Sony BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 Blu-ray players (and BDP-BX2) - Page 8

From the Sony web site now accepting pre-orders for the S560:

Pre-sale item available on or about 07/01/2009. We will email you when your product ships.

Has anybody here a expert take on Sony´s use of Auto and 2ch PCM for the HDMI output on its new Sony BDP-S360 blue ray player? I need PCM for my Meridian HD621. 2Ch PCM seems to do exactly what it states, everything is processed up to 2 channels only and is displayed propperly as MHR mov2 96K on my 568 processor. Auto however is more of a mistery. It seems to give you Higher Audio Resolution 5.1 PCM for DTS-HD-MA and Dolby True HD with the 568 displaying MHR mov6 96K. Lower Audio resolution (DD, DTS etc.) however, seems to be passed trough the 621 without any MHR processing as the 568 only states the usual AC3, DTS etc as it would where I using plain DVD signals via coaxial input to the 568? All other HD players that Ive tested set to PCM on their HDMI outputs to the HD621 are passed trough the MR621 to the 568 as MHR (mov 2, 6 etc. 96khz)! Has anyone here any expert take on this SonyS360/Meridian HD621 oddness?

I am puzzled by what I see displayed on the TV when I press the "DISPLAY" button on the BDP-S360 remote. For the audio, it says:
"1: English Dolby TrueHD 3/2.1 48 kHz"
It is supposed to be playing a 5.1 sound track, so what does it mean by "3/2.1"?
I am feeding my Onkyo TX-SR705 via an HDMI cable certified for HDMI version 1.3, and the Onkyo is displaying "TrueHD". The BR disc that I am currently playing is: "The Reader".
I have the Onkyo set for "THX Cinema"
My audio settings on the S360 are:
Audio Output Priority = HDMI
Audio (HDMI) = Auto
BD Audio = Direct
So to reiterate: What is the "3" in "3/2.1", and why is "2.1" displayed instead of "5.1"?

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound#Notation

Thanks for the link, SoundChex... that's a great resource.

I all I just bought the S360 and I am trying to play a BR movie T2 Skynet edition and Quantum of Solace and I can't get the my AVR to light up the DTS HD.

My AVR is Denon 2809CI

This is my first BR player. Well I had a BR ROM on my PC but that was different.


Also what or when do I wet up 48kHz/16bit PCM and 96kHz/24bit PCM?

Under Audio Settings:

Audio Output Priority - HDMI (default)
Audio (HDMI) - Auto (default)
BD Audio Setting - Direct (receiver's DTS-HD MA indicator &/or light should turn on); Mix is the default (the player outputs LPCM but you hear secondary audio of special features and menu sounds: usually key presses).
Audio DRC (Wide Range for playback at normal volume levels; Auto is the default)
Downmix - Dolby Surround (default; good for connecting directly to a HDTV)


The following are not necessary for HDMI connection:
Audio ATT - Off
Dolby Digital - Dolby Digital (default; for coaxial/optical)
DTS - DTS (default; for coaxial/optical)
48kHz/96kHz PCM - 48kHz/16bit (default; PCM for coaxial/optical)

Thanks...

I was trying to look for "Bitstream" but could not find it.

What is the main difference between this two players? BDP-S360 and BDP-S560

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...egoryId=27898#

I just received my S360, which I understand decodes HD-MA, and I have an existing SS2300 (does TrueHD but does NOT decode HD-MA). They are connected with an HDMI cable.

I'd like to configure the S360 to decode the HD-MA, since the receiver can't do it. I'd really appreciate it if someone could point me toward the correct settings. Right now I have most of the factory default stuff in (Mix, Dolby, DTS, etc). Should I be setting to Direct or Mix? Do I need to choose "Downmix PCM"?

I'm going to be using the Matrix BD to verify. It looks like the 2nd Audio option is TrueHD, so I figure that's probably the one to attempt.

Thank you!
-Ryan

The S360 does decode DTS HD-MA and HR.

You can use Direct to Bitstream (for Dolby TrueHD) and the player should detect that it needs send LPCM to the receiver that can not decode DTS HD-MA or you can use Mix to have the S360 decode everything and send LPCM only to the receiver insead.

