Anthem D2/D2v/AVM50/AVM50v/ARC1 tweaking guide - Page 1342

Tech support thinks I could have a power supply issue and that I should send the unit in to them. Well it's not under warranty and it could get pricey, plus the S/H will probably run me $100. Before sending it in to them I would like to get some other feedback. I ran this issue by the Forum back in Nov/2011. I got a response from Bob, but didn't delve too far into it.

In a nutshell, I purchased my D2 used in Dec, 2010, and within 9 - 10 months of use I started to have some issues with the HDMI cables. I was running an HDMI cable from the DirecTV box to HDMI Input 1, and from my Oppo 83 SE to HDMI Input 2, and then running an HDMI cable from the Anthem Out to the Input on my 63" Plasma Samsung (PN63C8000).

What started happening is it would take longer and longer on power-up to get video on the Samsung, and sound to come out of my Klipsch Klipschorns. I would have to power the Anthem up and down 2 or 3 times in the beginning, and then it started taking 7 or 8 power up and downs, and then after a while I couldn't get it to work at all using the HDMI inputs/outputs. All of the HDMI cables were made by BlueJeanCable, and work on various other systems.

In order to get everything to work I am having to run the HDMI cables directly from the sources to the Samsung for video, and I am using an optical cable from the DirecTV box to the Anthem for sound, and using the 6 analog outputs on the Oppo to the 6 analog inputs on the Anthem to get sound for DVD's and Blu-Rays. This gets me decent video and sound, but I lose the HDMI audio on all sources, and I really miss the upscaling feature of the Anthem when I play regular DVD's.

Anybody run into anything like this? Does this sound like a power supply issue to you? I have lived with this for over a year now and I am ready to get this working the way it should be working. I have also never updated the software on the D2, and am wondering if that might resolve it (will check tomorrow what the version is).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

That is the response to the below post?

I understand that it does not upload random volume levels. We would appreciate a straight answer to a very clear question.

Regards

Amy one know what is happening to Anthems web site
I tried to download the latest ARC software. When I click on Download it says "file not found on server"
I am seeing several other broken links.

my dilemma. currently own mrx 700. love it so much i have decided to upgrade to the P5. can buy used p5 and d2v mint for 10 grand. 45 for p5 and 55 for d2v. am planning on using mrx 700 as pre pro for p5. seems a waste to use 700 as just as a pre pro. probably get 1500 for 700 if i sell it. is it worth the extra 4 grand for the d2v? my main concern is music as i am using epson pro cinema 6010 projector which has awesome video picture. should i buy both or just the P5? Thanks in advance for any insight Dave. P.S. running paradigm studio 100's main.cc 690 v.5. adp 590 surrounds with 2 studio sub 12's. will there be a noticeable difference in music sound using the d2v over the mrx 700 as a pre pro?
Edited by spikerdawg - 3/14/13 at 6:36pm

 

I agree that 4K passthrough support would at least keep the D2v relevant for the next 5-10 years. Hollywood might not yet have original 4K sources for consumers but they've decided its the future. Movies are now made digitally in 4K format and some in 8K format and shown on the massive theatrical screens.

RED already makes 4K bluray boxes that can play this format. Many current BD players can upscale to the 4K format(Oppo 103/105), Sony and others.

 

OMG, did you notice CES2013???  It was ALL about 4K and UHD(Ultra High Definition). Nothing else but 4K, so many(if not all)TV manufacturers are ramping up their new products for mainstream 4K delivery this summer.

 

So while no consumer bluray disks available today are 4K capable, other sources of 4K content exist through upscaling as shown above. And next generation bluray players will be capable of 4K support. I bet Oppo and others will have this capability in their next-gen players in 2015 and beyond plus automatic room correction capability and multiple HDMI 1.4a inputs that support 4K video. They already have 2 so far...

