Quote:
Originally Posted by
mrlupin
Are any of you backyard enthusiasts watching movies with surround sound? I'd be very interested in hearing about the equipment you are using. I'm trying to figure out how to get surround sound out of a PA system I've used to watch UFC/Boxing with friends and am stumped. I've been running a Roku 4 HDMI to a digital audio decoder. From the decoder I run an HDMI to the projector and then I've run the surround sound from the RCA jacks on the decoder (L-C-R-LR-RR-SUB) to a Behringer MMX882. From the Behringer outputs I run to a couple amplifiers out to the speakers. So far I've only been able to get stereo from the speakers. I'm wondering if I need to replace the decoder with an actual 5.1 receiver with HDMI inputs. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.
If you're getting stereo from a 5.1 source, something is setup incorrectly or your equipment work doesn't support it. You need to understand where you're decoding. Your post is somewhat vague so if you don't mind I'll ask some questions.
You're using a PA. Do you only have two speakers?
What kind of "Decoder" are you using? I would normally refer to that unit as an "HDMI audio extractor". Again, you need to verify that you're actually decoding here.
Are you using the Behringer MMX882 in the "Split" mode? That is 6 channels in and 6 channels out?
You've said that your using "a couple of amplifiers out to the speakers". How many is "a couple". You would need 5 discreet channels of amplification and a powered subwoofer or 6 discreet channels of amplification with a passive subwoofer.
The workflow connection would or should look like:
- Audio/Video Source HDMI > Decoder/Audio Extractor
- HDMI Audio Extractor > HDMI to projector
- HDMI Audio Extractor > 5.1 RCA L/C/R/LR/RR/SUB > MMX882 channels 1/2/3/4/5/6
- MMX882 channels 1/2/3/4/5/6 > Amplifiers 1/2/3/4/5 and Powered Subwoofer
- Amplifiers 1/2/3/4/5 > L/C/R/LR/RR Speakers
The "Decoder" or "Audio Extractor" needs to be set to 5.1 output.
Right now, if what you're calling a "Decoder" is really an HDMI Audio Extractor, you would need to be doing the audio decoding at the source or in your case the Roku 4.
AFAIK the Roku 4 will pass through various audio codecs but it does not decode.
In answer to the rest of your question... Yes, I use a 5.2 system outside for our backyard theater. I use a Denon E300 5.1 AVR and a Sony Blu-ray player as well as Zidoo/DuneHD media players. The equipment is mounted in a 6 unit portable Gator rack case. I also use an IOGEAR wireless HDMI connection to feed cable TV to the system. For speakers I use 4 Polk Audio M3II speakers mounted on tripods, a Klipsch RC 62II center channel, and two Velodyne Subwoofers.