The "Official" Denon AVR-4306 Thread - Page 2

Forest Fan:

What "player" are you talking about?

This is the Denon AVR-4306 thread isn't it? Maybe you posted your question here by mistake?

For what it's worth (nothing really), Toshiba HD DVD Group advisor, Mark Knox, has reportedly said that HD DVD players will be software updateable, but it is not yet known for certain that updating to HDMI 1.3 will be a software switch or whether new hardware will be required. I think that Knox's statement might qualify as being a definite "maybe".

Shane C. Buettner has reported: "All we know for now is that it's (a) dicey time to be buying a new disc player or a new surround sound processor or AVR, and formats themselves aren't likely to be only points of confusion facing consumers as HD DVD and Blu-ray come to market."

Wait and see? Or, flip a coin... Seems like anyone who claims to know the answer to your question is full of baloney.

My question is: which came first... fried chicken or scrambled eggs?

I have my zone 2 speakers set to surround back and hooked up. I am getting no sound from them. I've tried my DVD 3910 with DLIII, tried the source as the HR10-250 sat box, and tried another Sony DVD player. No sound at all. Any pointers on how to fix this thing?

Thanks,

Diverace

I have a question for you 4306 owners.....
Can you switch HDMI video sources while listening to say a CD via DVD player?
In other words listen to one source while watching a different source.

Regards,

dc

If you are using HDMI connections exclusively, you will not get audio to zone 2. I believe it has something to do with the copy protection. I use analog out from the DVD player to the "CD" analog input on the receiver and it works fine. I also use another analog connection from my cable box to the receiver to route cable music to zone 2. Hope this helps.

The receiver has only one HDMI output. I believe the only way to do what you want is to hook up the video source directly to the TV and use the receiver for the desired audio source.

Hello, folks. My dealer has recommended the AVR-4306 as my home theater receiver. I've been trying to sort through the receiver's many features. It seems like the receiver has the ability to accept multiple video sources and then feed the selected input out via one HDMI cable to my projector. Does the 4306 have a built-in scaler to do this? So, would it be wasted resources to use a 4306 and a DVDO iScanVP30 (high definition video processor/hub) together? Too many cops directing traffic? I have an old DVDO iScanPro that I have considered trading in for an upgrade. Thanks.

Troy
Sorry, I haven't checked these out ( I don't have mine setup for multi zone right now)

Dan

I probably should have said receiver rather than player but the question is still valid. This receiver adheres to the HDMI 1.1 specification. What 1.1 cannot do is receive 7.1 multi channel lossless DTS-HD or DD Tru-HD from future HD-DVD and Blu-ray payers via HDMI. Because of this fact many people are saying do not buy HDMI recievers until they have HDMI 1.3.

If like me you have a PC connected to the receiver to output to a PJ, I believe HDMI 1.3 also improves connectivty between PC's on DVI-HDMI

The PS3 is reported to have HDMI 1.3 and I intend to buy one and connect it to my 4306 via HDMI.

I'm not suggesting that I'm screwed. I know that I currently have full 1080p visual capabilities and excellent 5.1 audio, but it would be nice to cater for up-coming 7.1 stuff.

And when I say recieve receive 7.1 multi channel lossless DTS-HD or DD Tru-HD, I mean receive more than 6ch 24/96 PCM over HDMI.

So can the 4306 receive 8ch 24/96 PCM over HDMI? If it can there's no need for HDMI 1.3 as far as audio's concerned.

Forest Fan,

Probably...

I'd say that the answer to your "valid question" of whether or not Denon will provide updates or upgrades to the AVR-4306 receiver is a matter of sheer conjecture.

We'll all just have to wait and see? Legally, manufacturers must be extremely cautious when issuing forward looking statements. A few select people at Denon probably know the likelihood of Denon's providing such updates or upgrades. Maybe? But, if anyone does know, they sure aren't talking about it publicly. Not unlike the Bush Baked Bean's dog, Duke...

I'd love to know too... IMHO, it would be wonderful if, in the future, Denon updates (preferably) or upgrades our receivers to implement revisons in the HDMI specifications OR for that matter, any other possible firmware improvements. But whether they do or not --- is obviously yet to be seen. I'd even say that anything we hear about it at this point would be wild speculation and not worth much?

The HDMI specifications have currently been revised from 1.1 to 1.2a (or maybe even higher now?). As you know, HDMI 1.3 is not CURRENTLY available, so speculation seems fruitless?

We do live in interesting times, don't we?

Oh yeah, I'm positive they will issue the update very soon...