See my earlier settings:

Under Audio Settings:

Audio Output Priority - HDMI (default)
Audio (HDMI) - Auto (default)
BD Audio Setting - Direct (receiver's DTS-HD MA indicator &/or light should turn on); Mix is the default (the player outputs LPCM but you hear secondary audio of special features and menu sounds: usually key presses).
Audio DRC (Wide Range for playback at normal volume levels; Auto is the default)
Downmix - Dolby Surround (default; good for connecting directly to a HDTV)


The following are not necessary for HDMI connection:
Audio ATT - Off
Dolby Digital - Dolby Digital (default; for coaxial/optical)
DTS - DTS (default; for coaxial/optical)
48kHz/96kHz PCM - 48kHz/16bit (default; PCM for coaxial/optical)

Been testing the Sony BDP-S360 with the Meridian HD621. Ive found out that the S360 can send all sound formats from a Blue-ray disc as PCM to a HD621, there to be decoded as MHR that is then sent to a Meridian processor. These are the settings you need to use on the S360 for the different sound formats (from a Blue-ray disc) to work with the HD621;

Dolby Digital 2.0:
Audio HDMI: Auto or 2ch PCM
Audio BD: Direct (with HDMI/2ch PCM) or Mix (with HDMI/Auto)
Will show as MHR mov2 96K on a Meridian audio processor
Will show as Dolby Digital 2.0 the S360 Audio display

Dolby Digital 5.1:
Audio HDMI: Auto
Audio BD: Mix
Will show as MHR mov6 96K on a Meridian audio processor
Will show as Dolby Digital 3/2.1 on the S360 Audio display

Dolby TrueHD:
Audio HDMI: Auto
Audio BD: Direct or Mix
Will show as MHR mov6 96K on a Meridian audio processor
Will show as Dolby TrueHD 3/2.1 on the S360 Audio display

DTS:
Audio HDMI: Auto
Audio BD: Mix
Will show as MHR mov6 96K on a Meridian audio processor
Will show as DTS 3/2.1 on the S360 Audio display

DTS-HD-MA:
Audio HDMI: Auto
Audio BD: Direct
Will show as MHR mov6 96K on a Meridian audio processor and
will show as DTS HD MA 3/2.1 on the S360 Audio display

This means you can leave the S360 on HDMI/Auto and Audio BD/Mix for all sound formats to be converted to MHR exept for the DTS-HD-MA format. Here the Audio BD setting must be set to Direct.

The S360 will naturally have to be set to HDMI output setting and you will have to set the Audio DRC at "Wide range" as this is for playback at normal volume levels. I can not see that any of the other S360 settings have anything to do with HDMI/PCM signals to the HD621.

Please note however that "plain" DVD playback is another matter. Here you have no way of converting audio signals to MHR in the HD621 unless you use the HDMI/2ch PCM setting. That means only MHR processing for 2 channels for DVD´s on the HD621!!!

If you compare the S360 to the older Sony BDP-S300 (4.9 firmware) this looks like a step backwards by Sony. As the S300 does have all the above S360 settings in one standard setting, that is the HDMI output simply set to PCM (this setting is missing in the S360). The S300 also handles both Blue-ray and DVD discs alike regarding multi MHR. The S300 is obviously better in this way but it does not handle DTS-HD-MA and most likely never will (because of internal storage limitations). Also the S360 seems to have a overall edge "fidelity wise" due to newer and better internal processing, but the S360 leaves a lot to be desiered consumer wise. The lack of a eject button on the remote saying all there is (even though you can use the S300 remote eject button on the S360!!!).

If Sony gets it act together in future models and brings us the best from the S300 and S360. We would have a dream machine for the HD621.

Hope this posting helps anybody considering a Sony BDP-S360 for a Meridian HD621.

Hi all,

I'm jumping in this thread as a relatively new s360 owner. I started with the Panasonic bd60 but didn't really want to wait and see if Panasonic can resolve the freezing issues easily. I returned it and picked up the Sony because I've had good luck with Sony players in the past. I'm very pleased, however, the DVD upconversion isn't as nice, but at least it doesn't freeze.

...I agree, I still have my Toshiba HD-A35 doing all my DVD upscaling duties.

Does anyone have problems using a external HDD or USB stick at the back?

The USB port is for downloaded BD Live content only.

I bought a Sony BDP-S360 today. Hooked it up using the same cables from my previous player (HDMI, red/white audio, optical). At first nothing but static. Updated the universal remote (Logitech Harmony 890) on the computer. Tried again. The DVD loading screen popped up, got excited but then static again after about ten seconds. Not sure if it's the player, TV or the receiver. The TV is a HD Phillips (a few years old, don't have model number on hand) and it being wall-mounted makes it hard to switch out cables and the like. The player worked via analog cables on the side of the TV.

