Sony HT-CT550W?? - Page 4

did this model come with a mounting bracket to mount on the top of the TV? I can't remember if that was a seperate item you had to purchase.

I'm curious because my HX729 has a really low base and i'm worried setting the soundbar in front of the TV will block all of the remote sensors.

AFAIK, Sony never provided a bracket to mount on top of TV, only a bracket for mounting to the pedestal of certain Sony TVs. The bracket is not included with the CT550W. The following is from the user manual.

Can confirm, no bracket included with the 550.

My new HT-CT550W system just arrived today and I had it all set up and humming in minutes connected to my Bravia 55HX820.

I've got to say I was a bit nervous after having read the "mixed" reviews--but now that I have it all set up I can only wonder if some had a defective system, didn't utilize all the receiver settings correctly, or perhaps this system wasn't compatible with some or all of their other home theater components.

Connecting to my Sony HX820 TV was seamless. It all syncs up (receiver, Blu ray, TV) to the TV remote with 550W receiver controls displayed on the TV screen so I can make any receiver adjustments while viewing content.

For the money, this system produces booming, ear-ringing sound with deep SW bass. So much so I got in trouble with the rest of the family in other parts of the house. I used the Master and Commander blu ray disk to help me set the sound controls. Now, I didn't get the full surround sound effect I get on my main home theater system $$$$ that sports a Denon 3311CI with 5.1 built-ins and center-- but for the few hundred bucks I paid for the HT-CT550W sound bar--I couldn't be more impressed.

Another note which may cause some dissent from the respected members of this forum :-)... I compared this system to the CT350 at my local Sony Store--and for me--configured correctly with high speed HDMI cables and proper bass, SW and master volume settings using the Step-Up 3D blu-ray--the HT-CT550W output beat the respectable CT350 hands-down. With the HT-CT550W we had the walls shaking at the Sony Store demo room!

If anyone is interested, I am more than happy to post my settings. Likewise, if any of you have any settings suggestions to help me maximize surround affects with this sound bar please let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Please post your settings

Here's what worked for my set up:

Recommendations:

1. Use high-speed HDMI cables only (1.4 HDMI) through your ARC HDMI port on your TV
2. Set your video/audio source E.g. Blu-ray player, PS3 Slim etc. to "bitstream" for Audio Digital Out (turn-off Linear PCM) Note:this does not apply to PS3 Fat leave that in LPCM mode
3. Turn off your TV speakers (use only the sound bar and SW--else you might get a "hollow" sound)


My current HT-CT550W settings that seem to make the biggest difference:

AMP Menu
Level: CNT +4, SW +6
Tone: Bass +5 or 6, Treble +3
Audio: Dual Mono: Main? ( I am still deciding)

Other settings:

DRC-Off

Sound Field: Movie

Note: For really BIG sound--try increasing the master volume +15 on the Receiver (independently) before you sync the TV volume with the Receiver Volume

Let me know what you think

awesome, thanks!

Just ordered one from the nerds today at $255.00. Hope that shipping to PR is not
so slow. Will report on product feedback...

shanidlc: excellent price you are getting on the 550W! (Please see my settings recommendations above and let me know what works for you.) Most important is to use a high speed HDMI cable ( they are on Amazon for like $8-9 and these work fine).

I used two blu-ray disks to setup my sound controls on the 550W. Step-Up 3D ( the bass on this soundtrack will damage your walls if you are not careful with the volume ) and Master & Commander to test the surround sound ( the beginning of the movie where their ship is first attacked).

Either way, I am curious to hear how it goes for you and your setup.

Another tip for the HTCT-550W. If you want to maximize the surround sound affect on this system--try turning off the "surround sound" audio down-mix option on your player and/or game system--This enables the receiver to process "5.1 surround sound" ( not the player). I tried this with the Master & Commander Blu-ray in DTS-HD Master Audio mode and it really enhanced the surround sound affect.

Hi, how do you set Set your video/audio source E.g. Blu-ray player, PS3 etc. to "bitmap" for Audio Digital Out ( turn-off Linear PCM)? Is this done on the tv or on the receiver. I couldn't find the options to do this. I have a 46hx723 tv and HT-CT550W receiver. Also, I've set my Sound Field to 'Standard' as 'Movie' sounds too deep!!

Hello !

This setting is applied on the Blu-ray player. If you don't have a Blu-ray player and are connecting the HT-CT550W directly to your 46HX723--then you are all set--this setting does not apply.

Likewise, if your HT-CT550W sounds "too deep" try decreasing the bass level in ( the HTCT550W AMP-Tone-Bass menu) You can also try decreasing the Sub Woofer level too in the same Amp menu.

