Sony strda1200 and HD

[md.harvey]

Hi

I currently have a Sony STRDA 1200 receiver. I'm upgrading my tv to a Sony KDL32W4000 and getting a Bluray Sony BDPS 550. I'm also thinking of getting Sky + HD or the Humax HD receiver.

i have a couple of questions:

1. What will be the best way to connect this together to get the best from the system?

2. Will i get all the benefits of the digtial HD receiver with my amp or will this need upgrading too.

3. Will i get the full benefits of HD from the Blue ray player?

Thanks

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

If you're getting the BDP-S550, then you use can the analogue-out feature of the S550 so that it does the HD audio decoding. You connect it to the Multi-Ch In connectors on the STR-DA1200 using 6 or 8 RCA cables. This way you'll get HD audio without the need to upgrade the receiver.

You can connect the S550's HDMI connector to one of the HDMI inputs on the STR-DA1200, but it will only pass-through the video, it doesn't do anything with audio.

For Sky+ HD/Freesat, you can use the other HDMI input on the STR-DA1200 for video, and an optical lead for the audio.

Hope that helps...

 

[Gerrardasnails]

md.harvey:
Hi

I currently have a Sony STRDA 1200 receiver. I'm upgrading my tv to a Sony KDL32W4000 and getting a Bluray Sony BDPS 550. I'm also thinking of getting Sky + HD or the Humax HD receiver.

i have a couple of questions:

1. What will be the best way to connect this together.

2. Will i get all the benefits of the digtial HD receiver with my amp or will this need upgrading too.

Thanks

Mark

I used to have the 1200 - very good receiver. I would go hdmi from screen to receiver then hdmi from receiver to bluray player. You can then buy three pairs of stereo interconnects (RCA analogue cables). These will go from receiver to bluray player (one cable for each speaker and subwoofer). This will allow you to send the HD audio decoded from the bluray player straight to your receiver so you get brilliant HD audio from any bluray disc. You will then need an hdmi from Sky HD or Humax box to the receiver and then a coaxial or optical (digital cable) from HD box to the receiver. This will allow you to get 5.1 digital surround sound with Sky (hdmi only gives you stereo sound with Sky - not sure about Humax).

Alternatively for the Sky/Humax box, you can run it straight to the screen and then the digital cable from box to receiver. It's nice I think just having the one cable out of the LCD to worry about but it's up to you.

 

[md.harvey]

Thanks for the reply.

A couple more question though.

1. Do the analogue connectors carry the video signal as well.

2. Do i have to connect a hdmi cable from the S550 directly to the telly as well. I'm a little confused about what the amp does with video signals it gets from the dvd.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

md.harvey:
Thanks for the reply.

A couple more question though.

1. Do the analogue connectors carry the video signal as well.

2. Do i have to connect a hdmi cable from the S550 directly to the telly as well. I'm a little confused about what the amp does with video signals it gets from the dvd.

Thanks

Only the HDMI cables carry video signal.

The amp is basically acting as 2 into 1 switchbox for the HDMI video signal. Therefore you connect the HDMI output of the amp to the TV. Then you connect the S550 and the Sky/Humax box to the HDMI inputs on the amp.

 

[md.harvey]

If i upgrade the amp, will i still have to use both sets of cables (hdmi for video and coax or optical for audio) or can the hdmi cables then be used for both audio and video (thinking of the strda 2400).

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

md.harvey:
If i upgrade the amp, will i still have to use both sets of cables (hdmi for video and coax or optical for audio) or can the hdmi cables then be used for both audio and video (thinking of the strda 2400).

thanks

You will only be able to use the HDMI for video and surround audio with the Blu-Ray player. For Dolby Digital sound on the Sky/Humax you'll need to use the optical audio lead, as the HDMI feed only carries video and stereo audio.

 

[md.harvey]

thanks

I think i'm getting the idea now. One more silly question about the existing set up, a get a blue light on the amp signifying multi channel in. What exactly is multi channel in.

 

[Anonymous]

The blue light on the front of the amp indicates the amp is decoding a Dolby Digital / DTS audio signal. This will light up when you're connecting an audio source to the optical or coaxial inputs. When you use the Multi CH input it won't light up, as the Blu-Ray player will be doing all the decoding for you. The Blu-Ray player then passes the audio signal down each channel for the amp to amplify and send directly to the speakers.

 

[md.harvey]

I've now upgraded my dvd to the 550 and tv to a sony kdl32w4000. I've connected the audio using digital coax at the moment not the component connections. I've got a monitor audio radius 360 sub. Since i've got my new kit i can't get my sub to work anymore. It produces sound if you run the amps suto setup feature but nothing appears from it when i'm using the blu ray.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

I also have the the 1200ES but i use the multi outs from the 550 to the amp and HMDI direct to the TV, i recall that the optical and or coaxial outputs cannot handle HD audio, does that help?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

md.harvey:
I've now upgraded my dvd to the 550 and tv to a sony kdl32w4000. I've connected the audio using digital coax at the moment not the component connections. I've got a monitor audio radius 360 sub. Since i've got my new kit i can't get my sub to work anymore. It produces sound if you run the amps suto setup feature but nothing appears from it when i'm using the blu ray.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Check the settings on your BD player.

 

[md.harvey]

thanks Gerrardasnails. Do you know which settings in particular i should be looking at.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

md.harvey:
thanks Gerrardasnails. Do you know which settings in particular i should be looking at.

In the audio settings select audio output priority to Coaxial/Optical (page 45). And you want to make sure that DTS and Dolby Digital are selected instead of Downmix PCM (page 48).