Newbie here. I have a Sony KDF60XBR950 which has DVI connection not HDMI. I have this hooked up to a Denon AVR 3806 and Paradigm Studio 40's. I would like to add a Blu Ray player but am confused since the Blu Ray player has HDMI and my TV only has DVI connector. In addition, I've read that my Denon receiver does not properly handle HDMI. Any help would be appreciated as I love my current system but really want to add the Blu Ray player and take advantage of it fully.

Thanks

Newbie here. I have a Sony KDF60XBR950 which has DVI connection not HDMI. I have this hooked up to a Denon AVR 3806 and Paradigm Studio 40's. I would like to add a Blu Ray player but am confused since the Blu Ray player has HDMI and my TV only has DVI connector.
- HDMI is basically DVI+Audio. You should be able to use a HDMI>DVI cable or buy a HDMI>DVI adapter.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023104&p_id=2505&seq=1&format=2

In addition, I've read that my Denon receiver does not properly handle HDMI. Any help would be appreciated as I love my current system but really want to add the Blu Ray player and take advantage of it fully.

- I'm not sure what you mean by that. My father has a Denon AVR-3806 and has no problems with HDMI devices.

Basically the difference between HDMI and DVI is nothing. HDMI is only used for everything because Sony pushed it onto people so much. DVI should have won out because it had been around for longer, had all the same capability, holds the connection in place better due to screw terminals, and does not use royalties like HDMI. The only thing DVI doesnt have is HDCP (usually) which was a horrible invention to force more DRM onto people. And yes DVI can pass through 7.1 audio as well. But now on to your situation...

I find it funny that you have such an expensive Sony TV and yet it doesnt have HDMI. And it really isnt that old either. My parents had a cheap Bravia from 2005 I think (maybe 2006?) and it even had an HDMI input. I do not think you can use the HDMI output on your Bluray player into the TV due to the fact that your TV does not have HDCP capability. But looking over your receiver, it says on Denon's site that it does have the capability for multichannel audio through the HDMI, and it has a HDCP decoder:
http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/623.asp

So I am not sure if this would work or not, but you could try using the HDMI output from the bluray player into your receiver. Then have the receiver output the sound to the speakers, and use an HDMI to DVI cable to send the video out from the receiver to your TV. But again, it might not work because the receiver might pass the HDCP along the HDMI output to your TV. In which case the TV wouldnt decode the video signal properly because it wouldnt have HDCP capability on the DVI input.

If that doesnt work, you could use the component output on the bluray player and optical audio. Your receiver does not have Dolby HD or DTS HD stuff in it, so the main benefit of using HDMI is lost anyway. One way or another you can use a bluray player. The issue is whether or not you can use a simple HDMI to DVI cable, or if you will need to use other types of cables.

But again, it might not work because the receiver might pass the HDCP along the HDMI output to your TV. In which case the TV wouldnt decode the video signal properly because it wouldnt have HDCP capability on the DVI input.


If he can get the BluRay player to work with the Denon then maybe he can just convert the HDMI signal to component and connect to the TV's component connections. Something like the HDFury2 would be need to do this.

The KDF60XBR950's DVI input is HDCP compliant.

Then an HDMI to DVI cable should work properly. You can find them on ebay for pretty cheap, or newegg, possibly monoprice.

Does his Denon receiver downconvert HDMI to component? Not a lot of older receivers do that. I know mine doesnt.

Does his Denon receiver downconvert HDMI to component? Not a lot of older receivers do that. I know mine doesnt.

There is a thread in the amp/avr section with this question. I do not know of any AVRs that do this.

But looking over your receiver, it says on Denon's site that it does have the capability for multichannel audio through the HDMI, and it has a HDCP decoder
- The Denon 3806 will accept Multi-Channel PCM from the BluRay player. My father has the same receiver and I can confirm it.
http://www.usa.denon.com/AVR3806.pdf

Basically the difference between HDMI and DVI is nothing. HDMI is only used for everything because Sony pushed it onto people so much. DVI should have won out because it had been around for longer, had all the same capability, holds the connection in place better due to screw terminals, and does not use royalties like HDMI. The only thing DVI doesnt have is HDCP (usually) which was a horrible invention to force more DRM onto people. And yes DVI can pass through 7.1 audio as well.

So a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connection can take a digital audio signal and pass it thru like HDMI? Wow. Did not know that. Link please......

So a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connection can take a digital audio signal and pass it thru like HDMI? Wow. Did not know that. Link please......

Can't wait to see how this one pans out. :D

Is this in reference to some SONY specific DVI, allowing audio transmission? I still can't believe it...but if it is true or possible, I would like to find out some more.

Basically the difference between HDMI and DVI is nothing....
There's no audio via DVI, so there's quite a bit of difference. However, in this case, he can run HDMI from the player to the AVR so he will have sound, and transmit the video to the Sony using an HDMI to DVI cable. Simple, if it works. BluRay brings along it's own set of problems with each company authoring the discs a different way.

Well I have a friend who uses his ATI graphics card from his computer, sends out 5.1 audio and a 1080p video stream through his DVI port, and uses a DVI to HDMI cable to connect to a big Samsung TV. If you look at the drivers for anything recent from ATI, they have audio drives for sending out audio through HDMI, or DVI. ATI cards now days also come with a DVI to HDMI adapter to more easily connect your computer to modern receivers and TVs for movie watching.
Windows 7 has preinstalled support for this with drivers as well.
I dont know if audio passthrough works properly on Nvidia cards or not, as far as I know it does not.


But I really dont see what relevance this has to the current discussion? I was simply listing the similarities and differences between DVI and HDMI. I did not suggest that his TV would magically work with vidoe and audio simply by using an HDMI to DVI cable. I said use that cable to get video to his TV, and have the receiver send audio to the speakers like it normally would...



EDIT: here are specs taken from an ATI video card:

HDMI output support:
Built-in multi-channel 5.1 surround audio over DVI-HDMI Adaptor

You are correct, as listed in Wikipedia, but it's not germaine to this discussion:

"Unlike HDMI, DVI usually carries no audio data. However, it is possible for a DVI port to transmit audio data to a HDMI connection if a DVI to HDMI adapter/cable is used; this feature allows high-end computer graphics cards by Nvidia[1] and almost all graphics cards by ATI to send audiovisual data to a high definition television."

It is because DVI and HDMI both are 29 pin connections. However, DVI uses its 29 pins to be able to send both an analog and digital connection over the cable. So it can connect to more things, such as VGA. However, in a digital connection those unused pins are still there. SO when you use a DVI to HDMI cable, it connects those unused pins to the audio pins of HDMI. Then you just have a drive, or audio connection from your sound card to your video card and it will pass the audio through to your home theater stuff.

But back on topic, how is everything working multiham?

SO when you use a DVI to HDMI cable, it connects those unused pins to the audio pins of HDMI.

There are no "audio pins". Audio data is multiplexed in with the video data.