[Jay7]

I was not sure where to place this question and because part of it is my HD DVD player and you all have been so helpful in assisting with my questions, I figured I would try here.


I have hooked up my HD DVD via the analog outs. I may purchase a SACD, DVD-A or Blu Ray (still debating if I want to spend more money). However, my receiver does not have HDMI (Yamaha 2500) nor do I wish to spend the money on a new receiver at this time. However, if I purchase one of these other players, will I have to choose between which to hook up over analog or do they sell things such as analog switchers (something similar to what they sell for HDMI switching)?


Thanks.

 

[bobgpsr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay7 /forum/post/0


do they sell things such as analog switchers (something similar to what they sell for HDMI switching)?

from: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&post7960921

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobgpsr /forum/post/0


I've been using this Philips switch from Walmart ~$20 for the last few weeks to switch my AVR's 5.1 analog inputs between my PC audio and my Toshiba HD DVD player. Works great!


Bob

 

[ghettogreg]

I'm using that same Philips switch for my hd-a1 and bdp-s1 and it has worked flawlessly!

 

[Jay7]

bobgpsr and ghettogreg, thanks for your response. Have either of you tried hooking the analog's up directly to your receiver and then the switcher and noticed and degradation in sound quality?

 

[bobgpsr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay7 /forum/post/0


Have either of you tried hooking the analog's up directly to your receiver and then the switcher and noticed and degradation in sound quality?

Since it is entirely mechanical -- the only way it can "degrade" the audio is letting a bit more noise and hum in. Does it? Possibly -- not enough to bother me -- but surly there are those out there who will hear a scoach more hum.

 

[steelhrd]

So am i to understand i can feed video through hdmi and seperate audio out through the analog.

 

[bobgpsr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steelhrd /forum/post/0


So am i to understand i can feed video through hdmi and seperate audio out through the analog.

Yes. The audio goes out simultaneously on HDMI, S/PDIF (coax or Toslink) and the 5.1 analog outputs. Your choice to get the audio how you want or can.


If you don't have HDMI audio, then the 5.1 analogs are your next highest quality (with a bit of effort to get the subwoofer calibrated).


The S/PDIF gets a legacy lossy codec (at its highest bitrate) re-encode to either DD (if DD+ or TrueHD on XA2 only so far) or dts, thereby losing a little bit of quality.

 

[Desmo888]

How About Piggy Back Plugs?

 

[steelhrd]

I have the same reciever and do not want to part with it also. I just want to know is it possible to to use analog for audio and hdmi for video with these players.

 

[gosawx]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steelhrd /forum/post/0


I have the same reciever and do not want to part with it also. I just want to know is it possible to to use analog for audio and hdmi for video with these players.

yes, both the 5.1 analog and the HDMI function at the same time

 

[steelhrd]

Beautiful what kind of cd audio quality does it have.

 

[absurd_username]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Desmo888 /forum/post/9545646


How About Piggy Back Plugs?

I'm curious about this too.


To me on the Phillips box you have to manually select the input of choice with the press of a button...is there any kind of box that is more passive? Automatically passing whichever signal is present?

 

[BIslander]



Quote:
Originally Posted by absurd_username /forum/post/12667544


I'm curious about this too.


To me on the Phillips box you have to manually select the input of choice with the press of a button...is there any kind of box that is more passive? Automatically passing whichever signal is present?

In the Surround Music Formats forum there are a few threads with extensive discussions about multichannel analog audio switching options.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=876772
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=956770
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=834927


Several members whose judgment I trust recommend against any kind of Y cables/splitters because of risks to equipment and performance depending on which equipment is powered up. The Philips switch gets good reviews. Some people who have tried a six channel a/v switch from monoprice report that it doesn't work very well because of resistors added to the three component video channels. The high end solution is the Zektor, which costs about $250. http://www.zektor.com/hds41/index.html

It has IR remote control, but I do not see any indication that the Zektor does auto switching based on active inputs.

------

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobgpsr /forum/post/9544598


If you don't have HDMI audio, then the 5.1 analogs are your next highest quality (with a bit of effort to get the subwoofer calibrated).

I don't believe the quality of the analog path is any less than HDMI. In both cases the encoded audio is turned into PCM in the player.


The key difference is the digital-analog converters. HDMI uses the DACs in the receiver. Analog uses the DACs in the player. If the player has better DACs, then analog is likely to be better than HDMI.


You are absolutely right that it's more effort to get multichannel analog properly set up.

 

[namechamps]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BIslander /forum/post/12668092


I don't believe the quality of the analog path is any less than HDMI. In both cases the encoded audio is turned into PCM in the player.


The key difference is the digital-analog converters. HDMI uses the DACs in the receiver. Analog uses the DACs in the player. If the player has better DACs, then analog is likely to be better than HDMI.


You are absolutely right that it's more effort to get multichannel analog properly set up.

The other issue is that for MOST AVR you can not apply any DSP logic to analog in. Speaker spacing, room shaping, cross overs, level compensation, pro logic modes (DolbyPIIx, THX2 Ultra) can only be applied to digital signals.


While the HD DVD players offer some very basic settings they can't compete to a well balanced AVR. So while the PCM may be the same the final output may be better with HDMI as the AVR may be able to compensate for the environment to produce superior SQ.


It is true that in HDMI v1.1 the player is decoding but not in HDMI v1.3.


Toslink - Player Decode, Player Encode to Legacy (DD & DTS), Receiver DAC

Analog - Player Decode, Player DAC

HDMI (LPCM) - Player Decode, Receiver DAC

HDMI (bitstream) - Receiver Decode, Receiver DAC

 

[BIslander]



Quote:
Originally Posted by namechamps /forum/post/12669548


The other issue is that for MOST AVR you can not apply any DSP logic to analog in. Speaker spacing, room shaping, cross overs, level compensation, pro logic modes (DolbyPIIx, THX2 Ultra) can only be applied to digital signals.


While the HD DVD players offer some very basic settings they can't compete to a well balanced AVR. So while the PCM may be the same the final output may be better with HDMI as the AVR may be able to compensate for the environment to produce superior SQ.


It is true that in HDMI v1.1 the player is decoding but not in HDMI v1.3.


Toslink - Player Decode, Player Encode to Legacy (DD & DTS), Receiver DAC

Analog - Player Decode, Player DAC

HDMI (LPCM) - Player Decode, Receiver DAC

HDMI (bitstream) - Receiver Decode, Receiver DAC

No disagreeement.


The point I wanted to make is that there is no inherent SQ difference between the HDMI and analog paths. Any differences are the result of the specific players and AVRs involved. I guess wasn't clear in what I wrote. And, you make a good point about being better able to take advantage of a good receiver when using an HDMI connection.

 

[absurd_username]

Thank you for your replies and information.


I'm currently using a Denon AVR 1801 purchased sometime around the turn of the century. I wasn't even aware it had 6ch analog input until a week after using my A35 and understood better about what the analog outs were all about.


This HD DVD player and Sony LCD are the first components I've bought in about 7 years. I was previously running a Laserdisc/DVD combi player and 32inch Toshiba CRT. Much has changed to Audio Formats since I put this setup together.


I think I'll just bite the bullet and upgrade to a receiver with HDMI inputs.