Onkyo TX-NR818 "official" owner's thread discussion - Page 106

I don't have this receiver yet but thinking about buying it very soon. I just need to confirm something.

I know it has 2 hdmi outs so that it will support 2 displays and I would have it connected to a 60" TV as well as a projector. I want to verify that when it is setup with the 2 displays, I can still play the audio with either display selected. Basically if I am playing a bluray movie, the surround sound will play through the receiver if I select the TV or if I select the projector. Is this just a setting that I would set during the setup?

Also, I would not always want the surround to be on when watching something off of my DVR. My DVR would be connected to the AVR and then to the TV. With the "pass through" on the receiver, if I wanted to just watch the TV using the TV speakers would the signal just pass through the unit when it's off and the video and sound would play normally on the TV?

Thanks guys!

Scott

Just saw this in the manual.

Only analog input sources are output by the ZONE 2/3 LINE
OUT and FRONT WIDE/ZONE 2 L/R, FRONT
HIGH/ZONE 3 L/R terminals. Digital input sources are not
output. If no sound is heard when an input source is selected,
verify that the source is connected to an analog input.

This pretty much confirms the unit is going back. Zones 2 and 3 are only good for analog sources. WTF Onkyo!!!!! It's 2012...who uses analog anymore???

Very disappointed, I really wanted to like this receiver but this is a deal breaker. That and you cant control the volume of zones 2 and 3 via the receiver.

Update 2: Got DLNA going. The fundamental issue was the network configuration. I was using a combination cable modem / wireless router supplied by the cable company (Suddenlink). To get the Airport Express to extend the wireless network I had to put an Airport Extreme in between the Suddenlink router and the Airport Express (a limitation of the Airport Express is that it can only extend a wireless network using an Apple base station). I had no access to the Suddenlink router setup and it, I finally figured out was not in bridge mode which would be needed to put the Airport Extreme and then the Airport Express in a "daisy chain". Bottom line is that the 818 claimed it was connected to the net but I suspect it was confused by too many choices. I dumped the Suddenlink modem, got my Motorola modem provisioned by the Suddenlink folks, connected my Airport Extreme and then plugged in the Airport Express. Now the 818 properly connects to the Airport Extreme base station wirelessly and I am listening to Mannheim Steamroller via WMP via DLNA. Woo hoo!

Oh, and the Airplay dropouts from iTunes on the PC have disappeared.

Still haven't got the Audyssey set up done. Sigh. Tomorrow, I hope.

Just tried to setup my 818 tonight. I don't have much time but I am running into a problem. I am using 5 mono block amps for 5.1 but one of my amps started making a hum so I tried to use 4 and then put the 5th speaker hooked to the onkyo amp. Well it does not like that. When you try to run the setup it gives me a message about using the surround backs. Another issue I have is my mono blocks have a video trigger for power on off standby. I don't think the 818 is sending anything out of the monitor video composite out. Anyone have suggestions on how to fix these problems?

Hi I purchased the 818 on Nov 26th from B&H for $699.95 and the next day it was 1,199.95, don't know if it will go on sale again but my order states item is back ordered. Just keep checking I didn't know it was on sale and got lucky. Amazon has it for $879.99.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR818-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B007JOO4XE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354245746&sr=8-1&keywords=onkyo+818

that's crawfords not amazon....

I didn't want to start a whole new thread so that is why I am posting this in here.

I just purchased the Onkyo HT-3500 and I am having trouble getting DTS-HD and TrueHD out of my 360 HD-DVD player. Whenever I play a movie on it, the receiver automatically plays it in PCM instead of DTS-HD or TrueHD. It doesn't even play Dolby.

I changed the audio output on the 360 to Dolby Digital. Is there anyway to get it to play DTS/TrueHD? Or am I SOL?

Thanks in advance.

Can't you tell the X360 to bitstream like the PS3?

Thanks again for the assist on this. Won't have time to integrate the actual receiver into my setup until this weekend. I'm well on my way to integrating the receiver into my control system however. Took the time yesterday to work up an initial set of RS-232 codes for use with my Philips Pronto Professional TSU9600 remote. The codeset as seen within the GUI of my remote can be viewed here (Right click to open link in new tab). With my Pronto I created an activity called "IR Codes" which is used solely to store the IR/RS-232 codesets for all my devices. The GUI in turn links to the codes as needed. Having each codeset easily accessible within the GUI makes for easy work when needing to test a given codeset for the first time. Also comes in handy on the rare occassion I need to execute a command outside of the activity based structure of the GUI. In any event, I just thought I'd chime in here regarding the RS-232 control. Can't recommend it enough for anyone that's been considering it. Was very simple to implement and the list of commands available is comphrehensive. There's a discrete code for pretty much every function/setting the receiver offers. Have encountered no issues so far during my testing. Happy to report as well that the volume ramping is rock solid. It's every bit as good as controlling the volume using IR. The added benefit of course is that with the RS-232 control I now have the ability to set the volume level discretely which I've always wanted to be able to do with a receiver.
Edited by Low Profile - 11/30/12 at 8:00am

pretty much the way it is with everything... there are a few models in previous years denon lines that will do it from spdif (removed from this years models)...

there are no units that will do it with a hdmi input... it would require multiple discrete hdmi paths within the unit, which would add a significant cost for a feature that very few use...

Xbox doesn't support HD audio out.
You will only hear the DD+ or DTS 1.5 tracks off your HD-DVD disks
This was always the case with that setup.

