Optical Digital out from TV --> M-CR603 (Stereo)

[chebby]

My Sony BDP-S370 BD Player is connected to the TV with HDMI and (for stereo audio) with a pair of RCA phonos to my M-CR603.

My Humax HDR-Fox T2 thingy is connected to the TV with HDMI and (for stereo audio) with optical digital cable to my M-CR603.

This is altogether too many cables for my liking.

Sooo...

...will one optical digital cable from the TV to the M-CR603 do the job? It seems counter intuitive (to me) to plug anything from the back of a telly, into a hifi but it's always going to be on when any 'source' (the TV itself, the BDP and the PVR) are being played so - if this works - I can remove a whole set of RCA leads and chuck them back in a cupboard. (Best place for cables!)

(a) Will this work?

(b) Will the quality be any good? (I still cannot envisage anything - audio - being any good, even digital, if it comes from something on the back of a telly.)

(c) Will the optical digital output on the back of my TV be in 5.1 or some other AV multi-channel format, or in stereo? (I need it in stereo.)

(d) Will this introduce any 'lip sync' issues? (Of which I currently have none.)

Every cable my new Humax has introduced (to my previously 'de-cluttered' system) since yesterday is deeply resented and even if one (or a pair) can be removed I would be grateful.

Thanks

 

[John Duncan]

It works from my Sony and is perfectly fine. TV needs to be set to stereo for it to avoid 5.1 undecodability. Don't know how to do it on a Panny, but you're a (manual) reader so you should be ok...

 

[John Duncan]

Ignore anybody who says that tvs can't do this and the only source capable of doing it is an Apple TV...

 

[chebby]

It works from my Sony and is perfectly fine. TV needs to be set to stereo for it to avoid 5.1 undecodability. Don't know how to do it on a Panny, but you're a (manual) reader so you should be ok...

Thanks.

I have the TV manual on my desktop (along with .pdf manuals for everything else) in a folder entitled 'Manuals'. (What else?)

I have only ever tackled it for - mostly - picture related stuff but (after your encouragement) I will settle down with it before dinner and see what I need to tweak.

 

[John Duncan]

Note that on my TV you lose all ability to alter volume on the TV itself. This won't be a problem for you if you intend only to listen through the Marantz.

 

[chebby]

Note that on my TV you lose all ability to alter volume on the TV itself. This won't be a problem for you if you intend only to listen through the Marantz.

I'll find out when Sherlock 'A Scandal in Belgravia' has finished in 25 minutes

Thanks.

[Edit] It turns out that all I needed to do was tweak the S370 to 'PCM' (from default 'auto') and ensure the Humax was set to 'Stereo' (rather than 'Multi-Channel) which it already was from my set-up yesterday.

And...

None of this affects the TV's own built-in speakers

(Dodged a bullet there. You had me worried John.) These still work fine. That problem must be a Sony 'thing'.

 

[chebby]

Oh, and most importantly, the sound from the 'Sherlock' Blu-ray we were watching earlier sounded pig awful via analogue RCA and is now restored to sounding brilliant again from the TV's digital optical.

No different to when it went direct from the S370's own digital optical.

Phew.

 

[John Duncan]

So your bluray player, a freeview+ PVR and a TV are all outputting stereo from optical out?

Just checking...

 

[chebby]

So your bluray player, a freeview+ PVR and a TV are all outputting stereo from optical out?

Just checking...

Yep. I now have the optical cable connected between TV and M-CR603.

Humax and S370 both supplying stereo audio via HDMI to the TV. (With their respective settings changed to 'PCM' on the Sony and 'Stereo' on the Humax.)

No settings needed changing on the TV at all.

I can use the TV's internal speakers or turn them right down and switch the hi-fi to AUX4(Optical) and play via that.

Having the optical cable plugged in does not affect the built-in TV speakers at all. (Unlike your Sony, as you described earlier.)

No lip sync issues whichever box is playing.

 

[John Duncan]

Who'd have thought it, eh?

I've just remembered that there are circumstances where the Sony gives audio out of its speakers and optical if you unplug and plug the optical again, but it's a fiddle and my one optical in is now taken up and I'm using analogues throughout now anyway.

 

[chebby]

I finally started enjoying the Humax last night.

(It was not a purchase i was exactly 'gagging' to buy.)

 

[John Duncan]

No, I'm trying to work out whether I need one if I move to Freeview or whether I can get away with just having iPlayer on the telly. I can live without PVR. Apple TV with the XBMC hack actually seems like an interesting option though...

 

[chebby]

No, I'm trying to work out whether I need one if I move to Freeview or whether I can get away with just having iPlayer on the telly. I can live without PVR. Apple TV with the XBMC hack actually seems like an interesting option though...

Skipping through ads is great.

Pausing scheduled programmes to make a drink etc. is excellent.

March 21st onwards will be even better (Freeview HD quality recordings on many programmes.)

iPlayer looks better via Humax than via S370. (Especially on expanses of the same colour in things like landscapes and skies where the S370 would introduce 'artifacts' and the Humax doesn't.)

There are some niggles. If I leave my finger on the 'standby' button for too long it powers up/down my M-CR603 so I am getting used to 'dabbing' the standby button on the Humax very quickly then it doesn't happen. (There is probably some 'workaround' but it's not a show-stopper.)

On balance the Humax is 'a good thing' and i'm sure it'll get gooder.

 

[professorhat]

No, I'm trying to work out whether I need one if I move to Freeview or whether I can get away with just having iPlayer on the telly. I can live without PVR. Apple TV with the XBMC hack actually seems like an interesting option though...

No, I'm trying to work out whether I need one if I move to Freeview or whether I can get away with just having iPlayer on the telly. I can live without PVR. Apple TV with the XBMC hack actually seems like an interesting option though...

Worth remembering,

1. Not everything appears on iPlayer / ITV Player / 4OD

2. In some cases, it's only there for a limited amount of time (all of course for BBC stuff).

I've had a Freeview PVR in one form or another for about 6.5 years now and find it invaluable, especially since obtaining Series Link recordings. This is useful if you hate having to wait to watch something each week e.g. for last series of Sherlock, I recorded all three, then watched them all in one weekend.

It also just means I don't have to worry - case in point, the OH loves the Apprentice. Last night, a trailer came on for the new series, so I simply pressed the green button of my Digital Stream remote, selected Series Link on the BBC One HD channel and that's it. Now I know that, whatever happens, we'll never miss an episode of this series of the Apprentice which makes her very happy.

Worth it for that alone

 

[chebby]

If I leave my finger on the 'standby' button for too long it powers up/down my M-CR603 so I am getting used to 'dabbing' the standby button on the Humax very quickly then it doesn't happen. (There is probably some 'workaround' but it's not a show-stopper.)

Now cured

http://myhumax.org/forum/topic/multi-code-function-hdhdr-remote

Although my Marantz M-CR603 is (obviously) not another Humax device, the instructions above cured this problem. I just changed my Humax remote control code from 1 (default) to 2 and now the standby button has stopped powering my Marantz on and off.