AV Receiver + Xbox Series X + possible new TV questions

[smdntn]

I have a Pioneer VSX531 with a Hisense N6800 and my Xbox One X. I understand the Pioneer is supposed to have 4k passthrough but I've never been able to get it to work, the 4k test on my Xbox always said that it couldn't receive a 4k signal when HDMI through the amp, so I reverted to plugging straight into TV and then optical out to the receiver. I don't think I have it set up properly, if I'm honest.

Anyway, now that the new Xbox is coming out, I've noticed it does not have an optical out anymore. So I'm considering my options going back to HDMI, and trying to set up the amp properly. Has anyone got any advice? From guides I've read, there should be an HDMI port on the back of the receiver that says HDCP 2.2, but none of them do... is there something in the settings I need to change?

My 2nd question is that even if I can get the passthrough to work, I'm looking at upgrading my TV sometime next year to an LG OLED or similar, with HDMI 2.1 inputs. Will my receiver be able to passthrough, I understand the highest refresh rate it can passthrough at is 60hz, which is fine for now, but the LG OLEDs are native 4k @ 120hz. Will I need to upgrade my system? Are there receivers that can handle 4k 120hz passthrough?

I am considering whether changing to a simpler system like a high end sound bar would be a simpler/more preferable set up.

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

 

[dante01]

The VSX-531 supposedly supports HDCP 2.2, so by connecting to a compatible device, you shoiuld be able to passthrough content such as commercial 4K videos that use HDCP 2.2 digital copy protection. You'd ordinarilly not need to enable HDCP, but ensure that the AV receiver's firmware us fully up to date.

As far as I'm aware, both your TV and the Pioneer AV receiver support ARC (HDMI Audio Return Channel)? THis would allow you to connect an HDMI source directly to your TV and pass the associated audio through it. THe audio can then be cionveyed to the AV receiver via ARC using the HDMI connection between the TV and the AV receiver. As is the case with S/PDIF optical, ARC would still be limited to SD formated audio and no more than 5.1.

Your current receiver cannot passthrough 4K120 and you'd need an AV receiver equipped with HDMI version 2.1 for this. Your current TV isn't compliant either so you'd not be able to benefit from 4K/120 even if able to output it and then pass it through the AV receiver. You'd need a TV, the AV receiver and the source to all be equipped with HDMI version 2.1 to be able to handle 8K and or 4K/120. You'd also need next gen 48Gbps HDMI cabling to copnvey the higher bandwidth 4K/120 video signals.

If looking for an entret level AV receiver that will be ready for when you've your new XBox and an HDMI equipped TV then I'd suggest either the Denon AVRX2700 or Yamaha;s RXA6A. Both a new models inclusive of HDMI version 2.1. THe Denon model is however limited to just one 8K, 4K/120 input while the Yamaha has 3, but it should be noted that the Yamaha's HDMI 2.1 capabilities will not be initially activated and you'd need an upcoming firmware update to activate them.

No cound bar will currently come eqiuipped with HDMI version 2.1, but you could look at those that include eARC? Enhanced ARC is able to convey the same HD audio formats as you'd ordinarilly be able to convey using a conventional HDMI connection. THis would allow you to convey multichannel PCM and or HD formatted audio through a TV from a source and output it to a soundbar or AVR using eARC. Both the TV and the soundbar or AV receiver need to be eARC enabled though.

 

[smdntn]

Thanks Dante for your reply. Really helpful. Yes, both the TV and Receiver support ARC.

I'm going to try set up the 4k passthrough again with my current Xbox One X, I believe there is a setting that I need to change from the instructions around 4:4:4 or 4:2:0, although being honest I'm not completely clued up on what this does.

For the new Xbox, I recognise that I'll need to upgrade the TV and the AVR to achieve 4k " 120. Thanks for those AVR's, I will look into them. The Yamaha looks like a better pick as I will probably get both the new Xbox and PS5 at some point. That would then also allow me to eventually upgrade Atmos.

 

[dante01]

I'm not familiar with Pioneer AV receivers, but yes, there may be an enhanced 4K mode that you'd need to enable to allow the receiver to passthrough 4K 60p 4:4:4, 4:2:2 or 4K 60p 4:2:0 10 bit video signals? This is the case with some other makes of receiver. Not having this set to the enhanced option shouldn't however prevent you from being able to passthrough 4K encoded video though, it would simply restrict it relatoive to the bitdepth you'd be able to pass through to a display. You'd not get HDR if not enabled, but you'd still get the 4K resolution.

 

[smdntn]

Thanks for your help. Changing it to 4:4:4 on the receiver's settings worked and now the passthrough is working perfectly.

My only question now is what audio output setting I should set my Xbox to? The choices are 5.1 uncompressed (which I understand is PCM), or bitstream (which then allows me to choose Dolby Digital or DTS). I have set to uncompressed but not sure if this is the best setting.

Thanks again

 

[dante01]

I'd suggest uncompressed, but I'm no expert on the XBox or its configuration options. Most games consoles use PCM as opposed to bitstreaming the audio associated with games as DTS or Dolby encoded formats. This allow games consoles to easilly mix in audio they create into the siundtrack accessed via the game itself. This is also why the Xbox relies upon Dolby MAT in orddr to fascilitate the output of Atmos metadata in association with PCM as opposed to bitstreaming DD+ or the TrueHD audio package in which such metadata would ordilly be conyained within. There shouldn't in theory be any benefit associated with having the AV receiver decode the format compared to the console doing so and outputting the resulting PCM. THe only downside is that the AV receiver wouldn't indicate the audio format the PCM was derrived from.