Audio hookups

Tis49 - I have not run into BR that can only do 2 channel digital out. If that is the case for the Sony then he can bit stream the lossy signal. If he bit streams to the TV then he needs a TV that can decode the bit stream and send it to a digital out. Not all HDMI TVs do that. But again, he would have to bit stream a lossy format. I prefer not to send the digital signal to the TV, but I also have a universal remote with macros, so switching inputs is not an issue.

Question - the Sony spec for coax/Toslink is 2 channel for 96/24. Are you sure it does not do multichannel for 48/24, which is what Dolby Digital uses? I will say I do not use this type of very entry level BR.

RBaker - If using the BR player for 3D movies, or any movies, it sounds like an upgrade to the receiver and speakers may be warranted. 3D video with 2 channel audio is a bit of a mismatch.

If the receiver does not have a coax digital input, then you need some sort of external DAC, as tls49 suggested. Just make sure the BR down mixes any multi-channel signal to 2 channel.

Dtc, in your first post, you said to use the optical or coaxial digital audio out. The link I provided for the Sony verified that this is only a 2ch PCM signal or bitstream.

Question - the Sony spec for coax/Toslink is 2 channel for 96/24. Are you sure it does not do multichannel for 48/24, which is what Dolby Digital uses? I will say I do not use this type of very entry level BR.

Here is another link for the Oppo BDP-105, check the specification for "Output - Coaxial/Optical Audio - up to 2ch/192kHz PCM"

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-105/blu-ray-BDP-105-Features.aspx

For HDMI output, it does list 7.1ch PCM. I believe multichannel PCM is only possible through HDMI, not an optical or coaxial digital out.

Can you provide any documentation that shows any player that will do a multichannel PCM out through an optical or coaxial digital output?

As far as the 48/24, Dolby Digital, that's a bitstream signal.

Also, any 2ch PCM signal from an optical or coaxial digital output will be down mixed.

Pentangle, let me clear up one last bit of misinformation.

If he bit streams to the TV then he needs a TV that can decode the bit stream and send it to a digital out.

Not exactly true.

Retired now, but worked in the A/V industry for over 20 years, and Sony was a brand I dealt with. The first year or two when HDMI was added to TV's would be a problem, however if your set is less than 8 years old, then the Dolby Digital bitstream signal is just a pass through from the HDMI input to the digital audio output. So again, this is my recommendation,

If he connects the Blu-ray player and cable box to the TV with HDMI, and they are set for bitstream, he will get a bitstream signal from the digital audio output on the TV, and this can be connected to a digital input on the RX-V1400. Also, changing inputs on the TV will change sound from the RX-V1400 at the same time, rather than having to make an additional change on the RX-V1400 to select the appropriate sound for the picture.

My mistake, he needs a TV that can ACCEPT the bitstream, not necessarily decode it. I ran into a situation just this week where the TV would not accept a 5.1 signal. Yes, it is an old HDMI TV, but they are out there. Hence the caution. I agree that most new TVs do this.