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

Hello fellow Audiogoners,

I need some education and insight to point me in the right direction. I've done some research on my own, but would like some direct responses to some questions I have.

Like a lot of you folks, I'm a 2-channel analog junkie more than a HT guy. I just bought a Pioneer 6020FD for my modest home theater system, which consists of older NHT speakers and dated, but still great ROTEL separates. Up until now I enjoyed movies on my old 36' Sony CRT, so I never concerned myself with HDMI, Dolby tryHD, etc. As of now, I am not looking to purchase a new sound processor.

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?

Given the above, what blu ray players would be good for me? (under $300, preferably closer to $200). I don't need a universal player, just one that will play blu ray and upsample DVD's well.

Another question...
What do you folks commonly connect (audio) your HD cable box to you system? digital connections?

Thanks.
drewyou
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
There is a THX color code for the six channels; here it is according to this HTGuide forum discussion:

BLUE------Front Left
GREEN-----Front Center
RED--------Front Right
BROWN----Subwoofer
BLACK----Left Surround)
YELLOW---Right Surround)

When using the Blu-ray for std-def DVDs, you *may* get a little better sound by letting the Rotel do the digital processing, but you never know until you try.

My Oppo DV-980H has pretty good internal processors, and I use them for SACD and DVD-A, but I also connect a coax SP/DIF to my Boston Acoustics AVP7 (originally $2K) for CDs and sometimes for regular DVDs. I think the Boston sounds a little better for CDs.

But inexpensive audio components keep improving, and with the Panasonic, you won't know until you try both ways, and even then, it'll be close.
srwooten's avatar
srwooten
694 posts
 
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.
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.
srwooten's avatar
srwooten
694 posts
 
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.

Johnnyb53-
I have been looking for this article with no success. Can you let me know exactly where it is so I can look into it.
Thanks-
Steve

PS - Sorry for my last mis-post!
srwooten's avatar
srwooten
694 posts
 
Kennyt
To disagree is one thing, to just say I am wrong is vain.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Johnnyb53-
I have been looking for this article with no success. Can you let me know exactly where it is so I can look into it.
Thanks-
Steve
This one should do: http://www.stereophile.com/news/072907dolbytrue/index.html. It's Wes's account of his first encounter with Dolby TrueHD two years ago at a Dolby TrueHD demo using a Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player through an Onkyo TX-SR605 receiver, of which he wrote,
It was about the time I realized that the Martin guitars played by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on Live at Radio City sounded mighty like, well Martin guitars, that I stopped the show. "What are you playing?" I demanded. "This is some of the best multichannel sound I've ever heard."

Notice, he was so taken by the sound that he stopped the demonstration to ask that question.
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