Hello all -
Longtime reader, first time poster....bear with me.

I recently upgraded my home theater to:

Sharp AQUOS LC-SE94U HDTV
JVC DR-MV79B VHC\DVD Recorder combo unit. (upscalling unit to 1080P)

My current receiver: SONY STR-DE695
Speakers: Bose Acoustimass 10

Here are my connections:
HMDI out from combo unit to TV HDMI in
Digital Coax (S\PDIF) out from combo unit to Receiver
Component Video out on combo unit to Component input on TV. (Note-This is for testing only)
The video input selection is made on the TV. 1 for Component and the other for HDMI

Issue: I am not getting Multi-Channel decode into my Receiver while playing DVD's when HDMI is connected. It comes in as PCM 48. I have verified all the audio settings in the combo unit to Dolby Digital Bitstream...
My receiver is set up to Auto Decode multi channel in and accept incoming digital audio via COAX.

With DVD stopped, if I unplug the HDMI from the back of the combo unit and change my video input signal on my tv to component, play DVD again, the receiver decodes the Multi Channel (the blue light comes on) and it's all good, but my picture quality is only 480P.

Caveat: While the DVD is playing, if I plug the HDMI cable back into the output on the combo unit, and change the video input selection on the TV to the HDMI, I get my 1080P picture and the Multi Channel stays. (until you stop the DVD or pause it)

I have contacted both Sony and JVC and the typical finger pointing happens and can't get a solid answer out of any one. Hence being here.

I think that the JVC combo units order of processing the audio signal is HDMI first then Coax, that's why I lose it when connected to HDMI.

Does anyone know of tweak setting or a splitter I can use to "delete" the HDMI audio, but keep that Video signal, and use the Digital COAX signal instead. (short of buying a new HDMI receiver of course.....)

Any help would be appreciated.

That looks like an HDMI handshake issue. The TV lacks the required decoders and negotiates a two channel PCM connection. Your JVC appears to use that negotiation to control all digital outputs.

So, take a look in the JVC manual to see if there is a way to turn off audio on the HDMI output.

Or, see if there are separate settings for the HDMI and coax digital outputs.

Or, see if the TV has a setting to ignore audio over HDMI.

Or, perhaps the multichannel analog outputs will work, if your player and receiver have them. With analog, the player decodes the audio track itself, does the digital-analog conversion, and sends each of the six channels over separate audio cables to the receiver.

Or, you could look for an DMI/DVI switch that might be able to strip the audio off the HDMI output. It would be something like HDMI out from the player to the switch. DVI out of the switch using a DVI-HDMI cable to the TV.

Or, get a new player that doesn't tie all digital outputs to the HDMI handshake.

Another point to bear in mind: upscaling players are pretty much nonsense, and the scaling circuit in your display is probably better than the one in the combo unit. Your actual as-displayed picture quality is unlikely to be better when rescaling in the source than in the display.

The thing to remember here is that the image is ALWAYS upscaled to the screen resolution of your display. If your player does not upscale it, your display will. The question is not "whether" the image gets upscaled from its native 480p, but "where" it gets upscaled.

I have half a dozen upscaling DVD players around; we use them as a convenient way to check HDMI cable samples for performance at various resolutions. But in my experience, when there is an observable difference between 480p and "upscaled" output from these players, the 480p always looks better. Bear in mind that the recording is a 480-line recording; upscaling at the player is not, in principle, any better than upscaling at the display. DVD/VHS combo units tend to have cheap electronics, and although I haven't played around with Sharp AQUOS gear, it's very likely that the Sharp does a better job of rescaling than the combo unit.

So, the upshot is: I would just go with the component video output and the better sound performance. I do not think you're likely to be missing anything in terms of picture quality, and you may well be gaining a bit.

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm)

Gents - Many thanks for the quick replies.
When playing a DVD in 1080p, the AQUOS defintley displays a better quality picture than the Standard def of 480p. It's a noticiable difference, at least to me......maybe not some.

How would one go about finding a combo unit that applies the correct handshake in order to send video over HDMI? That type of spec isn't generally listed on the box....nor would I expect your average sales person know that deep of a technical item. (in most places)

I suppose I can just keep trying various MFG's while taking advanatge of retail 30-day return polocies.....:-)
IMO, this JVC unit lacks the neccessary audio\split function as described. I think I'm goping to return it for a different brand\model and start from scratch...

