Sony HT-CT100 settings and connections (New Thread)

Setup:

Blu Ray >> hdmi>> TV then Blu Ray >> digital coax(orange) >> CT100 (SAT)
TWC DVR >> hdmi >> TV then TWC DVR >> optical >> CT100 (TV)
Wii >> componet >> TV then TV >> optical >> CT100 (DVD)

**Soundbar is placed below TV screen and Sub placed to right of entertainment stand**

Settings are same for Cable, Blu Ray & Wii

Soundfield = MOVIE
Center Level = +6
Sub Level = -3
Dual Mono = MAIN (I use this cause it's default in manual but really can't tell a difference between the settings)
HDMI Control = OFF
DRC = STND
A/V Sync = OFF
Dimmer = ON
Volume Limit = MAX
Television speakers OFF

I see you are using the standard sound field but I thought I read that if using it the center speaker doesn't work. I'll try to find it but have you noticed it not playing out of center speaker?

Setup:
TWC HD DVR >HDMI> CT100
Samsung P4600/Sony PS3 (via HDMI Switch) >HDMI> CT100
Sony DVD Player >HDMI> CT100
Sony TDM-BD1 >DMPort> CT100
Samsung UN55B7000 TV >Optical> CT100

Wii >Component> Samsung UN55B7000 TV

CT100 >HDMI> Samsung LED TV

Settings:
Sound Field: Movie
Center Level: +4
Sub Level: +2
HDMI Control: On
Vol Limit: Max
Dual Mono: Main
A/V Sync: Off
DRC: Off
Dimmer: Off
Display: On
TV Speakers: Off

Go to AMP Menu and keep pressing the down arrow key and it's the very last selection after Sleep timer. Also I did check and Standard was not playing center channel for me. Also I keep my sub at -3 and it still has almost too much bass.

I use the standard sound field most of the time unless I'm watching a blu-ray movie. Center channel works just fine unless, of course, the content being watched is only in 2.0.

Not sure what I was watching when I checked so DD 5.1 and dts audio play through the center channel fine on the standard sound field then. Good to know, thanks.

Edited because I wanted to ask why you change it from Standard on Blu Rays instead of just keeping it the same all the time? I never change mine so just curious.

Setup:
Samsung HD cable box >HDMI> CT100 (SAT input)
XBOX360 >HDMI> CT100 (BD input)
Malata region-free DVD player > optical > CT100 (DVD optical input)

Malata region-free DVD player > S-Video > Toshiba LCD TV

CT100 >HDMI> Toshiba LCD TV

Settings:

Sound Field: Movie (for movies in 5.1), Standard (for basic cable shows in 2.0), Game (for games in 5.1)
Center Level: +5 (for movies/TV), 0 (for games)
Sub Level: -4 (for movies/TV), -3 (for games)
HDMI Control: On
Vol Limit: Max
Dual Mono: Main
A/V Sync: Off
DRC: Std (only because of consideration for neighbours, otherwise it'd be Off)
Dimmer: Off
Display: On
TV Speakers: Off

When BD is selected as the input, mine changes automatically to the Movie sound field and then back to Standard when TV or other input is selected. I assumed they all did that.

Panasonic Blu-ray DMP-BD60 >>HDMI >>CT100 (BD) (Player set to output LPCM audio)
Sony HDDVR HDD500 >>HDMI >>CT100 (DVD)
Sony HDDVR HDD250 >>HDMI >>CT100 (SAT)
CT100 >>HDMI >>Panasonic plasma TC-P46S1
TV >>optical >>CT100 (TV)

Settings:
Sound field: Standard/Movie
Center level: +4
Sub level: -2
Ctrl HDMI: On
DVD Ctrl: On
SAT Ctrl: On
Vol Limit: Max
Dual Mono: Main
A/V Sync: Off
DRC: Off
Dimmer: On
Display: On
Sleep: Off
TV speakers: On
Soundbar sits on top bezel of TV **

** I recently moved the soundbar from being on the stand. Not sure I can hear any difference but I'm still testing it.

I probably wouldn't need to have HDMI Ctrl set ON if I'd get a Harmony and spend the next year of my life figuring out how to use it . The Ctrl functions partially work with my non-Bravia components.

