What processor?

It makes no difference if decoded in the player or the processor.

Kal

Kal is correct - theoretically the decoding should be identical wherever it takes place.

BUT - and this was huge for me - by decoding at the pre/pro you only need one (1) HDMI cable from the BD to the pre. And that cable carries both 7.1 audio and 1080p video

If you decode 7.1 at the BD you then need 10 cables, three component video and 7 audio. Now you are stuck with all the traditional painful choices about how good those cables have to be to preserve that pristine sound you just decoded...

A lot of people could easily spend more on the ten cables then the pre/pro. To say nothing of the mess if you have more then one multichannel source.

To me the elegance of HDMI cabling is a big part of the equation...

Sorry, Ckorody, what you are saying is not entirely true. If you decode from TrueHD/dtsMA to PCM, it does not matter where you do it. Either way, only one HDMI cable is needed since the data is still digital.

If we were speaking of doing the D/A conversion in the player, you would be correct in saying that multiple analog audio cables would be needed.

Kal

Kal - agreed - however Audioblazers questioned was do I decode in my BD player or do I replace my pre/pro so I can use it for decoding.

Given the decision he is trying to make and the fact that one can decode at either end (ie neither solution is "better"), I think that the cabling implications of this decision are important to consider.

Hi Kal and Ckorody thanks for your feedback. What is your opinion of using a processor like halcro ssp 220 who does not decode latest codec but combine it with bluray which decode the latest codec and output via PCM. Anybody has tried Marantz 8003? How do you like it?