[spackletoe]

Okay, my sister just bought this receiver, and she''s hooked everything up, but I have a couple of questions, and I don''t really know who to ask, so I''m posting here...


1-Our goal is to have the receiver handle all audio and video. So we hooked up the receiver's component video out to the TV''s component video in (which is the TV''s Video2 input). Then we found that only things that are hooked into the receiver's component video in plugs will be displayed. So we had to hook up an s-video cable (from the receiver's Monitor out to the TV''s Video1 in) to have all of the other components display on the TV. My question is: Why won''t EVERYTHING that the receiver has coming into it be displayed out through that component video out? Why do you have to have 2 monitor outputs hooked up? Doesn''t that defeat the purpose? You still have to switch your TV from vid1 to vid2 to watch DVDs!


2-Her multi-channel decoding (the blue light) isn't coming on. Even when playing DVDs that are 5.1. The auto format decoder doesn't recognize this source as being a 5.1 signal, even though the DVD player is hooked up through an orange digital co-ax (the 985 doesn't have an optical IN for DVD for some unknown reason). I'm thinking it may be because the DVD player and the receiver BOTH have digital decoders in them. Should we turn the one in the DVD player off? The sound is coming through, but it's not recognizing that it's 5.1. Even when you force the mode to recognize 5.1, the blue light still doesn''t come on.


3- The receiver doesn't "remember" audio settings. Like if we set the tuner to 2CH mode, then go to the DVD player and set that mode to AFD, then come back to the Tuner, it won''t be in 2CH mode. weird, eh?


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!


-spack

 

[rt297]

1) That Sony doesn't have upconverting capabilities. About the only sources available with component outs are DSS receivers, DVD players, and maybe some line scalers. You will need separate component cables for each of them. Personally I would run the component cables directly from the source to the monitor and bypass the receiver. It's a more direct path.

2) The blue light should come on if it is detecting a DTS or DD signal. If it does not come on, it is either defective, or your source isn't passing a DTS or DD signal. Check your DVD player, and make sure it is set properly for those formats. Then you need to go into the menu of the DVD disc that you are going to watch, select in the set up guide either "languages" or "audio", and then select the desired format. You have to do this with every movie. You also need to make sure that the disc contains a DD 5.1 or DTS format before you either buy or rent it.

3) No it doesn't remember those settings.

 

[spackletoe]

Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. I do have some follow-up comments/questions, though:


1) What exactly are upconverting capabilities, and what receivers have them? I guess the dream of selecting what component you want on your receiver, and the video and sound coming on without having to flip the input on your TV is dead, eh? Unless you went will all composite plugs, which would make the quality suffer. ugh.


2) I'll have to experiment with this one more. I know I've got a DD signal in the DVD player, it's just not getting to the receiver. Must be one of the stupid DVD player settings.


3) This is surprising. I have an older Sony Receiver (STR-DE835) and it certainly remembers what sound field mode I have each component in. If it didn't it'd be a pain to habve to reset them each time I hit a different component. (ex. I have Tuner in 2CH mode, and DVD in AFD mode)


It's difficult to know for sure what I'm into here, since my sister, who now has this receiver, lives about a thousand miles away from me. But I think we'll find a way to get this thing working right.


Thanks again,


-spack

 

[rt297]

Regarding #3, sorry I misread your post. The Sony should remember the soundfield settings for the selected component.

Some of the higher end receivers and pre/pro's upconvert composite and S video to component. I can't remember which ones in particular do it, so you will have to research. Try the Denon 5803 and Pioneer 49tx. The Outlaw 950 is supposed to have it, but it may have been left out at the last minute.