 

The addition of multiple HDMI inputs and automatic room correction in future BD players will negatively affect and stall future D2v sales greatly. Folks will look at the non-4K capable $10K D2v and look at a future Oppo BD player with multiple HDMI switching inputs plus room correction with superb stereo and analog outputs(maybe for less than $2K) and wonder what the real $8K price advantage is. I believe many D2v/50v units will up on Audiogon soon after that killing this great Anthem brand if they still keep insisting that what they have is good enough for most discerning audiophiles... who are rapidly becoming picky videophiles and use the latest electronic toys on the market.

 

If you refuse to change or adapt with the times, you run the definite risk if becoming obsolete, however improbable that notion might be in your minds.

Not a knock on 4K but that's what said about 3D in 2010... so much for the "build it and they will come" mantra.

Recommended reading on the subject of predictions: The Signal And The Noise by Nate Silver.

Everything ending with a question mark was answered but now y'all are saying that the question was y'all's assumption/declaration ending with a period. I still can't answer to that unless you can deliver an indication of whether your levels are low, graphs are low, or both are low and by how much, and possibly your .arc file. No conjecture - just observations, and yours alone. Since the web form didn't work maybe it's time to try tech at anthemav dot com or calling.

I agree with you on the 3D issue ...lots of hype so far with headache inducing 3D glasses. But 4K involves greater resolution and the promise of getting cinema quality images in a home theater which is very addictive and makes people want to spend money on upgrading their various pieces of equipment in their HT systems whether they need it or not. I think this is the wave you risk losing on if you don't plan to join it ... just my 2cents.

Hello guys big week for me, just ordered an Anthem AVM 50v 3D along with Anthem A5 to replace my NAD T175HD and NAD T975 amp. Can`t wait. Gonna pair it with Paradigm signature series speakers and sub 25. What should I expect, a huge step up from NAD. Just sheer HT joy. I`ve heard great things about ARC and I think that will just put my system over the edge to greatness! Any pointers for ARC or anything for I am an Anthem/ARC newbie. NAD stuff for sale by the way.

We are sorry this has been posted here for months and we assumed you follow this thread.

It has also been sent to tech support 2 times.

Charts are low, solution is low. Not too sure I should have answered this since there was no question mark?

If you need questions marks to provide a respectful answer we will try one more time for Y'ALL. If that goes no where then I guess the comment in my post that you started to respond to will have been proven correct.

1) Does the arc software hear the true volume of the speakers in windows 8?

2) Is anthem aware that it does not?

3) Will anthem acknowledgement that it is there and is reproducible?

4) Do you still employ the people from the NRC that develop ARC.

Regards

Anthem Arc low response.png 265k .png file

Seems to be the norm for Anthem/Paradigm.

Of course nobody is actually paying MSRP so don't be too put off by those numbers.....

I find I agree with dmusoke in that I am disappointed with Anthem's lack of progress with general developments.

However, it is the firmware that I find so troubling... Nick has referenced the D2v "five years and still developing", but really, all that has been "developed" is/are bug fixes which arguably should not have existed in a >$12,000 product (I live in the UK...). I am ignoring the Dolby volume thing which (for whatever reason) is simply a mess and in my experience just does not work correctly. After five years no new features and still fixing bugs... and some of those bugs are quite fundamental. I am also ignoring the 3D board which I do not consider an upgrade, more like a downgrade in that it bypasses the scalar at a cost of £600 (nearly $1000).

I do appreciate that there have been some sound/performance improvements over the three years that I have owned a D2v, but if it wasn't for this forum and "manually" checking Anthem's web site then even those would have been missed.

I have tried various other room correction systems including TMA's TMReq (which was way ahead of it's time) and Audyssey (the external processor and Pro set-up kit), and have no complaints about the comparative performance, just that the ARC interface is ancient, buggy and undeveloped, and there has been no progress on adding facilities and features. Even relatively simple requests, like visibility of below 20Hz to say nothing of more complex features, like response shaping, low shelf/high shelf filters, peaking filters (available a number of years ago with Audyssey) etc. These were elements that I had hoped would be available and add value to the same or similar level that I experienced with TMReq developments before TMA pulled-out... and maybe therein lies the reason, real developments cost money.