Any suggestions?

What does that mean?: "red/white audio, optical"
If you are hooking up to your TV with HDMI, you should not need any additional audio connections because HDMI carries audio. Perhaps "static" is your TV's way of saying, "What the...".

does anyone know if there is a size limit for the USB drive? will an 8 or 16 GB work in the 360?

I don't know of any limit, though a drive that large is likely overkill. I can say that I have a 4 GB drive in mine that works fine.

Ditto the 4GB drive with me. As you may know the 360 requires a 1GB minimum thumb drive, and it needs to be a slim form-factor drive to fit in the recessed socket on the 360. The thumb drive I'm using now has a 9mm x 19mm cross-section and fits in the 360 socket ok, but when I used it with the BD-Live feature of "The Changeling", many of the downloaded featurettes stalled out and refused to play all the way through, so I will probably be buying a new thumb drive with a fast write speed to see if that will solve the problem.

+1

I anticipate purchasing the 360 soon at our local Fry's for $239.00. I'm going to pair it with a relatively new Z-Series Sony LCD T.V. I have hesitated up to now to go to BD, as I already have two standard-def DVD players (one of which is a recorder). Plus, I have DirecTV's HD DVR with Video on Demand which allows the streaming of 1080p content direclty to the DVR, so no need to really have this feature in the BD player.

But I have a couple of questions regarding the 360.......

--I am assuming that the HDMI connection between the 360 to the LCD TV passes the audio through the LCD TV to my audio receiver just as it does with all other HDMI inputs. I have an older HK receiver with a limited number of optical audio inputs, so I don't want to have to use the optical output on the BD player if it is not necessary.

--My HD DVR is connected to the internet using a Linksys WGA600N wireless adaptor (in the HT cabinet). There is only one ethernet jack on this adapter (connected to the HD DVR), yet I want to use ithe adaptor for the 360 as well to download some of the special feature content available for the BD player over the internet. Is there a solution to this?

Comments and suggestions are appreciated....

do you have a coax input on your hk ? i have a 125 hk and i am thinking about a 360bd, and i a m as well limited on optical imputs also. and if i get the 360bd i will hook up via coax just a thought. regards....

are you saying you have hdmi from the 360 to the tv and then from the tv to the receiver? That seems backwards. If you do that you won't get 5.1 out of the tv.

You might be able to use an ethernet switch to share the wireless adaptor output but I've had so so results doing it. Tivo is fine but the BR will lose it network config,

I haven't purchased the 360 yet.

I currently have my HD DVR connected to the LCD TV through HDMI. The LCD TV has an optical audio out jack which is connected directly to the HK receiver. This is the instructed method of setup in the Sony manual. I had previously had the HD DVR connected via HDMI to the LCD TV, but was using a direct optical audio connection between the DVR and the receiver, which resulted in synching issues for 1080p content from D*. Once I set up things correcly that issue went away.

I was just assuming that I only need to use the HDMI connection from the 360 to the LCD TV and that, similar to the DVR, the audio will be routed to the receiver from the optical audio output of the T.V. Right?

I'm somewhat put off by networking challenges, but I was hoping there was some simple device that would expand the number of ethernet jacks on an adapter, such as the WGA600N ,without messing up my current DVR 's connection to the internet.

Thanks.

Aren't you only getting stereo over the optical from the tv to the receiver? Maybe the receiver will apply a DSP to make it sound like surround, but you aren't getting 5.1 sent by the tv. As far as I know, like my Sony SXRD, the only time the tv will send 5.1 over optical is from its antenna/cable inputs. So if you are watching a show with 5.1 soundtrack using one of the antenna inputs either OTA or cable, then the tv will send it to the receiver, but not any 5.1 from a hdmi/optical audio input.

Try an ethernet switch, they are cheap for splitting your wireless connection.

Thanks for the replies to my questions. Yes, I'm getting stereo over the optical from the tv to the receiver. Better than that, I am receiving Dolby Digital 3/2.1 over this connection to my receiver. This is a new Sony LCD T.V. I am assuming the same DD 3/2.1 DD signal will be available to my receiver when I hook up the 360 (via HDMI) to the tv. I'll check into ethernet switches....

Apparently your receiver has no HDMI inputs, otherwise you would be connecting your DVR to your receiver with HDMI, and your receiver to your TV also with HDMI. 3/2.1 is 5.1, is it not? (3 + 2 = 5.)