The "Official" Pioneer Elite SC-61/-63 Owners Forum - Page 4

To setup Pandora use your web browser. Type in the IP address in the URL section and hit enter. It will take you to a simple web interface. From there it is simple to input the SiriusXM and Pandora username/password combos.

Room acoustic anomalies can be the reason that the receiver keep telling you that the speaker's polarity to be reversed regardless of what you do. This is normal with any polarity-checking auto calibration feature.

Thanks, vonbonds. I did enter the ip address of the receiver ad got connected to the web control website. I tried entering my Pandora username an password an got the following error message: " Could not apply new settings".

I am at my wits end and ready to toss the receiver in te garbage. I DO appreciate your help though. No Pandora, no use of my surround sound speakers, no communication between the receiver and TV- I am about ready t give up.

Thanks for your help!

Bll

^^
these Elite receivers are too well made & vetted (not being the $299 variety) to have all these issues as normal problems.

you either have a TV - receiver HDMI incompatibility or a setup issue. The problem for us trying to help you with your setup is trying to communicate back & forth in writing how you have things hooked up & setup in the menu vs hands-on seeing what you've done. can you get some help from your dealer or is this an internet or Worst Buy purchase?

the same is true of your surround speakers. I find it very hard to believe your receiver is at fault not being able to get surround sound; counting a low cost consumer model I bought in the 80's, I've owned 6 Pioneer receivers, including 3 flagship Elites, and not one failed to properly send signals to all the channels they were setup to do.

the Pandora problem is something I can't address because 1) I did the update but don't use Pandora account 2) too many unknowns as to your home network, router used & its setup, etc. My router was a top of the line $200 Netgear I got 5+ yrs ago and it's wireless connectivity to my wife's ipod, my iphone and the SC-68 receiver gets flaky at times, with dropouts. So should I blame Pioneer for that? of course, not.

I'd like to see you get your receiver to work for you but I don't know how I can help. can you send screenshots of your HDMI setup menu and photos of your connections? have you checked your samsung manual?

as far as error messages...Bose speakers. You have a nice receiver & deserve to use better speakers than Bose even as surrounds Bose is such a proprietary company with special cables, connections, bass modules, who knows why you can't get them to work have you tried troubleshooting 101 - connect your fronts to the surrounds just to see if you get sound then? that would confirm if it's a receiver setup issue, wiring problem or that Bose speakers just aren't going to work because of some unique connectivity thing, like the satellites may need to be connected to their bass module 1st, then the bass module to the receiver. I can't tell you because I don't use Bose speakers...if your Bose are the older "normal" speakers they used to make, like the direct/reflecting 501/301/901 models - normal speakers with normal connections, then it should work. BUT and this is VERY IMPORTANT, if the Bose speakers ARE the bipolar reflecting type, and they are wall mounted then its not surprising you got a Polarity error message due to the reflected sound interfering with the direct measurement. I have dipolar planars and have never had a polarity error message...but I also have mine set 5 ft from the front wall so the back wave isn't throwing the measurement for a loop. If you are certain your wiring is correct, then ignore the polarity error, hit OK and move on. ALL room correction systems can be tripped up on polarity measurement and the speaker design & room acoustics play a big part. And all companies say the same thing, ignore the error if the speakers are wired correctly. Also, some speakers may have reversed phase designed into the crossovers for a particular sonic signature.

too many unknowns. the fact that you basically can't get almost anything to work tells me the problem is either a defective receiver (unlikely but you can return & replace) or you

sorry to be blunt but 1 or 2 problems or quirky issues I can understand having to work thru but all of the ones you are having? with no TV, no surround sound & now network problems? the chances of this all being the receiver are not high...just saying

HDMI - go back to basics. Turn OFF HDMI Control in the HDMI setup menu. Turn OFF ARC (audio return channel) and then see if you get video to your Samsung. if you have dual HDMI outputs, make sure you have selected the HDMI output in the menu to match the connection to the TV - if TV is connected to HDMI Out 1, set the receiver to output to HDMI 1 or to both (I think there's a choice for both, but consult your manual). if you are trying to get receiver sound to your TV speakers, then you have to have HDMI ARC turned on in the menu. and even then, if your Samsung doesn't support ARC, you won't get sound to its speakers from the receiver...HDMI does NOT work that way. It depends on what version of HDMI your TV has. If it's HDMI 1.3 / 1.3b then no sound to the TV. If it's HDMI 1.4, then it probably does have the ARC feature but you will need to confirm that with the Samsung manual & product info. If all else fails, then it's possible the Samsung may not make the handshake with the receiver, but it's too premature to conclude that.