Kurt - Any suggestions on a model that might have the audio\video split function as needed?

I may also look for a new receiver with HDMI switching since that's the direction everything is going now anyway.

Try using optical (if there is one) on your JVC to go to your receiver or see if going from your JVC to the TV to the receiver works.

I have a Sony STRDE-895 ( a receiver that sound be quite similar to yours) that had a similar situation with my PS3 as the source. My setup used to go PS3-> HDMI in on Westinghouse TV-> Optical out on TV-> STRDE-895.

Quite frequently the receiver would detect the input as 48 PCM just like you described. I was not getting getting full digital surround sound from Blu Ray and DVD titles! Also, in this setup, the receiver would detect DTS input when DVDs or BDs had it, but would only output mostly silence with some stuttering sound.

So, I have several bits of interesting info.

One: I solved my problem by using the optical out connector on my PS3 and going straight to the receiver, bypassing the TV. Now the receiver always decodes Dolby Digital when it's on the DVD or Blu Ray title (IE, The Fifth Element BD now plays in DD 5.1 instead of PCM 48 Khz 2 channel) and it decodes DTS from the PS3 great. This may or may not help you because you aren't going through the TV for audio, while I was. But maybe, just maybe, if the combo JVC unit doesn't control it's optical output (if it has one) based on HDMI negotiation, this may work.

Two: What if you went combo unit > HDMI in on TV > Optical or SPDIF out on TV > receiver? This may not work because it sounds like your aQous negotiates only 2 channel PCM, but maybe it has some circuits for negotiating surround sound over HDMI when it has an optical or SPDIF connector coming out of it.

Three: I've searched for hours while researching my situation and have found NO WAY to get a SPDIF signal from an HDMI cable.

Now let me ask about HDMI to SPIDF. Why doesn't anyone make a HDMI to HDMI and SPDIF converter? Is it because of HDCP DRM? It is too expensive to modulate HDMI audio to SPDIF?There are devices that take video and SPDIF audio and form a HDMI signal. I found a PC video card (http://event.asus.com/vga/manual/hdmi_spdif_cable.pdf) that takes optical or SPDIF as input and combines it with its own video output to form an HDMI output with audio. I've also found a manufacturer, Shenzhen Shunxun Electronics Co (http://www.***********ducts.globalsources.com/gsol/I/DVI-adapter/a/9000000083479.htm), that claims to make a component-video-with-SPDIF-audio to HDMI converter (model "SX-YM-01"). I also once read that HDMI is supposedly DVI with HDCP plus SPDIF. But now I'm not sure that's true because I've since read that SPDIF cables use coaxial signal transmission (capacitance, unless I'm wrong), while HDMI cables use voltage for digital signal transmission. So, it's not a one-to-one splice or split. Why aren't there HDMi to SPDIF converters? If it's DRM, perhaps the HD Fury makers can apply their expertise and make an HDMI to SPDIF adapter. I would certainly appreciate a "finder's fee" for this idea :-)

Well, after many countless hours of research, on the phone with tech support for all MFG of the different components, trying all the suggestions found on this board,not to mention some sleepless nights, I went with my original intuition that the JVC combo unit was the culprit simply in the way it hands off the audio with BOTH HDMI and COAX connected.
I must mention that the JVC Sr. Level tech supports was no help what so ever and it was evident I knew much more than they did, just with all the technical research I had to perform. As soon as you start talking technical, they immediatley tell you they will escalate the case and never call you back.
Anyway, long story short, I returned the JVC (which stands for Junk Video Component) and went with a Toshiba combo unit. Wella! Mysteriously problem is now resolved. Not only that, the Toshiba has many more intergrated set up options including turning HDMI audio out OFF. My issue was resolved with regardless if this on or off, but it's a nice feature.
The Toshiba also had no problems playing "my own" DL DVD's where the JVC puked 90% of the time before getting to any menu option. I have to admit, I was leary about purchasing this brand just because there not a heavy hitter in the market and the $$ was about $50 higher than the JVC, but worth every penny, since I now do not have to spend $500 on a new reciever with HDMI switching. (Which by the way was my next move) I will post the Toshiba model # later today for those interested.
Many thanks to all for the help and assistance through this ordeal.
I can sleep better at night now!!!

TTFN!

For those interested. Toshiba model number purchased that solved the above problem was D-VR660KU.