Denon AVR-4310CI Thread - Page 5

What do you have your video settings at for the 4310?

Seeing as it worked fine with the first 4310 with default settings for both BDP and AVR it's a possibility that I have gotten two crummy 4310s with similar but opposite problems. That seems highly unlikely though. I'm starting got see why there are a lot of love/hate relationships with HDMI.

We need some reviews on Audyssey DSX! Joe, at least you have "height" speakers already installed, is anyone else playing around with "wides" or other DSX options?

Good point. I plan to hit the Heights hard. I have different Fronts I have been experimenting with so if I move them out I could possibly mess with the DSX to. Of course I really don't want to start a thread for it since last time I took a couple of cheap shots.

Those were not "cheap shots," joerod. Your system may have cost you a mint, but the experimental quality of your set up is/was "cheap." And all of the "shots" I read or wrote were legitimate criticisms of that methodology.

AJ

With the amount of time I put in (especially lately) I consider them CHEAP shots. Especially with putting JBL Arenas with Speaker Stands as well. Maybe you should try instead of criticize. And again my MAIN point was the awesome sound moments that are coming from the Height speakers.

I expect the 4310 to be even more impressive.

In my case the issue was between the 4310 and my new Mitsu 73837. I had continuing handshake problems with my second 4310 and decided to take it back to Abt to try out on other TVs. The same problems occured on their Mitsu floor model, but not on other TVs. This isn't surprising since both the Mitsu and Denon are brand new models, but since I didn't want to wait (hope) for a firmware fix I swapped the 4310 for an Onkyo 876.

I have to say I really like the 4310 better than the Onkyo, but it just wasn't playing nicely with my particular TV.

Please try to ignore those a$$h0les there will always be jerks on any public forum. instead focus on the many who really appreciate all that you do and are very interested in your findings and not concerned on how you set up your theater. i for one am extremely interested in hear about DSX and i will appreciate your opinions greatly...... thx

Sorry, just joined this thread late - I am referring back to video rates as discussed on page 3 of the thread in relation to a problem I am experiencing: I have a Samsung 750B TV (w/240HZ refresh) which I was running fine w/o a receiver - direct component connects from Direct TV and an old Sony DVD. I just got the 4310, and ran both units into the 4310, then HDMI connect to the TV. Everything was fine at first, but now I get an intermitten video flicker. It does not start immediately, only after the unit has been running for some time. Once it starts, I get a white "flash," very quick, over the whole screen every 4-5 seconds. If I pull the HDMI cable from HDMI 1 out and put it in HDMI 2 out, the problem goes away - for a while. Then it's back again. Do you think this is a suspect cable, handshake problem between the TV and receiver, video setup on the receiver, video setup on the TV? (The cable is a band new Monster M1000HD, untried before getting the Denon).

I had very similar issues with a Mitsubishi 73837. See 3 posts above.

I read back through your posts - I can see why you bailed. I have not tried changing any default video settings on the 4310 yet, just came right here to see if other folks were having similar problems. I think my next step may be to try component out to the TV to see if that narrows it to the interface, then try settings.

Thanks. I promise I will ignore them from now on. My review/take of the 4310CI is coming here shortly...

So as many around here know I have been an Onkyo receiver user for the past 5 years or so. I played around with the Pioneer SC07 a couple months ago but the last different brand receiver I had was the Denon 5803A. I am glad I decided to give the 4310CI a shot. I admit I was mainly attracted to the PLIIz Height sound option. Comparing it directly the Onkyo 607 (the first PLIIZ Height receiver I tried) is really not fair since it is one of their intro models. So how does it sound?

Sound Q- I am very impressed with the PLIIz Height sound. I know it is not natural but I am fan. Literally when watching a football game. The roaring crowd has a nice effect in them. As does helicopters and rain. The last chase scene of the latest Friday the 13th 2009 comes alive when it starts to rain. It really pulls you in. I am now using theis option whenever possible. I like how the 4310 allows you to do set up. It has many other options including the new Audyssey DSX Wide sound option. I have spent a little time with it and will spend more in the near future. So far I like what I am hearing but need more time to compare. DTS-HD sounds terrific as well. I have used the 4310 both as a pre-pro and as a receiver.