I understand your frustration. if you want to pursue having forum members help, post some shots of your settings or confirm EXACTLY what you did in each setup menu. and post if you you heard test tones from your surrounds running auto MCACC? are they set to NO, SMALL or LARGE? did you set the bass crossover and if yes, what is it?

and the bottom line is you can decide to return it & try another brand or ask your dealer for in-home help. it may cost you some money but that's better than beating your head against the wall & not getting anywhere, which is where you're at I've been at this hobby for 40 years and have never had the setup problems you seem to be experiencing...everything I have tried on the SC-09 & SC-68 works. Maybe I misinterpreted a feature along the way but I always got video/audio and both do connect to my network.
Edited by ss9001 - 12/31/12 at 9:40am

Thanks much, ss9001!! Eureka! My Pnadora is now working. I was able to solve it (or, maybe, I should say, I got lucky). I downloaded the Pioneer iCotrol 2012 app, an followed those instructions which diected me exactly to the Pandoa site for Pioneer (www.pandora/pioneer). I got an "activation" code once I entered my email address an password. Ithen entered the activation code on the site, and to my GREAT satsfaction, I now have complete control of my Pandora stations over the iControl app!

I REALLY appeciate your willingness to help, and will try and return the favor to others as I begin my "journey" into the other features of the SC-61.

Do you have any recommendations for surround speakers (and also cente front)? I now own B&W CM-9's.

Thank you so much for your help,and also vonbonds!

Bill

Been doing some research and It seems to me that the SC-1227-K is the exact same amp as the SC-61 without the ELITE stamp.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Home/AV-Receivers/FutureShop/SC-1227-K
http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Home/AV-Receivers/Elite-Receivers/SC-61

As a Canadian this is a great deal 699.99 Boxing day price, I really wanted the sc61 but it will be almost double by the time it gets to my door in Canada.

Just an FYI

Same internals except the 1222-K lacks a 12v trigger output.

1227

Canadian Futureshop exclusive, it has the trigger aswell.

No, the 1227 does NOT have the 12v trigger. I'm looking at the back of my 1227 right now. Identical to the 1222.

Oh, well I guess it's a misprint on their website, says right in the specs.

Not a feature I would use anyways.
Edited by minorc - 1/1/13 at 4:31pm

Network Attached Storage

Has anyone connected a NAS device for playing stored music files? I can play the files from my laptop as long as the laptop is open and this makes it somewhat inconvenient. A DLNA certified NAS device would seem to be the ideal solution, but there are so many choices in NAS that I find it a bit intimidating and don't want to select the wrong one. A quick google search also has numerous posts from users of all different AVR's who have great difficulty in setting up a successful NAS device. Seems like it should be simple right? Has anyone set up a music server with the SC-61? Was it as simple as it sounds? What NAS device did you use?

Thanks to all for any input.

Hope it helps someone trying to update the firmware via usb. I have a SC 1222K and was unable to update the firmware via a san disk 8 gb. Tried everything, formatting, etc. took the san disk back and bought a 8 gb PNY Attache. Updated via the usb the first time no problem. Others have had luck with a 8 gb PNY USB drive also.

I used a Kingston 16gb flash drive.

Hello. I wonder if other owners can help me here.

I just purchased a new SC-61 and I'm having this problem very often. Most of the times I try to turn the receiver on it switches off right away and keep blinking a blue light. I already read the troubleshooting section on the manual (see the video's description) but the problem remains even when everything is disconnected. The strange thing is: when it turns on normally, it's working flawlessly.

I needed to import this through FEDEX and paying a high tax, so returning it is a very tough decision. We don't have any authorized Pioneer service around here, since Pioneer in my country offers almost anly automotive related sound products.

Any grain of salt is welcome, will help. Thanks in advance!

My issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cki9r6BxChY
Edited by mefxes - 1/3/13 at 7:24am

After like an entire day not working, it turned on normally sometime after my last post. I immediately updated it through USB since I expecct this to solve my problems. I won't have time today to setup everything, but here's the update process recorded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7J1hkuxXqU

I think what you are experiencing is normal with the default settings. Mine occasionally does the same thing. If I turn the TV on first and then the SC-61 all works as it should. If I turn the SC-61 on first with the TV turned off, the SC-61 will shut off after about 10 seconds because it starts up with the Satellite DBS as the source but no where to send the signal. I could fix this by setting up the remote to turn both on simultaneously and I will get around to that at some point. I have only had this AVR for two weeks and it is awesome but there is a steep learning curve and the manual does little to reduce that curve. Some things I have figured out by trial and error as the manual is no help at all.

Hope this helps and keeps you from shipping it back.

Hello Lancair, thanks for helping!

In fact my problem is that it turns off right away and never comes back again. Or, in fact, comes back at random. It isn't right shutting off even if there's nowhere to send the signal. When it's operating ok, even with only the power cord attached, it will turn on and keep on.

When that switching off problem happens, no matter what I do, it will remain turning off everytime I try to turn it on. And then, randomly, I try to turn it on and it magically works like nothing happened.

Right now, after the update I managed to make afted like a day of not working, it's working and playing music from USB. I just connected the television, my two front speakers and the USB device. I will try it for some days and will be adding the other speakers and sources one by one, trying to find where the problem is. But I really believe the only problem here is the receiver. It replaced my Onkyo TX-SR608 and I never had any problem with it... just wanted a better receiver.

