What's my best Audio option for the HD-A3? My HDTV has 1 HDMI port, so obviously I would use that for HDMI in from the player. My receiver does NOT have a HDMI connection, only component-in and optical-in. Should I send audio over component directly from the HD-A3 to the receiver, or go over HDMI to the TV, then component from TV to receiver? Will I be able to benefit from all of the audio selections using these options?

I doubt that the A3 has an analog 5.1 out, but if it does and your receiver has an input, that would be your best bet for audio.

If not, your best bet would be to go from the A3 directly to the tv with the HDMI, and then from the player to your receiver with an optical digital cable. You will at least be able to get DD and DTS that way, something that you won't get using component cables.

What about going from the player directly to the receiver via digital audio cable? I have my system (HD-A2 & DD/DTS receiver) setup this way, but I'm wondering if this is the best solution.

HDMI will go from player to your tv. Optical cable will go from player to receiver. For DD+ or TrueHD audio, you will get the downcoverted DD at 640 kbps. This player does not have analog outs. So the only way to listen to lossless audio on this player is to buy a HDMI receiver that will accept audio and output via multi-channel or a HDMI 1.3 receiver (Onkyo 605) that decodes the lossless audio.

That's the same as Digital Coax right? My receiver does have that input.

Does the A3 have a coax digital out? (The A2 doesn't, it only has optical.) It doesn't matter, use whichever one it has.

If you connect from the TV to the receiver, audio from anything connected to the TV (except the TV's own tuners) will be downconverted to 2-channel PCM, so don't do that unless you're actually using the TV's tuner, in which case connect the TV digital audio out to a separate input on the receiver, just for TV sound.

The A3 ONLY has an optical out.

here's my setup & ??
A3 hdmi to tv. A3 optical cable to my receiver.
1. the 1st thing is the sound is not in sync.. I have not tried to figure out which is wrong yet I just turn my tv volume down to zero. It did sound kinda cool with the opening of transformers.
2. when playing transformers HD my A3 front screen shows multi for the sound
when playing SD Gladiator with DTS sound I do have sound but my A3 screen shows 2-channel. It sounds like DTS to me & my receiver DTS light is on.

also the A3 does not have a bookmark function it forgets where you are if you turn it off. that stinks!!

Hmm... so just out of curiosity (and sorry to resurrect an old thread), if we do not have a receiver that decodes HD audio that there is absolutely no difference between DTS and DTS HD playback from an A3? I generally felt that there would be no difference, or it wouldn't work...but because I like to live in a fantasy world I always selected the HD audio option when watching...