the proper audio (through an optical cable to my surround system). I then have to change my system's settings from AFD to Dolby Pro Logic to get an artificial surriund sound rather than the 5.1 that the track is originally recorded in. Now when I change my dvd output from PCM to Bitstream my surround sytem puts out the proper audio but my tv puts out zilch. Now what can I do here to correct this? Should I just remove the optical cable and connect the coaxial audio cable from ym dvd player to my surround system? What is the difference between PCM and Bitsteam and why cant the high end tvs put out either audio type? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm just frustrated with this and dont want to have to change my dvds audio output depending on when and how I watch to watch my movies since you have to remove the disc from the system to get to the setup options screen.

treszoks

Coaxial is just as good as optical. Use that for the speakers and then use normal rca cables to the tv and see if that works.

dsa_shea

I hooked up the audio red/white cables from the dvd player to the tv hdmi audio inputs. I then switched the dvd players audio output from pcm to bitstream and the tv still wont pick up the audio. I then unhooked the optical cable connecting the dvd player and the surround receiver and hooked them together with the orange coaxial cable hoping to get the real Dolby Digital but no dice. What the hell is going on here. Cant the newer Sony tvs recieve both PCM or Bitstream? If this were the case I wouldnt be having this damn problem. Dolby digitla Pro Logic and True Dolby Digital are not the same and I want to hear the movies as they are recorded not an artificial surround sound. Hopefully you all can solve this problem because I cant and it sucks.

ATX

is there not an option on the dvd player where you can set bitstream/dd ?

that should take care of the prob... you shouldn't have to switch back and forth

dsa_shea

My dvd player only gives the pcm or bitsteam options.

With PCM selected I get audio from the tv but not true surround sound on ym reciever.
With Bitstream selected I get true surround sound from my system but absolutely no audio from the tv. I wish there were a third option. I guess my tv doesnt decode audio output through bitstream.

Spiky

Confused. Why do you want surround sound AND TV sound at the same time?

It sounds like your player does not output anything but PCM via the HDMI cable. If this is correct, Toshiba probably didn't want to jump on the latest HDMI specifications, or maybe the player is simply old enough to be from a previous spec. So you may not be able to get the sound out of both systems at the same time. Not sure why you'd want to.

BTW,
PCM is standard CD audio. For DVDs, the Dolby can be downconverted to PCM for use by a standard TV or an older surround/stereo system. When the player is set to this, it just outputs a stereo signal that is more universal and can be played by virtually any audio device made since the 70s. But not in 5.1 surround as you've discovered.

Bitstream means the player outputs whatever format is on the DVD. So Dolby Digital or DTS is output, whatever you picked on the DVD.

dsa_shea

I have to set my dvd player to bitstream to get the true surround sound from my sony receiver but I lose audio from the tv. What I would like to find is a setting so that I dont have to go into my dvds menu (which is a pain) and change the audio output depending if we want to watch with surround (daughter awake and playing) or just with the tv audio (daughter/wife sleeping). I even hooked up some audio cables to the hdmi slot on the tv as well as the dvd player and that didnt even work while it was running in bitstream. Having the dvd player set to pcm turns everything in to 2 channel with subwoofer sound through the receiver. You have to then change the receiver to dolby pro logic II to get the simulated surround sound. I dont want that trash as I want to hear the audio as it was recorded and intended to be heard.

emoxley

The only thing a tv is used for in an HT system, is for video.
Receivers usually have a "midnight" mode, which lowers the signal output, for sleeping people. You can also hit the surround button, and turn off surround, so it's just stereo output (for those sleeping).
One thing about HDMI is that it's supposed to send video AND audio, through the cable. So you shouldn't need extra audio cables, with the HDMI input.

dsa_shea

The HDMI cables do carry the audio signals to the tv when the DVD Player is set to put out audio in the PCM setting. However, when I change the dvd player's audio output from PCM to Bitstream the tv no longer puts out audio.

Spiky

I think I figured this out. Your TV cannot decode Dolby/DTS. That is why you get nothing when the player is set to Bitstream. If you can find a setting that allows your TV to decode these, that may work.

The easy solution should be to run a standard red/white analog audio cable to your TV, assuming it has an analog audio input to go with the HDMI input. This should give you PCM output via analog even when the digital outputs are set to Bitstream.

WillK

I have encountered EXACTLY the same situation as DSA_SHEA. I am looking for a DVD player that does what we want and have already returned a Samsung, and cancelled an order for a Sony because after speaking to a rep was told it couldn't do it. I have sent the following emails to Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer in an attempt to find a DVD player that works the way we want it to with digital audio outputs:

"Can the xxxx DVD player output a PCM signal via HDMI output to a TV while simultaneously sending a bitstream signal via coax/optical outputs to an amplifier? I recently returned a DVD player because when I had it connected to my Sony KDF-60WF655 TV via HDMI and to my amp via digital output (coax or optical) the player set all audio output (HDMI/coax/optical) to the same setting - PCM or bitstream. When it was set to PCM, sound to the TV worked but I only got 2.1 digital to my amp. When it was set to bitstream I got 5.1 output to my amp but no sound from the TV. The TV displayed the message "HDMI audio output not supported", or something like that."

If I find one that works I will post info here, and if anyone else does I would appreciate hearing about it.

Brian Shannon

I dont think you will find it, Spiky answered the question. That is the only way to feed your tv an audio signal and still use a dvd player for what it is intended.

WillK

I just bought the Sony DVPNS70H at Circuit City and was happy to find that it does allow for PCM output via HDMI while allowing separate bitstream settings for Dolby Digital and DTS via coax/optical outputs. It provides an excellent upconverted picture, including enhanced black level setting even for HDMI output - another hard to find feature.

The Sony order that I cancelled was for the new model DVP-NS90V because, according to Sony customer service, it did not support separate digital audio output settings. I saw the DVPNS70H on sale at Circuit City (the newer model is not available in any stores local to me) and figured I'd give it a shot since I could just bring it back to the store if it didn't work out. I'm glad I did! But now I'm wondering if the newer Sony would have worked as well, despite what the rep said...

scrotalsac187

I agree with Spikey, why would you want to use both your TV and surround speakers? For the majority of TVs, the speakers are crap because they don't put the time and effort to make them any good since most people will get surround sound speakers. You can either turn the volume down or go the the night mode for anyone that is sleeping. Using both the TV speakers and surround speakers at the same time for a movie in 5.1 cannot sound that good. More often than not, the surrounds may be on a slight delay, and then the TV speakers and surround sound speakers are out-of-sync.

Save yourself the headache and stick with the surround sound speakers only. You paid the extra money for an upgrade frothe crappy TV speakers, so use them.

WillK

It appears that some of you are missing the point. With the previous HDMI DVD players that I tried a user would have to navigate thru several layers of DVD menu options in order to switch from getting sound from either the TV or the amp. I will almost always opt to listen to 6.1 DD or DTS thru my receiver and I just mute my TV. My wife prefers just using the TV speakers, which on my Sony KDF-60WF655 include a subwoofer and provide excellent sound for TV speakers. If it were necessary for her to have to open the DVD players menus and switch from bitstream (if I left it in that mode) to PCM it just would not happen and there would be some pretty unhappy users of my system. With the Sony DVPNS70H I leave the coax/optical ouputs as bitstream and the HDMI as PCM so when the amp is off she gets sound from the TV without having to diddle with settings and everyone is happy.

Spiky

I think that last point was to only use the receiver, regardless of your wife's thoughts. Set it up so the TV can't be used by programming macros on a remote and it won't be an issue for her pressing too many buttons.

But if you found a player and she's happy, you've won the battle!