Bought a new TV, now what? with audio & blu ray?

Regarding blu ray, I am under the impression that if I use a simple digital coax to my receiver, which decodes only DD and DTS, I will not get any Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio. My sound processor does have analog inputs, but via DB-25 connectors, which will bypass all but the master volume control. If I get a blu ray player that decodes the HD audio signals and use the analog connectors, will I be able to enjoy these formats?

Lossless surround such as TrueHD and DTS-HD MA require too much bandwidth to be transmitted *digitally* over SP/DIF or Toslink. But your sound processor has 5.1 analog inputs via a DB25 connector. If you get a Blu-ray player with internal TrueHD and DTS-HD-MA processing and a back panel with at least 5.1 RCA analog outputs, you can indeed enjoy the benefits of lossless hi-def surround with your current gear.

To do so you will need to acquire two things:

1: A Blu-ray player with internal decoding of both Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio
2. A special cable that has six color-coded RCA connectors at one end and a DB25 connector at the other. A few years ago, many cable companies made them, but as the number of surround components to use DB25 has dried up, so have the cables. A few remain; they're just not as easy to find.

You can get a DB25-to-multiple-RCA cable from this selection, available in lengths from 3-50 feet. You'll probably want a 3- or 6-foot one.

A good example of a Blu-ray player that fits your budget and analog output requirements is the Panasonic DMP-BD80. It has internal processing for the lossless codecs and a back panel with 7.1 analog outputs (in your case you ignore the extra rear surround channels). Just get a cable like the one in the link, and connect the RCA end to the Blu-ray player's outputs and connect the DB25 plug to your surround processor.

Great Hi-rez sound from the analog outputs from a $200-300 BR player seems doubtful at best to me compared to what your Rotel should be capable of. If it were me I'd use the standard dolby/dts through your digital connection to your cuurent AVR.

Srwooten is wrong, even poorly implemented DTS HD MA and Dolby TrueHD will sound better then DD and DTS, the Pannie Johnny recommends is a solid player and it will get you into the new codecs for cheap.

07-08-09: Srwooten
Great Hi-rez sound from the analog outputs from a $200-300 BR player seems doubtful at best to me compared to what your Rotel should be capable of.

Nope, for two reasons: economy of scale and high resolution source trumps lower-rez plus processing.

Panasonic can build a $300-350 Blu-ray player that performs to a high level. A $300 Blu-ray's picture is certainly better-looking than that of a $5000 std-def DVD player. The same goes for the sound. The Rotel's higher build quality can't overcome the fact that it's decoding a very lossy surround scheme while the Panasonic is putting out a lossless signal.

When Wes Philips in Stereophile reported on hearing Dolby TrueHD processed through an Onkyo AV receiver a couple years ago, he stated that it was the best-sounding surround playback he had ever heard. Wes is no stranger to expensive, esoteric gear, and yet a lossless source, even when played through a mass-market receiver, trumped std-def DTS or Dolby Digital he'd heard through cost-no-object components.

Great comments Johnny. I checked the website for the DB-25 cables. Any info on how I determine what RCA cable corresponds to which channel?