I have a Pioneer VSX-D811 (might be a D711, -both numbers are on the guide) from a few years back, and I've always used the Optical connections for DD and DTS, and that's been fine. I recently purchased a Toshiba HD-AXI which uses Analog connections for the "higher-end" Dolby Digital. So for the first time I've tried using the analog connections on the reciever and I'm baffled by the results. I'm getting the read surrounds just fine, I'm getting the center channel, but nothing from the front surrounds. I've tried switching the calbles but I'm getting the same results. The reciever reads DVD 7.1 Channels. As a test, I hooked up my Oppo through its analog connections (if I'm understanding the back panel correctly) and got the same results. Have I made some kind of obvious blunder here, or does it sound like a problem with the reciever?

I would check to see how the receiver is set to receive the signal and how the player is sending the signal.

Thanks for the response, but the instructions are a little vague on that, -it just shows that you can hook them up and how to access them, -I mean I'm showing analog and that's really all I have to work with. The HD-DVD player is set to bitstream, which in theory should work. I've connected the corresponding on the player to the ones on the reciever. There's nothing that really tells me any more than that, which is why its a little frustrating. I know how the Optical connection works and how to set that up, but I'm getting at least part of the analog; I'm just not sure why I'm not getting the front surrounds.

Well not sure how to help as the Pioneer website requires you to register to view the manuals.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn..._tab=A,00.html

I believe it is a settings issue, it is not enough to simply connect the cables. In my case I have a seperate switch on my Yamaha to enable 6.1 surround via analog.

Do you not have the manuals for the receiver and the player?

Y'know, I have to apologize a little, -if only for what I first was thinking to myself, -because I found your first answer frustratingly vague. However, it frustrated me enough to take one more look at the book, -I downloaded it some time back, and I don't recall registering, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, I magnified the connection page to impossible proportions, and found that the book was somewhat counter-intuitive to the way its laid out on the back of the actual reciever (at least by my way of thinking, and audio isn't my strong suit). Rather than hook-up the fronts directly to the anolog area, you hook them up to the fronts that you would use for a standard 4-channel stereo hook-up. Mind you, my current lay-out sort of requires me to lay on the floor with a flashlight and two pairs of glasses and even so I can't easily see or reach what I need to). Then I was getting sound out of every speaker. I wasn't that impressed with the sound, so I tried switching the HD-AX1 to a PCM stream and that seemed to do the trick, -the DolbyDigital whatever seemed to be working great (of course, the only HD-DVD I had on hand was a rented copy of "Red Dragon" which isn't exactly "Demo" material.
The HD player has worked nicely enough for me, though its a little vague on explaining the various sound options and exactly how to utilize them. I mean, all you see as an option is English 5.1, and they don't explain that Dolby Digital on an Optical hook-up will read as DTS.
Long story short, even though you understandably couldn't offer me a lot of advice, you offered what I needed, and thanks again.

Glad you got it working!