denon 2500bt bitstreaming problems

[admin_exported]

My denon 2500bt won't stream dolby true hd or dts master audio streams to my amplifier. I know there's something not working correctly because i've set up my panasonic bd30 player next to it and this has no problems streaming these audio streams to the amplifier.

The display on my amplifier reads e.g. 'dolby true hd' when streaming from the panasonic player but only reads 'HDMI 1' when trying with the denon. It may be worth pointing out that 'standard' def audio channels are played no problem on the denon as is the superior uncompressed PCM streams from the likes of the Harry Potter blu-ray discs, so there does seem to be a problem only with dolby true hd and dts master audio tracks.

equipment: pioneer 428 tv, pioneer lx01 home cinema system, 1.3 chord company silver hdmi.

 

[professorhat]

I seem to remember going through the settings you need to have on your Denon already in another post. If this isn't working, you should contact your dealer to see if it's a settings issue that you haven't got right despite our advice here, or perhaps something is faulty.

 

[Anonymous]

Took the Denon into my dealer today and tried it out on their equipment. Firstly, the player didn't output the hi-def audio (as with my equipment) until we changed the resolution from the default AUTO setting to 1080p/24 to find that the amp registered the hi-def audio and sound was indeed output.

I must add that my dealer felt this was strange and that it shouldn't affect the audio performance in the first place but hoped it had solved the issue. However, on getting the player home I found this setting had no effect on the hi-def audio being output. My dealer is going to contact Denon in the hope of getting to the bottom of this...

 

[Anonymous]

Am no further on than when i posted my last message. Contacted denon twice and got very little in the way of help from the guy on the other end of the phone. I've twice asked for a disc with updates for the player to be posted to me and lo and behold it's five weeks later and nothing... I posted an email with the problem on the denon sight nearly six weeks ago and nothing either. Spoke to the same guy twice and found him to be completely unprofessional and not really bothered in trying to help sort out this issue.

Dropped my player back into my dealer who tried it side by side with an identical player and managed to get it to work, though he did mention that the other player did a similar thing to my player to begin with in that it played at a lower resolution when first set up and didn't output hi-def audio until he changed the resolution output manually. He's now going to come by my house with a few different players and see if we can get to the bottom of this.

Have my panasonic player set up using same connection/lead and find it has no problem streaming dolby true hd and dts master audio to the amp. It definitely seems an issue with the player. It's clearly struggling to bitstream the appropriate audio to the amp...

Will post again after we've tried other brands of players..

 

[professorhat]

This obviously isn't a great situation, but can I just say "Wow!" about your dealer. Coming by your house to help you sort out an issue definitely goes above and beyond the call of duty you would normally expect. I hope you appreciate him and continue to use him in the future - he's a rare breed!

ÿ

 

[pioneer7]

Blimey Proff you still up

 

[pioneer7]

I agree though very good service

 

[professorhat]

Yup, this is my awake period. I'm definitely an owl.

ÿ

 

[skr1]

professorhat:

This obviously isn't a great situation, but can I just say "Wow!" about your dealer. Coming by your house to help you sort out an issue definitely goes above and beyond the call of duty you would normally expect. I hope you appreciate him and continue to use him in the future - he's a rare breed!

Wow indeed who is it ? Now thats a customer service we all want.. Sadly looks like Denon are letting the side down ..Not another prob with the 2500 or is it ?

 

[Anonymous]

After trying a few players on my setup it was clear the amp wasn't doing the hi-def decoding. My dealer confirmed this after a chat with pioneer team and this has left me a tad annoyed as i was under the impression that the lx01 COULD decode these formats. The pioneer technician confirmed that a player would have to do some of the decoding and that this is why neither dolby true hd or dts master audio is output from the denon 2500 transport.

I was under the impression that the panasonic bd30 was no more able to do it than the denon, but it seems i was mistaken. I find it very confusing...

My delaer has offered me the chance to straight swap for the denon 1800 model or upgrade (which'll mean forking out another 700) to the denon 3800 fagship model as both these models will allow me to output hi def audio from my system.

Any suggestions? Or should i stick with the 2500...?

 

[Anonymous]

We had the opportunity of having a demonstration of the Denon 2500 and 3800. When we saw the 2500 playing we were impressed but when we saw the same DVD playing with the 3800 the difference was very, very impressive even with a blu ray dvd. We compared the blu ray pirates of the caribbean and with regular dvd Casino royal and the incredibles. The image looked sharper and the colours more alive - vivid. Also with a music dvd (not blu ray) there was an huge difference between the 2500 and the 3800 e.g the lights/spots in front of the stage were fluid and sharp while the camera panned over the stage with the 3800, with the 2500 it was like the lights had a very small cubes around them. My wife was convinced for going for the 3800, before the demonstration the 2500would have been the player to buy.