Setting Up- I really like the GUI. It is simple and very easy to understand. I also like how it has the logos for the surround sound formats. Very cool. The INFO options are very informative. You can see what exactly is going in and out. From sound to resolution to color space and even upconverted deep color bits! It is all here. You will never question what is going on. The Audyssey set up was also pretty easy to do. I noticed a hige plus in sound after doing it. All sound levels were nearly spot on and I barely had to tweak them. Everything is very straight forward. Also with the Set Up it allows you to choose which speakers are going (A or B or both) for each and every surround mode. I love being able to control everything. This allows the Height speakers to go with the surround backs. Something I couldn't do with the 607 from Onkyo. though I would expect their higher models to allow that. I am anxious to try the 4810 in Sept since it will be a true 9 channel receiver.TIP> Use the REAR/AMP speaker terminals for the Heights and the L & R Rears with Surround A while using the Surround Backs with Surround B...

The Remote(s)- I guess there is not to much to say. They both work well and both get the job done. People who use a universal type won't care either way. Still not bad but nothing to write home about either.

Conclusion- I am still getting used to the 4310CI but am enjoying it while I am which is a good sign. The impressive cosmetic look compliments the new DVD-A1 Blu ray/Universal player (pic 1). And since I just hooked both up the last couple of days my theater smells like electronics. The last I will say is that with as flexible as the 4310 is I doubt you will need more. From the vast amount of sound options to the dual HDMI outs that will even pass the signal when the unit is off. The excellent scaling deserves to get mentioned as well. Being able to select video level, DNR, Chroma Level, Brightness, COntrast, Hue and Enhancer (my favorite which emphasizes contours without hurting the image) which is very impressive. You get to pick resolution as well as pick scaling for analog and HDMI sources. Sending in DirecTV HDMI in 1080i has yeilded terrific results thanks to the 2010 Anchor Bay chip. So as you can see I am really impressed with the 4310CI. I just hope the next time I do a firmware update (via the ethernet connection) it goes a little more smoothly. I had to try and retry a few times. I was worried I would have to send it back at one point then it magically moved past that dreaded 29 minute mark! If that is my worst hiccup so far then I think I am doing pretty good. So until other receivers come out with PLIIz Height then the 4310 is top of the class for me. It may very well take the 4810 to get me to switch which is saying a lot. If you are on the fence don't hesitate. If you have the capability to do the new Heights then this is the perfect receiver to jump in with.

thanks joe, nice write-up...


i want one...i'm just afraid i may have buyers remorse when the 4810 comes out

Thanks, I read you loud and clear. I like the 4310 so much I have to get the 4810!

How is it that some dealers can sell these types of components on e-bay for hundreds of dollars less that the other authorized dealers? They all claim new in box, but none say factory warantee. If manufacturers like Denon are working to protect their dealers, by keeping the prices up, how in the heck do these other non authorized type dealers even get ahold of product to sell. I mean if Denon is making it, and they theoretically only sell to their authorized dealers, where are the UN authorized dealers getting their product? I would assume most of these kinds of items are reliable, and that you can have problems with the product occasionally, and I prefer to have a factory warantee. What do I get besides that for my $$?

agreed +1

joerod -- thanks for the review. Audyssey claims their DSX processing is much superior to PLIIz, since PLIIz just "extracts" ambiance whereas the DSX system produces real discrete full-range effects. I'm very curious for you to experiment with DSX processing your "height" channels versus PLIIz processing, and see what the differences are with different material.

Denon sells to distributors, not dealers... big difference. That is where the product comes from.

Perhaps they could spend the time and energy tracking stock from distributors to dealers, but their no warranty policy is deterrent enough for most consumers... I don't think it's a big enough issue for them to track... with the minute amount of units sold on the bay (you'll see 3 4310's on there), I don't think they are losing sleep over it. I would even be willing to bet some of those "dealers" on the bay are distributors by another name.

I plan to spend a couple hours comparing them tonite. I will report back.

