CD player / computer connection problems to AV amp

[beaker_07]

I would like to be able to play a cd on my Marantz cd player (connected by a digital optical cable to my denon av amp) at the same time as browsing the internet with my dell, connected to the denon with a hdmi cable from the video card?

The hdmi cable always takes preference on the amp and it selects the media player ( my computer ) as the input source and plays whatever is on the computer through the amp and I can't use the cd player.

Is this just a case of trying to do too much at the one time or am I doing something really basic wrong?

I also have a Pioneer DVD 565A dvd player and was thinking of trying it out as a transport against the maranza as it is much smalle and might just fit into my cabinet? Any thoughts?

 

[Leeps]

If your AVR has similar settings to mine, I have the option of setting automated HDMI 'control' functions on or off.

These functions enable your AVR to switch your TV on automatically on power-up for example. Personally I find these functions a pain in the neck and prefer manual control so I set HDMI control to 'off'. I found that if I switched the AVR on to play music and it had previously been used to watch TV, that it switched the TV on when I didn't want it to be. I'd then switch the TV off, which would then switch my AVR off. Same with the Bluray player. So I switched the HDMI control off so I can manually choose which components to switch on.

It might be worth seeing if switching these HDMI contols off on your AVR enable you to manually select which input you wish to play through. Can't guarantee this'll work, but might be worth a try.

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks for your advice - I have switched off the hdmi control and can now select manually the input i wish to use on the amp.

However I still cannot find a way to surf the internet using the computer and tv as a monitor and be able to listen to a cd either in the cd player or dvd player through the amp and speakers. If I select the cd as the source I cannot use the internet unless i connect the computer graphics card directly by hdmi to the tv - the problem then arises that if I then want to watch a video off the computer I am not connected to the amp for sound i would have to use the tv speakers?

I think i might be expecting a bit too much - not sure if I have explained things very well?

 

[audiventory]

Computer may be HDMI-connected to AV-receiver/amp via cheap HDMI-video card (ATI, as example) of audio card, if available.

For achieving minimal loses due additional processings, need avoid Windows processing (if you use Windows) - resampling, mixing, etc..

For it need install ASIO driver or use WASAPI programming interface at output of audio player.

If ASIO is not available for your card, you may use universal driver ASIO4ALL. It is may work unstable with your HDMI-card. Sometimes need some tweeks in the driver - buffer size and other.

Of course, audio player software should support ASIO or WASAPI output.

 

[Leeps]

Thanks for your advice - I have switched off the hdmi control and can now select manually the input i wish to use on the amp.

However I still cannot find a way to surf the internet using the computer and tv as a monitor and be able to listen to a cd either in the cd player or dvd player through the amp and speakers. If I select the cd as the source I cannot use the internet unless i connect the computer graphics card directly by hdmi to the tv - the problem then arises that if I then want to watch a video off the computer I am not connected to the amp for sound i would have to use the tv speakers?

I think i might be expecting a bit too much - not sure if I have explained things very well?

No, I know what you're getting at. When I had a stereo amp, I did something similar. All my HDMI sources went direct to my TV with audio signals going from the TV to stereo amp AND from CD to amp. At times I would play a CD (selecting this as the source on the amp) but concurrently watch unrelated video content on the TV.

Here's another suggestion. With my AVR I can create an input that assigns the audio source from one of the optical or coax inputs rather than the HDMI. I think this was designed chiefly for set-top boxes that couldn't output HD sound from their HDMI outputs, but could do so from their optical outputs. So the HDMI would carry the video output to the AVR, and concurrently the opticsl output would carry the audio. Could you create an additional input (keeping the ones you currently use) that uses the HDMI from your PC, but assigns the audio input from the CD player from one of the optical/coax inputs?

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks for the advice audiventory - I'll get my friend to read your reply as he knows more about computers than me - funnily enough he suggested last night that maybe I needed a new graphics card.

Thanks Leeps - funnily enough again my friend and I discussed this last night and had a look at the input options on my denon to try to use the hdmi as video only but we could not find a way to do this?

I think 'll try the hdmi from the computer to the tv directly and just use the tv speakers for what video I would be watching off the computer or switch the cables manually.

Would a hdmi splitter y cable or splitter box from 1 hdmi to 2 hdmi be a good idea and if so is this solution good quailty or would I lose a lot of video quality?