May be you can ask your dealer for a demonstartion of the 2500 and the 3800 side by side.

 

[professorhat]

According to Pioneer's website, the LX01 can definitely decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio (see spec sheet here - under Main Features and Surround Sound it lists both these formats). Time to go back to the dealer and ask him to explain I think...

 

[Anonymous]

Am heading into see my dealer tommorrow and will ask some more about it. The expanation given to me was that the LX01 requires a blu-ray player to allow it to decode the hi-def audio and i assume they hadn't envisaged a blu-ray transport only model going on the market.

I'm thinking that I don't want to 'downgrade' to the Denon 1800 in a straight swap, (which essentially means that I'm losing out on money) when I've not had any feedback or read reviews for the machine. I'm also not convinced that I could justify spending twice the premium on the 3800. Would i see and hear 100% improvement in picture and sound quality? I really doubt it... Plus there's the not so small matter of it not fitting on the rack!!!

It was interesting watching the blu-ray of Eden Lake on the Denon and noticing not only better visuals than the Panasonic but even on the 'mix-down' audio setting, a better sense of timing and spacing in the audio. I'm pretty sure I'll have to make a decision soon as the offer won't be around forever...

 

[Anonymous]

My dealer informed me that since speaking to a Pioneer advisor (who told him it didn't decode these formats), he's had a message left for him by the Pioneer Product Manager informing him that the LX01 DOES indeed decode these sound formats.

He's waiting to get back in touch with the Product Manager but this could turn out to be very interesting...

For your attention:

Panasonic BD30: able to output both DTS Master Audio & Dolby True HD

Pioneer LX51: able to output Dolby True HD/unable to do DTS Master Audio (awaiting firmware update)

Denon 2500BT: unable to output either formats.

Like the Denon, I'm pretty sure the Panasonic doesn't have internal decoders. This has left me very confused as to how the LX01 manages to decode from this player and not the Denon when both players are set to bitstream the audio for the LX01 to decode...

 

[professorhat]

padutarb:My dealer informed me that since speaking toÿa Pioneer advisor (who told him it didn't decode these formats), he's had a message left for him by the Pioneer Product Manager informing him that the LX01 DOES indeed decode these sound formats.

That's what I thought, hence my post. As I said, the Pioneer website definitely indicates that it can decode these formats. Has your dealer got another unit in stock to try it out on just to make sure it's not an issue with yours?ÿ

ÿ

 

[d4v3pum4]

As soon as I read the last few threads, it jogged my memory. I recalled reading on another forum about the LX01 and can confirm that it doesn't decode HD audio. TLCBroadcast was the source. Unfortunately I don't think posting a link to the thread on the other forum is permitted. Apparently the LX01BD will though

 

[professorhat]

Well, we've had confirmation from several sources now that it does decode them and also from several other sources that it doesn't. Clearly, it does one or the other so it seems we need someone to get to the nub of the issue!

Personally, I'm inclined to believe the Pioneer Product Manager as if he's getting it wrong, then something is very wrong...

 

[Anonymous]

Indeed. I just checked out TLCBroadcast site and it does indeed have the LX01 for sale and doesn't mention anything about HD decoding. It would seem the system may indeed not decode these formats and if this is the case then there has been a serious blunder on Pioneer's part. Afterall, I bought the system with the intention of buying a blu-ray player and trying out the format. I assume if it's advertised on their site which, as you pointed out it is, then I've been grossly misinformed and should be entitled to some kind of compensation or product exchange...

Let's see what the Pioneer Product Manager has to say...

 

[d4v3pum4]

I'm afraid Pioneer appear to have made a boo boo. I knew their site was wrong and has been for some time by the looks of things. If the wrong information has been farmed out to dealers, then I would simply ask for a refund.

 

[Anonymous]

Have discovered that DTS-Master Audio is outputting from the LX01 AND showing on the amp display when the HDMI cable is unplugged from the plasma. When i plug the HDMI cable back into the plasma i get a picture but no sound ... Any ideas???

 

[Anonymous]

An update.

Pioneer lx51- Dolby True HD decoded, DTS Master Audio wasn't...

Pioneer lx71- Neither were decoded.

Denon 2500 + 1800- Neither were decoded.

Panasonic bdp30- Both were decoded.

I phoned he Pioneer team and they talked me through the correct settings for theLX01 and Plasma screen. I find it strange that there were differing results for the Pioneer players. It's seems the LX01 picks and chooses which players it will work with. Since speaking to Pioneer I've tried two of their players with differing results. I think it's time I phoned them again...