No 7.1 Audio on 7.1 Blu-ray

[admin_exported]

Any help with this problem will be greatly appreciated as I can`t fathom this one out at all.

I have connected 7.1 speakers to an Onkyo TXNR609 AV receiver and very recently purchased my first 7.1 blu-ray concert DVD (Chris Botti in Boston). I purchased it through Amazon.co.uk, it`s an American import which came via Switzerland and I have no reason to suspect it to be at fault.

The audio spec on the cover of the blu-ray is Dolby TrueHD 7.1/5.1 Surround (96khz/24 bit) (includes Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640kbps) PCM (uncompressed) Stereo (48khz/24 bit)

I`m playing it through a Samsung BD-P1500 connected to the receiver via HDMI 1.4

The Samsung audio setup is set to Bitstream (Audiophile) and this setting works fine for all other 5.1 encoded blu-rays.

When I load the disc into the Samsung, the menu appears and I am able to select 7.1 Dolby TrueHD. At this point, all the correct speaker icon symbols appear on the Onkyo display.

Then, when I select “Play All” or “Song Select” the icon display on the Onkyo changes to shows 5.1 throughout the entire concert. The only other information on the display is “Audyssey Dynamic EQ” and, (in red characters) “Dolby TrueHD”.

I`m not sure if my Samsung blu-ray player is at fault (as it is a few years old) the audio spec on the BD-P1500 says 96khz sampling 4hz to 44khz (but no mention of 24 bit).

I was really looking forward to listening to this 7.1 Dolby TrueHD blu-ray concert but for some reason it`s only letting me have 5.1 audio.

 

[Anonymous]

O.K. let me ask another question in relation to above post?

Do you need a modern blu-ray player to decode 7.1 channels of audio from a 7.1 encoded disc or should the vast majority of blu-ray players be able to do so - because for some reason, mine or "something" isn`t allowing it to happen?

I believe the disc in question (see above) is Region 0 (or Region free) if that makes any difference?

Thanks.

 

[nads]

sounds like a setting issue somewhere. My old Panna BD35 and Onk 805 play back 7.1 with no probs at all. weather Dolby or DTS versions.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at the "Listening Mode Preset" setting.

What is is set to?

Mine were set to "Last Valid"......I changed them all to Direct.

This then gave me 7.1 sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, thanks, rostron, I tried that but it didn`t work.

I reset the unit back to it`s factory settings, and doing so, I lost the Audyssey settings which I carried out using the full calibration.

I then tried it again and it worked with 7.1 channels. Then I recalibrated it again (full calibration) and it doesn`t work.

So, what I don`t understand is why should the Audyssey function not permit the original playback of 7.1?

It always works fine with 5.1

I have the Audyssey speaker setting to left front high and right front high as this is where the speakers are placed.

Am I the only person with this problem?

 

[nads]

I have the Audyssey speaker setting to left front high and right front high as this is where the speakers are placed.

this may be the issue.

I dont know if it sees it as a different layout to the recording? but I only have old stuff with normally positioned speakers. in the standard 3:2:2:1 layout.

 

[Anonymous]

Than you for your input, nads.

Tomorrow, I will tell the receiver that the speakers have been "moved" and are at the L&R surround/rear position and calibrate it again (albeit with a lie) and see if that allows 7.1 playback with Audyssey.

If it does, then am I to assume that the majority of 7.1 soundtracks won`t work with my current speaker positioning?

Cheers for your help/suggestions.

 

[Anonymous]

Early this morning I have carried out a full calibration on the Onkyo TXNR609 making the receiver believe the speaker arrangement has been changed from front-high to rear/surround and lo and behold - it allows the 7.1 recording to function with Audyssey.

What does this imply for every 7.1 soundtrack encoded on blu-ray?

I only have this one disc (Dolby TrueHD 7.1) to compare, so I can`t come to any definite conclusion. However, it does seem that the most likely conclusion is that if you opt for L&R front-high positioning, you can forget about the original recording working with Audyssey.

