what is best audio connection for dvd to receiver?

Sugarbrie,
I don't mean to contradict you sir, but I think your 2nd statement regarding "regular music CD's" is not completely correct.
Most (all that I know of) receivers (and pre-amp/processors) will play a regular CD through the digital outputs. You'd simply have your receiver/pre in 2-channel mode. The receiver/pre would be doing the same as in surround mode....simply receiving the digital signal from the DVD player and processing it according to how the receiver/pre was set....in this case for 2-channel/stereo.
Now I THINK I'm correct on this one (and I had a couple of beers with my friend earlier!) :-) so please kick it back to me if I'm wrong. Either way....we all learn something and that's the idea!
Happy Listening!

P.s. In COMPLETE agreement with your last statement regarding Coax!
Happy Listening!

I don't doubt anyone; but all the HT receivers I have been in contact with don't have a "2 channel mode" for the digital chip in the receiver. If yours does, I am kind of skeptical that a chip designed for dolby digital is going to be better for 2 channel than the DAC chip built into the DVD player.

The questioner wants the best performance. While you state your receiver's chip does 2 channel, is it better than the DAC in your DVD player?

I think it really depends on the quality of your reciever vs. the quality of your player.

For instance, I have a Denon AVR 2803 and a Denon DVD 2900. The DAC's in the 2900 are superior to those in the 2803. To that end, I connect the DVD to the receiver using both analog and and coax. Coax is for DVD playback, and the analog connections are for CD playback. By connecting the DVD by analog, the signal is converted by the DVD player before reaching the receiver.

Ultimately, you will want to try your CD playback both ways (coax/optical and analog) and see what sounds best to you.

BTW, when I use the coax connection for CD playback, my reciever has two modes for two channel listening, 'direct' and 'stereo'. The former uses the least amount of processing possible, and the latter uses the bass mangagement and such, circitry.

I'm not sure anyone answered the question. I'm not sure I can either. However, it appears different receivers process 2-channel/stereo differently. Out of my dvd player, I use one BEL-the wire as a digital coax connection. This sends the signal for all digital including the "stereo" setting on my B&K. The center channel provides sound in this setting. However, when I switch to "direct" from the stereo setting, only the R/L speakers provide sound from the separate pair of BEL-the wire I/C's connected from/to audio out (dvd) to audio in (receiver), in essence an analog (although since cd and dvd are digital formats, analog may not be the correct term) signal. Maybe this helps, maybe I've just added to the confusion.