[spurge]

I recently bought Toshiba's new SD4800 DVD player, which has six-channel output for DVD-Audio discs. I am using it with my Yamaha RX-V2200 A/V receiver, which has a six-channel input as well as both coaxial and optical inputs. My only DVD-Audio disc so far is EMI Classics "20th Century Symphonic Sound, Ingo Metzmacher, Philharmoniches Staastsorchester Hamburg (which is labelled DVD Audio/Video, though the only video on it is still pictures and text). On the back of the disc it states DVD Audio/Video 5 NTSC; DVD Audio: PCM Surround 5.1 (48kHz/24 bit) - PCM Stereo (48 kHz/24 bit); DVD Video: DTS Surround 5.1 AC3 Stereo. My problem is this: on-screen it shows I can play either DTS 5.1 Surround or DD 2-channel stereo. If I set-up according to directions for the coaxial input (choosing multi-channel settings), I get excellent reproduction in either the DTS or DD, but if I activate my receiver's 6-channel input, there is no sound. If, on the other hand, I choose the connections for the 6-channel input, I get no sound either. And if I disconnect the digital input and use only the 6-channel input, I also get no sound. I can get sound at low volume and without bass management by playing either an ordinary CD or DVD Video film using the 6-channel input, but I am wondering whether there is something wrong with this disc: is it a true DVD-Audio disc, and if so, how can I play it properly?

 

[bburgoyne26]

I have the toshiba 4700 and I have to press the "Setup" button on the player and then toggle through to select 6ch analog instead of Bitstream. Your 4800 may be different, but check the manual for information about audio setup.

 

[cfraser]

I don't know the Toshiba players, but do you have a sub in your system? Does your 4800 think (in MC setup) that you have a sub in your system?


These may seem strange stupid questions, and they are, but they may not be irrelevant. They're not irrelevant to some Panny and Yammy players with some DVD-A's...

 

[spurge]

Thanks, bburgoyne26, but I do select 6ch analog via the Setup button, and still have the problem. And thanks, cfraser,I do have a sub in the system. After selecting "Multi", the next screen calls for making the following settings "for the built-in 5.1 channel surround decoder": ProLogic On/Off; C.S.Speaker Size Large/Small; C (Centre) Speaker On; S (Surround) Spkr On; Subwoofer On; Centre channel Delay 0 Msec; Surround ch delay 5 msec; Test Tone; Return. I have made these settings but no joy!

 

[Craig F]

There is also a setting somewhere to enable Audio vs Video mode. If set to Video, the player will act as a DVD-V player and not play the DVD-A material. Set it to Audio mode and it should play the DVD-A material.


The exact wording for this setting differs by manufacturer, so it may be worded differently on your player.

 

[spurge]

I haven't seen anything like that in the manual, but I'll look again, Craig. Thanks.

 

[spurge]

Craig et al: I finally found the answer and it lay in a set-up menu item I had previously ignored (there are so many), called Priority One: this toggled for either DVD-Video or DVD-Audio. When I toggled to DVD-Audio, the sound came through as 6-ch audio! The only problem is, of course, that it lacks bass, because my Yamaha RX-V2200 has no bass management in that mode. I was able to improve the bass response by turning up the level on my sub and also raising the crossover from 50 to 150 Hz. This is a kind of unsophisticated, brute-force method, and I guess I'll have to buy an external bass management unit such as the Outlaw ICBM -- unless anyone knows of another solution. None of Yamaha's DSP functions work on the 6-ch analog input. But thanks, Craig, for finding the solution!

 

[Craig F]

Glad you got it working

 

[bburgoyne26]

Your best hope for bass management would indeed be the ICBM. What speakers are you running?


If you have been reading other posts about dvd-a discs, you may have read that the amount of bass encoded by the engineers varies quite a bit. I don't know what other kind of music you like besides classical, but BB King and Eric Clapton's dvd-a disc "Ridin' with the King" has a nice amount of good punchy bass.

 

[spurge]

Thanks for the suggestions, bburgoyne26. My front l/r are Mirage OM9s; centre Infinity Video One; rear l/r surrounds Infinity Reference; sub Paradigm PS1000, I have also fitted a cheap little Radio Shack speaker I had on hand for the rear centre, which I will change sometime. I have just come to DVD-Audio in the past couple of weeks, so I'm ignorant of what is offered: perhaps you could steer me to some good stuff. What I like most in music is classical and trad jazz. Season's Greetings.