I should also add that I am using Win8 Pro 64-bit and have found no (additional) issues, works fine for me.

Regards

Russ

Who is "we"?

I twice recommended that you reach out to tech support through means not already attempted.

1. My understanding of how it works is that software can't hear. Mic picks up sound, ARC does calculations through math that's run by Windows then uploads level settings to the processor. The reason that a different level is chosen through Windows 8 when the OS is the only variable is a mystery especially since the curves are identical according to your screenshots.

2. That's an odd question to follow up the first with but if you mean is anyone at Anthem aware that something strange is happening between ARC and Windows 8 the answer is yes - I'm reading about it right here. I haven't seen any other mention of the bug in this thread although in the MRX thread one person said only the graphs are low - not output as you say, which he checked with an SPL meter. That's only two initial reports and as anyone can see they already conflict, so make no more assumptions.

3. Only if it turns out to be reproducible and the answer would most likely come from TS. I'm not TS. When someone provides steps to reproduce an issue and anyone within the company is able to reproduce it, TS then contacts the sender and says, "we reproduced the problem, are working on it and will get back to you when there's news." Then one day it might lead to "would you be interested in trying a beta to see if it resolves the problem?" That's the normal process as is TS contacting the sender for more info when the problem can't be reproduced. Without your .arc file (not a screenshot) TS may never be able to answer your question.

4. The people that developed ARC haven't been at Canada's NRC since the 1990s. Paradigm hired them at that time and they're still with the company. I'd wager they'll remain unaware of the Windows 8 thing unless TS gathers the necessary info to open an internal bug report and kick off an investigation. That's the normal process.

I have said many times that no one at Anthem reads AVS but myself, and that's occasionally and voluntarily. This week it's because v3.09h beta is floating around and since I'm out of the office I want to keep up with what's going on (happy that so far there's nothing). Discussions I got myself into after looking at a week's worth of posts is a coincidence and I have only so much personal time to set aside for such pleasure.

Nice way to spin it but I was referencing the 3D/bypass hardware upgrade not software although that's part of what makes everything possible. If anywhere in your message there is a problem description involving your system, and yours alone, please forward it to your dealer or tech support.

For some reason over the last few days there seems to be a reoccurring theme about either Anthems support, or their chosen direction of product development. And many of these post have seemed to air on the negative side.

We are all entitled to our opinion. I just want to say that whenever I have e-mailed a direct tech support person at Anthem, or picked up the phone to ask for help I have never been let down. The same goes for the side of the company that supports the Paradigm product line.

Perhaps my perception is based on my view of the products. I feel my D2v3d is more of a Porsche than a Honda. Sure I would have very few hiccups with the Honda, but hey I’d rather be on the side of on the Autobahn after having the drive of my life (near Munich preferably) with my Porsche then putting down the road in my Honda.

I appreciate people’s frustrations. I have had issues too (software & hardware). But when she is running, and that is 99.99% of the time it is a thing of beauty. I don’t watch films and listen to music. I experience story’s and share emotions!

I trust as time and technology progresses Anthem will provide me with quality upgrades to my device, or a path to upgrade that is reasonable

That’s my 2 cents

THAT IS MY EXPERIENCE SINCE OWNING
a D2 Since almost Day-One

Nick:

 

Can you then help us some more by answering these two questions of mine:

 

1. Do you plan to follow up on the 3D upgrade by designing one that also supports 4K video, at least pass it through if it can't process it? If so, when would the target dates be? This would keep the D2v relevant for the next 10 years i believe(or until its parts are no longer supported by manufacturers).

 

2. What circuitry (in general terms) does a signal go through when the D2v is in Analog-Direct mode? Any active parts in the path(buffers, filters etc) in addition to the volume control?