The next version of xbox will have bluray capability and HD audio.

Thought I'd comment on all the stupid stickers they place all over this receiver out the box. Well in my case there were only two, the Spotify sticker on the front right corner which easily came off without leaving any residue and the blue sticker on the top left as you've got pictured there. So annoying. That blue sticker provides info on getting assistance with setting up the receiver and was a complete and total PITA to remove. The type of adhesive used does not allow for cleanly removing the sticker. All the adhesive remained on the receiver. Thank goodness for Goo Gone! Took some serious effort initially and with repeat visits over the past couple days to finally remove all traces that the sticker had ever been there while at the same time not damaging the finish.
Edited by Low Profile - 11/30/12 at 9:39am

Just realize that this limitation does not effect the NET function, so you can listen to Pandora, internet radio, FLAC, MP3, etc in zones 2/3 all you want.

What I really wanted it for was iTunes. Ultimately, I guess I could run analog out from my computer but still I cant control the volume from the receiver to zones 2 and 3.

Hey guys what about ONKYO iPhone APP, it stuck on loading.

iPhone 5 with 6.0.1

I don't know why I waited on getting the 818 for 699 during black friday weekend. Now it's anywhere from 850 to 1200. Knowing how cheap it went for I would never buy it even at 850 price. I am sure as the unit gets older price will drop again somewhere.

Be patient, the deals will come back.

I kept one "saved for later" in my cart at Amazon for a month waiting for the right deal.

The price fluctuated frequently.

Is it possible to power just the LCR with the 818 and the side and back surrounds with an external amplifier?

I mean, I suppose it's just a matter of connecting the LCR's to the binding posts and the surround preouts to the external amp inputs. Isn't it?

I agree about the ridiculous number of stickers and have damaged softer finishes on PCs I've purchased for my business removing all the Intel, Windows etc stickers. However I've found the technique requiring no Goo Gone...pull the sticker off then use it to "dob" the remaining glue. Each time you stick the sticker back on the glue it pulls more and more of the remaining glue off until it's gone! Leaves zero residue and is fast...

That Onkyo app seriously BLOWS... Get the oRemote app and you'll never look back!

I bought my 818 six months ago for a grand and wouldn't trade a day of the enjoyment this thing has given me for that $300... If you didn't buy it at $699, just how cheap were you waiting for it to get? That was a rhetorical question... Half of this thread is occupied by hand wringers posting over price instead if posts that are actually about owning and operating this receiver...just sayin'...

The biggest annoyance in this receiver is that it defaults to All Channel Stereo on every single input. When I have my USB hard drive plugged in the receiver's display is filled with the title and artist of the song I'm listening to so it's not immediately clear that the receiver is in All Channel Stereo mode. I must have spent about 10 minutes wondering why the audio sounded like it was coming from only the left front speaker until I finally went into the Information screen and noticed what audio mode the receiver was in. Onkyo, anyone with half a brain should know that a receiver should ALWAYS default to 2 channel stereo until it receives a multichannel audio signal from a source component.

Use the Setup button and go to "Listening Mode" that will change the default mode (I think so)

Yeah, I know, but it's still a pain since I have to change that setting for each input individually. Onkyo should be removing useless listening modes from their receivers. What possible reason is there to use All Channel Stereo mode for any type of audio?

You could use All Channel Stereo for music if you felt like it. That way you fill the room and make use of your speakers. I use Stereo 99% of the time though, for music.

I know my model is different from yours but I've used all channel stereo when I had a friend over and he was sitting far off axis. I've also used stereo and DPLII for music, depending on my mood. Every one wants just the features they use while others might find a different set of features essential. I just ignore what I don't use, such as the synthesized surround "fields." One can purchase units without most features such as the new Outlaw pre-pro or the UMC-2. Personally I choose a larger feature set, especially Audyssey XT32.

Finally found time to go through the Audyssey set up. Pretty painless. I was concerned about two things: getting the sub set up right (a bit of a PITA with my old Pioneer AVR) and how well the upward-facing mic would do with my surrounds which, out of structural necessity, are in-ceiling. I need not have worried. The set up was straightforward and, thanks to good advice in this thread and in the Audyssey thread, I had good information on how to tweak the end results.

Some notes on the Audyssey set up:
- My sub is a Velodyne D4000R. The low pass crossover is a continuously-variable dial from 40-120 Hz with a "direct" position just beyond 120 Hz. I used the direct setting. The high pass crossover is a two position switch with the choice of either 80 or 100 Hz. I left it on 100 Hz.
- My fronts are Klipsch WF-34's (floorstanding speakers).
- Center is a matching unit to the fronts (I forget the model number).

When Audyssey was finished, the front crossovers were set to 40, the center was set to something like 45 IIRC, and the surrounds were at a variety of settings from 30-50. After listening a bit I reset the fronts, center and surrounds to 80 Hz and did some more listening. For movies, I like this final setting. And, the sub seems very well integrated into the overall sound mix, at least for movies. I will do some critical listening to music over the next few days and see if that remains true for stereo.

As noted, pretty straightforward and painless. Thanks to all who post their questions and answers here. I am at least one example of how useful those posts are.

i dont get it, i got a new SVS subwoofer and so i re ran auddysey just now, is auddysey detecting that i have 2 subwoofers? why are there 2 subwoofers in the picture? i have only my new SVS sub connected to the system

i have my single subwoofer connected to the correct place right?

Yep, that's just the way it shows it on page 16 of the manual.