^^
have you tried turning HDMI Control OFF? some quirky behavior has been caused by HDMI CEC or HDMI Control as some call it.

personally, IMO, it's one of those things that's more potential headache than it's worth but to each his own anytime someone posts about random turnoffs, or resetting to the TV/Sat input all the time or other quirky behavior, the usual reply is to try doing without HDMI Control.

it's also possible your symptoms have nothing to do with it but it's worth your time to give it a try.

hi i just bought a pioneer sc61 reciever and a couple of questions. hopefully someone can answer.first isi have a sirius subscription how do i go about getting sirius radio through the sc61. secondi have a 7.1 setup using hieght speakers . where would i hook the speaker wires for these in the back of reciever. last question have pair of speakers in my yard on the deck how would i hook them up to on the back of reciever using zone 2. thank you.

your speaker wiring question can be answered by looking at your manual on the AVNav disc or downloaded from their website. that shows the rear panel and has the wiring diagram for all the speakers. same is true of how to use Sirius.

if that confuses you, there's the AVNavigator disc with wiring diagram, install the software & it'll show you. and if all else fails, just look at the back of it....the speaker jacks are clearly labeled, even the heights

while I can help you, you will be far better off in the long run if you look at how the manual is laid out & read to learn these very basic things on your own tough love, I guess...

congratulations on getting it, btw.
Edited by ss9001 - 1/3/13 at 4:43pm

I don't think you can set up a zone two if you are running 7.1 in your theater already. You'd probably need to add an external amp to get power to your speakers on the deck. I could be wrong, let me know if you figure it out because I'd like to run a zone two as well but am using all 7 channels already.

^^
he (and you) can do 1) 7.1 & B speakers (which can be in a separate room) or 2) 5.2 & zone 2...those are the speaker "zone" options. you can setup a zone 2 with a 2nd receiver & 2 ch analog outputs from the SC-61.

Well I returned the sc1227 and bought the sc-61, I guess I'm a sucker for the blue lights .

Is it possible for the amp to recognize a dolby signal as soon as it comes on?

Example, I put on Inglorious Bastards last night to try out the amp and it stayed on " Stereo ", It would be cool if the amp immediately switch to PLII movie or something as soon as the movie turned on.
Edited by minorc - 1/4/13 at 9:12am

If you set it to auto surround mode. It will automajically set the AVR for that particular movie to DTS-HD Master and show this on the front display or I Pad/Pod App. This is once the actual movie starts. Not the disc menu or previews. Also assuming you have your bluray player set up correctly to allow the AVR to process the sound.

I don't think I had it set to auto surround, will try that tonight.
I'm playing Bluerays from my PS3, i'm pretty positive it's all set up, have to double check now i guess,

I had to recalibrate the unit, auto Mcacc then tweaked the settings manually.
PS3 on auto surround works!

One more thing, might seem kind of stupid but I can't find it in the manual

On the remote, how to you use the blue functions?

Example; I was listening to my ipod and the home logo is showed on screen so I can control the ipod independently, but when I press the button nothing happens.

Just bought a sc-61 so thought I should join this forum! When I bought it today everyone is telling me how easy it is to setup but after reading some of the posts I don't know ! Probably have a lot of questions tomorrow when I start setting it up so bear with me please ! Is there a app for the iphone or iPad to control this receiver and if so what is it ?

Thanks !!!!

I just purchased the Pioneer SC-61 and no matter what I try I cannot access the Home Menu. When I press the Home Menu button on the remote the tv screen turns green or the screen has horizontal lines going through it. I've changed the HDMI cable and still can't access the Home Menu. Any suggestions? The tv is a Samsung 7100.

There is an app for iphone and ipads. Do a seach on apple store and just write pioneer. You wil find it. I believe is the best receiver app ever. If you compares it with the spp from onkyo or denon, or yamaha you will notice thst tne app from pioneer really rocks. Its called iControlAV2

let's get the easiest one done 1st -

you may have an intermittent connectivity problem with one of the connections, on the Pioneer or the Samsung. try changing to another input on the TV or the other output (if there's 2 outputs in the 61) on the Pioneer and set the Pioneer's output to the one connected. it's possible your cable is not staying firmly connected or it's even possible you have a faulty connector itself.

based on my own experience with green screen, you may be seeing the result of 480i/480p resolution combined with Deep Color being On. I would try going into the Pioneer menu (receiver display) and for now, turn the Video Converter Off. then see if it works. if it does, you may have to change the output resolution of the Video Converter to Auto or 1080p. or you can just leave it off. if still no success, go into the Pioneer menu and turn HDMI Control Off & re-check.

also check to make sure Pioneer's OSD is set correctly in the setup menu.

other things to note are the length of cable run, if you are using "cheap" cable with a long run, say > 15-25 ft, that may be a problem. I've had great success with Blue Jeans Cable Series 1 cable at 50+ ft, and get 1080p @ Deep Color 36 bits.

hopefully not, but this may also be a handshake incompatibility issue with the Samsung.
Edited by ss9001 - 1/6/13 at 4:02am