[kainkun]

Two issues here:


1. I want to watch movies from time to time with my floor speakers blazing. This would be watching blueray run through my avr.


2. My wife and kids want to watch movies without dealing with the oh so complicated avr and big floor speakers.


Its easy to just run an hdmi from the blueray player to the avr, but that makes it necessary to have the avr and floor speakers running.


My thought is to run the hdmi connection between the blueray player and tv. I would also connect the digital audio cable from the tv to avr. This way the wife and kids simply turn on the player and the tv and use the tv speakers. If I wanted to use the avr/floor speakers I would just tell the tv to use the digital audio out allowing the avr and speakers to do their thing. Does that sound right? If I did it that way would I lose sound quality when using the digital out from the tv to the avr?

 

[Jack D Ripper]


Yes, you will lose sound quality that way.  The TV cannot pass the high resolution audio formats out of its digital output.

 

Your options include these:

 

1. Get a BD player with two HDMI outputs, like this one:   http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/ and hook up one to the receiver and one to the TV.  If you decide on this, download and read the manual before purchase to make sure it will do all that you want.
2. Get a receiver with "stand-by pass through," that will send the HDMI signal out to the TV even when the receiver is off.  This will likely require that you always have the BD player selected just before you shut it off, though you will want to read the manual of the receiver that you are considering before purchase to make sure it will do all that you want.
3. Teach your wife how to use the AVR.  You don't have to teach all of the details, just enough to turn it on and select the input and adjust the volume.
4. Do as you are planning and reduce the sound quality when you watch BDs.

 

 

I would try #3 first, but it is up to you.

 

[mtn-tech]

If you don't want to buy a new BD player, there are also HDMI switches and spliters - just make sure you get one that passes the entire signal so you don't have copy protection issues - there is another question in this forum right now where someone suggested one of these devices:

http://www.showmecables.com/product/hdmi-to-rca-composite-video-and-audio-converter.aspx


The other suggestion of a higher end BD player with two outputs is a very good one - I know the Oppo BDP-103 seems really expensive, but once you have one you will wonder how you ever lived with a lesser machine. I am trying to justify getting one for the bedroom system now!

 

[commsysman]

There is a much simpler solution; buy another DVD/Bluray player, which you can get for less than $80 from Amazon.


Keep your existing player connected to the AVR and connect the other one, #2, to one of the HDMI (or component video) inputs on the TV.


Your wife/kids can just use the #2 player with the TV, and you will use #1 when you want full home theater.

 

[flickhtguru]

Kainkun: what AVR do you have???

 

[BIslander]

Or, if your player is old enough to have a component video output, you could use that connection to the TV for the wife and kids. But, any of these alternate connection approaches mean you'll need a remote like a Harmony to handle the input switching for the wife and kids.

 

[kainkun]



Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru  /t/1521973/how-can-i-work-this-blueray-avr-setup#post_24468050


Kainkun: what AVR do you have???

Yamaha rx573

 

[JChin]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kainkun  /t/1521973/how-can-i-work-this-blueray-avr-setup#post_24475168


Yamaha rx573

Hi kainkun, the RX573 is capable HDMI Standby Through mode meaning there's no need to turn on the AV receiver to watch your source. Just go into Menu -> HDMI and set HDMI Control and Standby Through to "ON".

 

[jtbell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack D Ripper  /t/1521973/how-can-i-work-this-blueray-avr-setup#post_24466405


Your options include these:

5. Get a programmable remote like a Logitech Harmony that can turn on the Blu-ray, TV and AVR and set the inputs properly, with the press of a single button.

 

[flickhtguru]

OR 6. Research what you want before you buy. That's why if I buy and Onkyo AVR I will always go to the 800 level receivers or higher because their remotes on those units have activity buttons which you program in macros for what you want it to do. SO its 1 button to turn everything on and 1 button to turn everything off.

 

[mtn-tech]



Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1521973/how-can-i-work-this-blueray-avr-setup#post_24467747


There is a much simpler solution; buy another DVD/Bluray player, which you can get for less than $80 from Amazon.


Keep your existing player connected to the AVR and connect the other one, #2, to one of the HDMI (or component video) inputs on the TV.


Your wife/kids can just use the #2 player with the TV, and you will use #1 when you want full home theater.

I liked this suggestion and it got me thinking - I checked my new TV for a spare HDMI - and it had one left! I got a Samsung BD player to match the Samsung TV - they both use the same remote. I put it right next to the cable box for the family to use. My Oppo BDP-105 is locked in a cabinet below the TV (to prevent little hands from touching) and now it doesn't need to be used for casual viewing.

 

[stikle]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jtbell  /t/1521973/how-can-i-work-this-blueray-avr-setup#post_24480596


5. Get a programmable remote like a Logitech Harmony that can turn on the Blu-ray, TV and AVR and set the inputs properly, with the press of a single button.

^^ this


Even my 71 year old mom can turn on my home theater and watch anything she wants just by pushing the "Watch TV" or "Watch Movie" button on the Harmony.


They are wonderful things.