This may be an obvious fact to most people but in my case, not so obvious to me.

After all, there is no mention of this in the Onkyo manual that I can find.

The worst part of this, for me, is that my wife sees speakers as personal demons staring back at her. I fought tooth and nail with the wife for the extra two speakers to be sited in the newly decorated lounge, and now, to think I have to tell her I want to move them, leaving holes in the walls where the speaker brackets are and to drill more holes is unthinkable.

I`ve made a mistake!

 

[Big Chris]

Well, seeing as native 7.1 is to have rear effect speakers instead of front height speakers, I'd guess the Onk is downgrading the raw information so it can use it's own processing to give front height.

Looks like you'll have to stick to 5.1 and use the PL2z processing for the front height channels

 

[Anonymous]

Early this morning I have carried out a full calibration on the Onkyo TXNR609 making the receiver believe the speaker arrangement has been changed from front-high to rear/surround and lo and behold - it allows the 7.1 recording to function with Audyssey.

What does this imply for every 7.1 soundtrack encoded on blu-ray?

I only have this one disc (Dolby TrueHD 7.1) to compare, so I can`t come to any definite conclusion. However, it does seem that the most likely conclusion is that if you opt for L&R front-high positioning, you can forget about the original recording working with Audyssey.

It has nothing to do with Audyssey. It has to do with the fact that "7.1" implies surround back speakers.

If you don't have surround back speakers (and since you're using channels 6+7 for height, you don't), there is no way for 7.1-channel audio to ever work.

(edit: what Chris said )

 

[Anonymous]

I now have a better understanding of the reason why I couldn`t get 7.1 from the setup after reading this:

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/understand/playback/dolby-pro-logic-iiz-details.html

I think I should go for 9.1 speakers and leave the front L&R high disconnected (can`t take them down - unsightly holes left from brackets) and install 2 additional speakers where they should have been installed in the first place.

 

[professorhat]

I think I should go for 9.1 speakers and leave the front L&R high disconnected (can`t take them down - unsightly holes left from brackets)

There is such a thing called Polyfilla...

 

[Anonymous]

Hi optek,

I may be getting it wrong, but I have to ask:

What about leaving the high front speakers PHYSICALLY where they are but connecting them in the amp in place of REAR speakers, so you can get 7.1 sound, simply instead of hearing it from behind you'd hear it from the front high position?

The amp surely doesn't know where the speakers actually are, it will give 7.1 sound...

 

[Anonymous]

This can only be achieved in the software setup of the amp as I already have all speaker connections accounted for.

2 front; 2 rear; 2 speakers (currently in front high location and 1 centre.(7.1 )

By telling Audyssey that the speakers are at the rear/side position, I no longer have the option of PLIIz height which I now sometimes use for extra dynamic soundfield.

I now understand why 7.1 blu-rays won`t work with Audyssey (Calibration) because I simply don`t have side speakers and would need a 9.1 AV receiver to achieve what you are suggesting.

I simply made a mistake by not fully understanding a simple 7.1 basic audio setup.

I actually assumed that what would be normally delivered to the side speakers would be routed to the front high instead, but it obviously doesn`t work like that when you perform a full calibration set up with Audyssey.

If that makes sense?

 

[The_Lhc]

Hi optek,

I may be getting it wrong, but I have to ask:

What about leaving the high front speakers PHYSICALLY where they are but connecting them in the amp in place of REAR speakers, so you can get 7.1 sound, simply instead of hearing it from behind you'd hear it from the front high position?

The amp surely doesn't know where the speakers actually are, it will give 7.1 sound...

Because then you'd have rear-effect sounds coming from the front, which would just be bizarre.

 

[Big Chris]

Like I said. Just watch everything in 5.1 and use PL2z for the height channels. If you don't want rear speakers it's not compulsory!

90% of people don't bother with anything over and above regular 5.1 anyway, it's just awkward sods like us.