LBJ2, I've got a dumb question about the wireless SW. How much flexibility is there for placement of it in relation to the "brain" unit. Clear LOS only or can it be off to one side? I'm almost tempted to try the 550W but sub placement could be problematic given my room layout.

It does need a power source of course--but other than that It's pretty flexible ( I don't know the extent of the range I've been moving it around in about a 12x12 area). I have moved it around several times already ( just because I could LOL).

I just moved the wireless SW to another room behind the wall where the receiver is--about 14' away. It's still booming away.

Does anyone know if this works with a NON-Sony tv? Would I be able to play with the menu to adjust the settings on a tv that's not a Sony? Thanks.

Hello.

You should be able to connect the 550W to most TVs ( that support HDMI and/or Optical cable connections). The new Sony TVs provide a separate "Home Theater app" so you can view and manage a sound system menu on the TV display itself. If your TV doesn't provide such an app, no worries then you would just use the menu display on the 550W receiver itself.

With mounting a super thin TV on the wall, does mouting the Sony on the wall take away from the look of it?

The only negative I have read so far about wall-mounting was another person complained that the separate receiver for this system made for awkward wall mounting.

Reposting this here since I didnt notice this thread for some reason.

Hi everyone, I am considering picking up a CT550W and just have one question about setup. Does anyone use a logitech revue or is familiar with setting one up while using a soundbar? On mine, the cable stb has hdmi into the revue which then goes to the tv. Can this stay that way if i picked up this soundbar? I Also have a xbox360 and ps3 to hook up as well. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I have a Logitech Revue setup with my CT550W. Explorer 8300 STB --> Logitech Revue HDMI input --> Logitech Revue HDMI output --> HT-CT550W SAT/CATV HDMI Input --> HT-CT550W output to my XBR-52HX909. Had an issue initially, when I had the Revue set to "Auto" it would output all content at 720P. Also had PQ issues I attributed to cheap old cables. Set the Revue to 1080P and bought all new HDMI 1.4 cables from MonoPrice and have had few issues since. Still trying to find my groove with the configuration since virtually all my equipment is new.

Apologies: I just realized I didn't answer all of your questions in my last reply posting:

Also, note I had an error in my original posting should be "bitstream" not "bitmap"

To turn off LPCM ( and allow "Bitstream") on the PS3 depending upon which cables you are using see:
http://manuals.playstation.net/docum...dsettings.htmlFor HDMI cable on the PS3: Settings--Video Settings--BD/DVD Audio Output Format to "off" and set the BD/DVD Dynamic Range Control to "off" as well since it doesn't apply to bitstream.
To turn off LCPM ( and allow "Bitstream") on a Bluray Player, depends on manufacturer and their respective menu settings so you will have to check the manual ib your player for how to disable PCM or LCPM and enable Bitstream

If you've set the audio out on your Bluray player to output in "bitstream" correctly you will see the Audio Format Indicators displayed on the Receiver Display e.g., Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS-HD etc. If your audio output is set to LPCM or PCM on the Bluray player then the Receiver will display "LPCM" as the Audio Format. See page 11 of the HTCT550W manual.

McLuvin: I am really curious about the Logitech Revue service--it seems to have gotten mixed reviews overall. I am even more interested now that I see you have it connected to the 550W. The google TV concept sounds great--how about actual results does it deliver to your expectations?

I purchased the Revue last month when the price dropped to $99. It's a pretty cool device and promises to be even better with an upcoming Android Honeycomb OS release. Very convenient to have a full browser on the TV, pretty cool channel guide features, and excellent streaming options including NetFlix, Amazon, and YouTube among many others. The hardware build and finish are excellent, the keyboard is solid and well thought out. The few apps bundled with the original OS show a lot of promise and with the Honeycomb OS comes Android marketplace. I am a diehard Roku fan but the Revue offers a lot of bang for the buck. Pick one up and try it out, you can always return it, but I'd be willing to bet you don't.

Thank you. Yes, that's an excellent price. My last question..Are you able to view video from a user selected website similar to a PC ?

LBJ - I have not run into any video content I could not run on the Revue. If you give me a specific site URL I can check it for you.

Very nice Pls try the link below when you can:
http://www.rtve.es/television/aguila-roja/

Thanks again. This Revue sounds pretty good--maybe just what I was looking for. Something to provide easy access to the internet video on my big screen and 550W, and like you say $99 is very appealing. ( I take it you connected the Revue to the 550W with an HDMI cable?

The HDMI from my cable box passes through the Revue and then into the HT-CT550W.

Okay--I just ordered it from Amazon...thanks again.

Hey LBJ,
The video on the main page of the URL you supplied played fine on the Revue, even at full screen on my XBR-52HX909.