Yamaha RXV1800 sound settings

[admin_exported]

I have just upgraded to HD with a Sony KDL46w4500 (awesome even with SD!), a Panasonic BD35 and the aforementioned Yamaha receiver.

The trouble is that after years of my Denon 2802's simplicity, I find the Yamaha has too many options for handling standard sound. By this I mean that I will always use the 'Straight' function for DD, DTS and HD Audio formats, but when I am watching most Sky or Freeview programs, the incoming sound is only stereo. On the old Denon you could just press ProLogic or DTS Neo and get a good sound from it, but this Yamaha has so many DSP modes my head is spinning!

I don't really want to be changing mode every time we finish Eastenders and start Heroes, football or X Factor, so is there a good general setting someone can recommend I try for what I would term 'everyday' use?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Philnavigator

Sorry no answer, but a question for you.

How do you find the upscaling on the BD35.

Can't decide between the 35 or the 55. Hear the 55 is slightly better upscaling.

Cheers

 

[Sorreltiger]

I'm assuming that the 1800 set-up is the same as my 3800. ÿI have to admit that it took me a while to sort out. ÿThe manual isn't at all clear. ÿFirst of all, you're right - you don't need to bother with any of those sound field programs that they seem to love in the US. ÿYou're also right that you need Pro Logic - possibly PLII Movie if you want it for TV watching where the source is stereo. ÿAs you know, you select this with sur. decode +10. ÿAfter you've done this, the next step is what I didn't understand at first and so my receiver kept defaulting to stereo again. ÿYou have to go to Audio Select and choose LAST not Auto. ÿIf I remember rightly, you have to do this in Decoder Mode too. ÿI'm assuming you've already selected optical input for sound from the Sky box.

ÿI sincerely hope that's helpfulÿand I've remembered correctly. ÿIt's a while ago since I did it and it did my head in at the time! ÿThe good news is that, once done, you can sit back and enjoy and you won't have to reset anything.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that, I will give it a go when I switch it on again next, to see if it defaults to stereo as yours did. This setup is literally a couple of days old, and I noticed when I read back over the manual again, that I can do ProLogic or DTS Neo easily enough, I had merely misread part about PLIIx only being available if SB speakers were attached (which they aren't), leaving me a bit confused.

Michael

I will get back to you on that one, as my Pana was the last thing to be installed ( I had to get Sky/Freeview running to avoid a domestic!) and haven't had the chance to test it thoroughly. I have a Pana DVD-Rec which will upscale to 1080i for comparison, and I got National Treasure 2 BluRay free with the player. As I already have that disc on DVD, I will be doing direct comparisons tomorrow for all to see, and I will get back onto here over the weekend to give you the vercict.

I am a bit nervous as I bought it on the strength of the WHF review, then read a poor review (for upscaling only) in What Vid & HD....

For information to anyone who is interested, we did a comparison of an SD Sky+ picture with the RXV1800 upscaling to 1080p, and then set to 'Through' to let the Sony tv do the work, and the Sony won hands down, so any result in terms of upscaling tests will be heavily depenent on what your viewing it on, and this Sony set is every bit as good as they said it was, and then some!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Happy to report that the news is good with the Panasonic BD35 upscaling abilities.

We had a Pioneer 585/Toshiba 36ZP48 CRT linked by component on 576p before all this, and the picture was great. Using the DMR EX85 rec upscaling to 1080i beat that for starters, but the BD35 is another notch up again. Its clearly the best image I have ever seen from a standard DVD, and although they say that some dedicated DVD decks from Tosh/Denon/Oppo etc are better, I am happy not knowing as this is superb. I would thoroughly recommend this player just on DVD playback, but when we did the comparison with the BluRay National Treasure 2 disc, the difference is a bigger step up than any before, and the aidio is ASTOUNDING!!!

This super Sony may be flattering the source equipment, who knows, but if they say rubbish in gives rubbish out, in this case EXCELLENT out must equal what coming in?

 

[Anonymous]

philnavigator:
The trouble is that after years of my Denon 2802's simplicity, I find the Yamaha has too many options for handling standard sound. By this I mean that I will always use the 'Straight' function for DD, DTS and HD Audio formats, but when I am watching most Sky or Freeview programs, the incoming sound is only stereo. On the old Denon you could just press ProLogic or DTS Neo and get a good sound from it, but this Yamaha has so many DSP modes my head is spinning!

I don't really want to be changing mode every time we finish Eastenders and start Heroes, football or X Factor, so is there a good general setting someone can recommend I try for what I would term 'everyday' use?
I understand your confusion - after many years owning Yamaha amplification, i can never navigate my way around Denon amp menus very easily. You just need time to adjust.

As for the numerous surround modes, yes, you could choose a specific one for the type of programme you're watching, or you could just leave it on 'movie standard'. I use 'adventure' for action films, which gives me a bigger soundstage, and i'll choose drama when i rarely watch a girly soppy movie, but other than that, i don't use many other modes. If you go throught your options menu and set all the sound settings to last, it'll remember what mode you last used for that specific input. So if you use a specific one for games and a different one for TV, the amp will do this for you.

The Yamaha amps can be as easy or as complicated as you want them to be.