The TV speakers are on because they're fine for listening to the evening news. Later, when I'm ready to sit down and watch something I turn the CT100 on. It automatically turns the TV speakers off and I can use the TV remote for volume and muting.

I will check tonight after work to see, I wasn't aware that each input could have seperate settings. Thanks.

John,

I was just messing with my settings and I didn't give you the right info. To get to volume limit you must turn HDMI control to ON (when OFF you can't set the individual inputs HDMI control). Once you turn HDMI control ON it will allow you to then press down to set each of the inputs to on or off. When in this you can go all the way down and the option to change the volume limit is at the bottom of that list. Once done you can then go all the way back up and turn the main HDMI control to OFF.

Possumgirl,

I checked and wanted to say thanks for the tip because I did not know that each input could be set to different Sound Field settings as well as all other settings.

Also for anyone interested,

I was checking the difference between the STANDARD and MOVIE Sound Fields and when in STANDARD mode while watching 2.0 cable (Nickelodeon in SD) the center speaker is silent and the two outside speakers are doing both voices and background noises like crowd laughter when watching a sitcom but when in MOVIE mode watching the same material the center speaker is doing the voices and the two side speakers are doing the background noises (background laughter).

While watching a show with 5.1 audio (ESPN HD) in STANDARD and MOVIE mode the center speaker and both side speakers are working and I couldn't tell a difference in the way it sounded going back and forth between them. My finding was that while watching 2.0 material I still like the way MOVIE sounded over STANDARD.

Steve1022, my turn to say thanks! Your comments about 2.0 audio made me do some checking of my own.

I have several recordings of PBS' Soundstage and Austin City Limits and the audio on those is 2.0. I had not thought to try the Movie sound field on them, but as soon as I did the PLII display on the CT100's front panel lit up and, OMG, they sound so much better. Especially when the lead singer is center stage.

As far as each input having its own sound field, as best I can tell whatever sound field you used last on that input is retained until you change it. I don't think the other settings (like center and sub levels) can be different for each sound field though.

If you are using all HDMI then when set to ON will allow the sub to not fully turn off when powered down. You would still see the standby led lit up and that is because it will act as a passthrough for your video and allow you to listen to TV speakers when the CT100 is powered off.

I just played around with the DRC setting because someone said that the STND setting would keep commercials from being overly loud and I found it to be true. When changing from OFF to STND it did significantly lower the commercial volume and the same testing with an actual show I found no difference in volume level between OFF and STND. I assume all commercials are 2.0 so I have to assume that DRC in STND will lower 2.0 volume but not 5.1 on HD shows or movies.

does your ct100 show up on the tv when going on the settings? cuz mine wont show up even if i set it up on the CT100, im using hdmi to the tv (samsung lcd).

If the CT100 is receiving PCM audio from whichever connected component you're using, you'll see that display regardless of the Sound Field selected.

Just got the CT100 yesterday and got everything set up via HDMI and adjusted the settings after reading this thread and the original thread.
(Sounds awesome and loud with the volume set at 16 in the MOVIE sound field.)

Whenever I turn on the TV, Dish, and the CT100, it defaults to the TV input on the subwoofer display (translation: no sound) so I have to manually adjust it to SAT to hear the TV.

For what it's worth, I tried it with the TV speakers ON but set at zero and then with the TV speakers OFF. Still defaults to the TV input.

I was wondering if anyone knew how to change it where it will default to SAT.
No biggie for me but I want to keep it super simple for my wife.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Hi FNG2AVS, its doing this because your Tv HDMI-CEC feature is turned On. Check your Tv HDMI-CEC (Samsung is AnyNet+, Panasonic is Viera Link, Pioneer is Kuro Link, etc...) setting and make sure it is turned OFF.

Thanks for the quick reply!

I have the 55LE8500 from LG; guess I'll have to root around in the settings to look for that HDMI-CEC feature.



Update: I had to google it and then found it as a button on the TV remote, lol (/facepalm)

Thanks again, JChin!