I know this is a newbie type question, but I just had a room done with a 7.1 speaker set up and an Onkyo TX-SR 805 AV receiver to drive it all. I have a HD set top box, a PS3 and for some reason a DVD (redundant with PS3) all connected via HDMI. I am a bit confused on which surround sound option to choose for the different inputs. I would like to always use all the speakers, even if the rear and side are putting out the same sound. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
How to utilize 7.1 set-up
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Use DD or DTS 5.1 with DD/DTS5.1 material with DPLIIx applied on top of that.
Use DD or DTS 5.1 with DD/DTS5.1 material with DPLIIx applied on top of that.
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Your PS3's "sound setting" output should be set to "HDMI" and you can choose "automatic" for the specific audio output formats. In it, it will automatically include DD, DTS, and linear PCM 2,5, and 7.1 channels at a variety of frequencies. When playing a blu-ray with, for instance, a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel audio (like Hairspray), it will decode it and output 7.1 channel LPCM to your receiver that will output to your 7.1 speaker setup. If you're playing a blu-ray source with 5.1 channels, then your receiver should be set to ProLogicIIx to matrix the surround channels to the additional 2 rear surround speakers. My receiver just does this automatically.
Your PS3's "sound setting" output should be set to "HDMI" and you can choose "automatic" for the specific audio output formats. In it, it will automatically include DD, DTS, and linear PCM 2,5, and 7.1 channels at a variety of frequencies. When playing a blu-ray with, for instance, a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel audio (like Hairspray), it will decode it and output 7.1 channel LPCM to your receiver that will output to your 7.1 speaker setup. If you're playing a blu-ray source with 5.1 channels, then your receiver should be set to ProLogicIIx to matrix the surround channels to the additional 2 rear surround speakers. My receiver just does this automatically.
Correct. DD and DTS are data compression technologies, like MP3. They squeeze soundtracks down to a smaller size so they take up less space on the disc. Pro Logic IIx is surround processing technology, which will take 2-channel and 5.1-channel material (DD or DTS) and scale it to your 7.1-speaker layout.
Both technologies can be used together. Your receiver will first use the appropriate DD or DTS decoder to uncompress the soundtrack. It will then use PLIIx surround processing to steer the information to all your speakers. Each of the 7 speakers will be playing independent content, so the rear speakers won't be duplicating the sides.
Sanjay
Correct. DD and DTS are data compression technologies, like MP3. They squeeze soundtracks down to a smaller size so they take up less space on the disc. Pro Logic IIx is surround processing technology, which will take 2-channel and 5.1-channel material (DD or DTS) and scale it to your 7.1-speaker layout.
Both technologies can be used together. Your receiver will first use the appropriate DD or DTS decoder to uncompress the soundtrack. It will then use PLIIx surround processing to steer the information to all your speakers. Each of the 7 speakers will be playing independent content, so the rear speakers won't be duplicating the sides.
Sanjay
And if your receiver is THX-certified, you can engage THX to do the same thing as DPL IIx (THX Surround EX). Plus, THX gives you cinema re-eq, timbre-matching, and....whatever the third thing is. All automagically. Although, your unit may not allow THX Surround EX to overlay DTS. My H/K does. In addition, it probably is DTS-ES capable. So, in the case of DTS you can tell the receiver to use 7 speakers and it will engage DTS-ES Matrix, which derives the back surround channels in similar fashion to THX Surround EX and DPL IIx.
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