 

The reason i ask, is that i connected by Oppo BDP-105 stereo outs (XLR) directly to my power amplifier(Sunfire 7x400W) and the sound was just simply glorious. It was 'there', a presence i'd never known. But when sent through the D2v (XLR ins and outs), comparativel, it sounds 'muted' and somewhat veiled.

I asked this question of Anthem CS as I was concerned about audio signal degregation in the D2v. especially the analog inputs.
ARC does great processing for home theater but stereo analog sounds better.

Anthem states and they advertise that there is no loss of SQ in their volume control using Analog Direct

Question: Please describe how the D2v accomplishes the ANALOG input level matching in the Analog input level setup section.

Answer: The level is being reduced in the pre-amp stage within an op-amp.

Think 4K is going to go away. ?
Jeff Meiier of AccuCal was here to calibrate my 4K Sony television and stated he has never before seen a tv with such an outstanding picture.
He said he was very excited to see something better than anything he has seen before.

Anthem owners need to be able to pass thru the 4K video or at least have the Anthem units send the correct EDID information over HDMI so the HDMI audio is usable.

How
How do you control the volume when you connect direct to the amp?

Yes please, I intend to go 4K very soon also.

Thank you, I appreciate your response. You must understand that when your nick is nick@anthem you represent the company on a professional level whether you do it on your own time or not. I have submitted a tech form at the anthem web site, I have contacted my paradigm/anthem rep and he has forward to a specific person in tech support that responded to him he received it, I have made you aware thru this forum. Where else and what other avenue should i explorer? I have no doubt that if arc is ran in a windows 8 environment it will be easily reproducible, however as you suggest, the only way that tech support would believe and understand the true scope of the problem is if they do it themselves. That is where this needs to start, not me proving to them it exists. They have the equipment and the know how to verify the extent of the impact. This OS will soon be main stream and it is to anthems’ best interest to ensure the arc process shines as we all know it can. You must understand that the combination of people that run arc, have upgrade to windows 8 and know what we should be getting is small in numbers and therefore this should be a flag even if it is just a couple of us. The graphs I posted alone are results something is going on that anthem needs to explorer. Whether or how long it takes anthem to do that is only anthems to determine.

Maybe one day I will get a response, you knows.

Thanks again

Regards

So you are saying I can put my free board in the closet and wait for the craze of 3d to hit . Who'd a thunk it. The processing on 50v makes my 2d set shine and if it ain't broken. The true value of this fantastic box is the music. You can never image what a processor can do for you until you hear this one.

Regards

To Mike Lindsey,

I have a setup that uses the same video sources. My only sources are Directv and Oppo 93, using HDMI to a M50v-3d inputs, and I use M50v HDMI-1 output to Runco DHD4 and HDMI up to the V11d projector. I just added an HDMI2 output to RF extender to a Sony monitor. Source switching to Oppo always has a little noisy on sync (video and audio glitches), and sometimes fails to sync but a power cycle would clear. This lack of sync was either no video or video colors are screwed but at least a power cycle would finally clear and sync correctly.

My rack cables are 1meter (Ultraviolet $100 wireworld) in length and then a 9meter wireworld (HDMI starlight $500), "http://www.wireworldcable.com/categories/hdmi_series6.html" Anthem software upgrades did not solve the problem.
I did try using Runco DHD4 to do the HDMI switching and ran runco HDMI out to M50v for audio which worked better at switching than the M50v. This hookup never failed to sync. But I wanted the video overlay so I cabled my rack back to M50v for switching and the problems showed up again. Then I upgraded to the latest HDMI 1.4 - 3d board hoping this would help but it did not. The intermittent fail with Oppo got worse. The source switching from Sat to Oppo that would sometimes cause a sync fail whre a power cycle of the M50v now would not clear that fail. A switch back to the Sat (DVR) would also fail until I would power off the Oppo and then I could get Sat to sync some of the time.

