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[blgentry]

Hi,

As part of my project helping my friend build his home system, based on JRiver MC, we have an interesting situation:  He owns several receivers, but all are older models.  The newest of these has HDMI inputs and one HDMI output.

"Great!", I thought.  Then I read the manual.  This era of receiver can switch HDMI, but it can't use ANY AUDIO from HDMI!  This is a Pioneer VSX-1016TX for the record.  The manual notes that you need to connect RCA audio or digital (coax or optical) from any HDMI components, or the receiver will get no audio.  Wow.

So, now if he wants to use MC for video and multi-channel audio, we need a different audio path.  We could use a sound card with digital outputs.  Or a sound card with 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs.  But there seem to be tradeoffs when doing multi-channel analog with this receiver:  Essentially no processing is allowed except for volume level of the channels.  Maybe this is a good thing?  I've never used MC to do distance and level correction for multi-channel systems; though I've done it a BUNCH of times with AVRs and PrePros.

Of course the tradeoff with a digital connection is that it won't carry multi-channel uncompressed (PCM) audio.  Only DD or DTS.  I don't want to re-encode the audio.  I'm iffy on whether I want to bitstream or not.

What do you guys think is the best way to do this?

Thanks!

Brian.

[JimH]

I would test the HDMI.  That doesn't sound right.

[Hendrik]

What good would HDMI be if it can't do audio? Could just skip the receiver entirely then.

If HDMI is really defunct, I would favor analog over SPDIF digital, stereo only or DD re-encoding is just not very good.

[blgentry]

From the receiver's manual:

3 To hear audio from your HDMI component through this system, make analog and/or digital connections as necessary.
On the rear panel, you must connect to the audio jacks from a set of audio/video inputs (for example, DVR/VCR1 or DVR/VCR2 as shown in the illustration).
• Without this connection, HDMI audio will still be output from your TV or plasma display (though no sound will be heard from this receiver).

I can't "skip" the receiver; it's going to be powering the speakers.

So we have one vote for multi-channel analog then?

Brian.

[Hendrik]

The manual Sounds like it reminds you to connect audio outputs in some way, IE. Speakers over analog or some digital connection.

I would say try it. :p

[blgentry]

This receiver is several hundred miles from me.  I might be able to get my friend to test it.  But the manual seems clear to me.  It shows an illustration of HDMI *and* RCA audio jacks from the same component being connected to the receiver.

I suppose I could call Pioneer to confirm also.

Brian.

[mattkhan]

This review http://www.cnet.com/products/pioneer-vsx-1016txv/ confirms it, seems to be an extremely old receiver. It does have multi channel analogue input though so you can use it as an amp. Just do all the processing in mc, it is better than an avr anyway.

What is the point of even putting the HDMI through it though? Is there another source to connect?

[blgentry]

What is the point of even putting the HDMI through it though? Is there another source to connect?

Yeah, that's the idea.  I'm guessing he's going to have at least a cable or satellite receiver that has HDMI out also.  He's wanting to buy a (really cheap) projector, so having a minimal run of cables will be very helpful.  Thus the desire to switch HDMI.

At some point this project may go from beer budget to big boy budget.  But until then we are trying to work with a lot of existing older equipment and make it work as well as it can.

Thanks for the input guys. 

Brian.