I was going to guess distributors!

Quick observation... When putting it in DSX mode the center channel gets considerably lower. We watched the first half of True Blood tonite with it then switched it back to Height. I will have to tweak it more...

I just bought this receiver and I'm a bit new to Denons. I have a couple of questions if anyone is willing to help. I have a 5.1 system with two Klipsch RF-82s an RC62 two RS62s and a THX-12 sub with a KA-1000 amp. Currently on the blu ray input I am using the PLII (without the z or x) Is this the best surround option for my 5.1 system? Also the bass from the sub is just a tad bit to much for the wife. I read on an FAQ somewhere that I can change the LFE to -15DB. I checked the manual and it says I should be able to but I don't see the option anywhere. Can someone tell me what I need to do to enable this option and where to go? I'm pretty new to all this surround sound stuff. In fact I just set this up a couple of days ago (and it took me two days to do it by myself!) Any help would be most appreciated. Also what is everyone using as far as surround options for their regular cable? Currently I'm just using the 5.1 stereo option. Using PLII didn't seem to sound very good.

Have you had the chance to listen to music using the 4310? If so, how does it sound? Is it bright or warm sounding? I know some of this is room and electronics dependent - but compared to Onkyo what do you think? Many of the receivers I have owned in the past - have sounded bright with music which can become fatiguing after a while.

Thanks

I don't do to much music but I will make it a point to do so this afternoon.

Thanks for letting me know Sluffo! I really appreciate it.

Too bad it wasn't playing nicely with your tv, that really sucks. But, I'm glad you figured out what was going on. Did you send an email to Denon/Mitsubishi to let them know the problem? Just curious.

joerod

Thanks for the nice review.

I really appreciate you taking the time to post your opinions to help us fellow avser's!

First off, you should check out my website as I answer a lot of the basic Denon questions. The 4310CI has a lot of advanced functionality that is a little outside the scope of the site, but 90% of the functions and setup will be covered at my site.



No, absolutely not. If you are seeing "PLII" on a 5.1 setup that means you are only getting a 2 CHANNEL signal! PLII is a method of matrixing 2.0 > 5.1, and you would use this for two-channel TV broadcasts, older 2-ch films, etc.

You need to configure your Blu-Ray player as you are not getting the correct source signal. You should see a discrete surround option -- for example "DOLBY DIGITAL" for a 5.1 DD track, "MULTI CH" for a multichannel PCM track, "DOLBY TRUEHD" for a TrueHD track, etc.

You can always check how many channels you are receiving by looking at the little lights on the display. The little boxes that light up on the left side indicate INPUT channels, and the right side lights indicate OUTPUT channels. So, for example, when you see two boxes lit up on the left, and six boxes (5 + sw) lit up on the right, and the display says PLII, you are getting a two channel signal and upmixing it to 5.1 output with Pro Logic II.

You can also go to the INFORMATION menu and check the AUDIO INPUT SIGNAL and it will tell you exactly what you are getting.


Turning down the LFE is done in SURROUND PARAMETERS for any given multichannel surround mode. So you will have to do it separately for DOLBY DIGITAL, DTS, and MULTICH input signals.

But before you do that, I would just play with the overall subwoofer level and try and find a volume that doesn't sound boomy with Dynamic EQ engaged. It if is STILL too much then you can experiment with lowering the LFE volume.



Just take it slow and enjoy the learning curve With the 4310CI you basically decided to jump in at the top in terms of complexity, flexibility, and functionality, so don't feel bad if it's a little overwhelming at first.

thanks batpig. I'm using a PS3 as blue ray right now so I'll take a look at the options in there and see if something is messed up.

Thanks - please let me know what you think. I use my system 50% of the time for music and don't have the room for separate 2 channel and home theater systems.

check out my FAQ, I have a section on the PS3. your PS3 is probably still at the default setting sending 2-ch over HDMI.

you just need to do an "auto detect" over the HDMI output and it will have a conversation with the 4310CI and all parties will agree you can handle up to 7.1PCM over HDMI I explain more in my FAQ:
http://batpigworld.com/fadq.html#ps3