A switch to Sat/DVR always synced faster and cleaner than a switch to Oppo (whose data volume was set higher). Directv is 1080i and Oppo is set to Source Direct. M50v out configs are at 1080p. Anthem suggested using M50v setting for the sources a Studio RGB vs YCBCR 4.2.2, and only using 8bit for color space (YCbCr 4.2.2.) with Deep Color OFF, setting in Oppo. Fails would get worse where more data is transmitted from Oppo.

The current workaround from Anthem was to switch to the source settings to use THROUGH. This was a little more stable but of course one does not get the nice video screen overlay for status, mode, menu etc. So I switched back and do not use THROUGH, to trying to get M50v to switch and get the video processing. I also did yet another software upgrade to version 3.09 which showed no improvement in sync but it did solve an intermittent case where volume would be too low on power up.

The wireworld cables are very stiff and this could results in a torque on them that could result in less than optimum contact resistance. I decided to try contact cleaner after about 2 years of the above problems. About 1 week ago I used DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold and focused on all connections in the rack but did not get up in the huxhbox and do the 1 Runco connection. No complete fails in the last week. Switching still has some noise bursts (video and audio) that I have learned to live with. Switching times are about 6-7 seconds which is down from slower times at day 1 when I got the M50v and was using max data volumes.

So set your devices to output the least amount of data volume that your willing to live with especially Oppo output setting. Second, make sure the cables are very good, short, and are making good connection. Third, I also added a small fan to blow across the top of the M50v since the area seemed pretty warm one time when it locked up and would not sync even with a power cycle. I only have 1" of space above the M50v for air flow.

I am the queue for another software upgrade that I hope helps HDMI sync. Maybe someday a Anthem RS232 based HDMI trace function to help debug what and when there is an Anthem HDMI problem.

I've had my share of odd HDMI quirks to say the least. I just picked up an HDMI cable tester. I suggest it be added to everyone's toolkit.

^ been running monoprice redmere for a while with no tester required. I sure hope they start to run these compact chip cables in component lengths because it does clean up the rear stage front.

Regards

Edit I mean slims r what I am running with no problem, which also look to be the ultimate solution once they sell @ 3'.

Regards
Edited by Shayne2 - 3/15/13 at 9:55pm

The Oppo BDP-105 player has its own independent volume control for the analog outs via the remote...

^^ Nice...it appears they have thought of most everything.

I'm not sure what you are referring to with "Nice way to spin it", or maybe you're being sarcastic, either way I am not "spinning" anything, just stating a fact as I see it. Please feel free to correct me and point out an "upgrade" delivered by firmware/software apart from the ill fated Dolby Volume (which I have already mentioned), rather than bug fixes, I'm happy to accept that I missed something. I was however amused by your description of the 3D/bypass hardware as an "upgrade"... It's interesting how bypassing the video section of the D2v can be described as an upgrade... It's not adding 3D capability, just no longer blocking it, but at the penalty of losing other functions (OSD, scaling etc.), not a complaint or problem, an observation.

I guess this "If anywhere in your message there is a problem description..." is more sarcasm, if I wanted to seek help with a problem then I would clearly state it, also email Anthem TS with the relevant information and files. I am simply expressing opinions (this is a public forum after all), along with the implication that Anthem in many ways is not delivering benefits via the firmware/software updates but fulfilling it's obligation to fix bugs... I would like to see enhancements as well as bugs fixed and I gave some examples of where I had previously experienced this (TMA & Audyssey) along with further examples of what I had hoped would be delivered.

Sorry if I offended you, that is not my intention, and it was not directed at "you".

Regards

Russ

I'm just hoping that everyone understands that any time that our lit mentioned the possibility of upgrades it also said they would occur as technology permitted. I don't know when you purchased your D2v but it appeared on the market in Jan 2009 well before any mention of 3D. That's why when the new hardware appeared, it was an upgrade. Any other impression resulting from information sources other than Anthem is something Anthem can't be responsible for. As long as wish lists are being discussed here's the ultimate, and who will be the first to fulfill all of that before the next buying season...

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1463143/what-would-you-like-to-see-in-your-next-avr

Oppo always had volume control - started before Blu-ray.