I am trying to get some optical cables from monoprice.com (Their HDMI cable I bought was (IMO) just as good as the monster HDMI I bought for 3x the price. BUT, I am lost on what I need to buy. They list like four different kinds of optical cables. Help!

And what the heck is Toslink, does the 4306 support this?

I just bought my 4306 yesterday and while I understand enough to USUALLY make things work, I feel I bit in over my head. (Ok,ok I don't know what the hell I am doing and the manual might as well be written in Mandarin Chinese!)

Also, surely the Harmony 880 already has the codes for controlling the 4306? Anyone using one???

Thanks!

Thanks Groovit.

I now have my xbox360 running through it, a minor victory, but I'll take it!!

From my understanding of the specs (I don't own this receiver), the 4306 will only take analog video inputs and output them on HDMI without scaling the image. The 4306 does not include an internal scaler.

Just as a comparison, the VP30 processor has the same MSRP as the 4306, so even if the 4306 did include some scaling, the likelihood that it's performance would be anywhere close to the VP30 is very low. The scaler used in the VP30 is the same one used in Denon's top DVD player, the 5910.

Using the 4306 for audio and the VP30 for video would make for one great setup.

Hey everyone, do you think the next iteration of the AVR-4306 (like 4307) will include HD-Radio support? I've looked on the Internet to try and find info on Denon and HD-Radio but am coming up empty.

It has scaling as well.

I stand corrected. I should have spent a little more time with the manual before my post. The 4306 actually has more options than I would've expected.

Thanks for point out my error.

I don't believe this to be true - you can listen to ANY (incl. digital) source in ZONE 2 speakers. The extra analog cables from source would only be necessary if he was outputting the ZONE 2 signals from the audio (analog) posts, to be amplified by the secondary amp, because the digital signal is not processed through these.

I'm thinking about using one of the 12-volt triggers on the 4306 to actuate the movie contour functionality in my subwoofer. Does anyone know what type of termination (if any) is needed on the wire that goes into the trigger port on the 4306? I can not find reference to it any where. Thanks.

I used a cable with 1/8" mono mini plugs to connect the trigger out from the 4306 into my Panamax's trigger in jack. What do you mean by "type of termination"?

Thanks. Even though my terminaology was not clear, you told me exactly what I needed to know. The cable is "terminated" with a "1/8 in mono mini plug."

1. Is there available a description of the various Direct modes that is more complete than what's in the user's manual?

On page 29 of the User's Manual, there is this:

DIRECT/STEREO
If there is no need for tone control or distribution of the low frequencies in function of the speaker configuration, select the DIRECT mode to achieve the best sound quality.

... which leads to the following questions:
2. When in one of the Direct modes, are the fronts forced to "large?"
3. When in "pure direct mode" with the subwoofer set to "yes" and "LFE + Mains" and the input is 2-channel analog or PCM, are the subwoofer and selected crossover used?
4. When in "direct mode" with the subwoofer set to "yes" and "LFE + Mains" and the input is 2-channel analog or PCM, are the subwoofer and selected crossover used?

I would test this myself but I'm fighting a severe ground loop problem when my subwoofer is engaged and my Ground Loop Isolator is in transit.

2. On the older Denon's, yes. The newer ones have an advanced playback option where you can setup the 2CH Direct/Stereo modes with different speaker sizes, distances etc.

3 & 4. Yes. Going by my Denon as that's how it's setup.

There does seem to be an odd "bug" with the Direct/Pure Direct modes if you have all speakers small, all bass to the sub. The sub is inactive even when it should be active. This happens on my A1XV (5805) and also another Forum members 3806. Changing the Custom setting in the advanced playback menu to Large, Bass to LFE + Main rectifies this.

Jase & TechoFobe -- Thanks much. Just got the 4306 last week and I'm still reading the manual, obviously at times with great confusion.

Good luck with the manual...

Quoting DonB1948:
"the manual, obviously at times with great confusion"
Actually, I believe the statement should be: "...the manual, obviously at ALL times with great confusion."

I'm using the Harmony 880. It has all of the main discrete codes, and I have added all of the ipod control discretes along w/ a couple of the net audio discretes (enough to get a basic "listen to net audio" activity up and running. I asked the Tech support types to propagate the codes I added to the public database, so they should be there for you.

Cheers
Dan

Dan-

Just picked one up this weekend. The guy at BestBuy only had the 550 out and tried to tell me it was all I needed. PSSHHH! I NEED to control 15 devices at once!!!!


Thanks again.

ps Did you by chance happen to program a "get beer" macro into the database?

I'm considering picking up some Sennheiser HD-600s for use with my newly aquired 4306. Anyone have experience with this paring? It sounds like the 4306 should be more than capable of driving these headphones without a secondary headphone amp.