Harman Kardon Avr 255 Out Now!!!!!

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H/K France said the firmware update should come in July :)
 
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Thanks for your feedback guys. Chic, what is the actual visual effect of converting Sky @ 50hz to 60hz? I take it 'more judder' is the answer?

I'm trying to simplify the operation of my home cinema rig and mucking about with this is going to put it out of the frame for Mrs TD. To be fair, it's probably going to be a couple of months before I'm in a position to buy one of these, so maybe a firmware update will add a 'pass through'. Here's hoping.

yes it gives a slight judder, not as bad as the other way, i am sticking with the way i have it just now, i will keep my 360 connected by vga diresct to the tv, leave it set for pal so my sky hd is ok and i will set my ps3,hddv and samsung bluray player to 1080p/24 as i am happy with that. Hopefully a firmware update will appear which will give us the option of passing the signal through without passing through the 255 scaler. However i love how the 255 looks and sounds. It makes movies sound so much better than my old sony amp, bluray discs now sound so much more detailed and there is alot more sourround action as well, the bass also seems better it give more of the thump in the chest which i love. I think this is aresult of the 255 ezy set up doing a better job of setting the speakers up for my room than the sony one did as the sony amp only took aboy 30 secs to do its tests, whereas the 255 took a good 5 minutes and goes through level settings, distance settings EQ settings etc.
 
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H/K France said the firmware update should come in July :)


so HK USA, France and Netherlands have been ever so helpful yet the HK UK guys aren't..... my guess is they havent even got an avr255!! the guy i spoke with was very unhelpful
 
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Once again Chic, you prove to be a valuabe resource to any potential owners.

If the firmware update sorts this out without having to change the passthough, I'm sold.
 
OK, couple of questions.

I've got a Panasonic DMR EX77 DVD recorder. It gives me a choice on resolution up to 1080p. The AVR255 can upscale to 1080p. My screen is a Panasonic 42PX70 which is 1080i. Should I put both DVD and amp to 1080i? Initially I had the amp output at 1080p and the DVD was on its base setting which I think was 576p. The picture was noticeably different and peoples faces looked kind of pitted and craggy - not sure how to explain it. I put them both on 1080i and it looked smoother and I guess more real. Again new to this so not sure how to explain it.

Next question is sound settings. The film was Die Hard 4 and the amp automatically set itself to Dolby Digital (As the manual says it chooses automatically). The DVD also says DTS - I actually don't know which is best ( I guess the amp knows better than me)
 
OK, couple of questions.

I've got a Panasonic DMR EX77 DVD recorder. It gives me a choice on resolution up to 1080p. The AVR255 can upscale to 1080p. My screen is a Panasonic 42PX70 which is 1080i. Should I put both DVD and amp to 1080i? Initially I had the amp output at 1080p and the DVD was on its base setting which I think was 576p. The picture was noticeably different and peoples faces looked kind of pitted and craggy - not sure how to explain it. I put them both on 1080i and it looked smoother and I guess more real. Again new to this so not sure how to explain it.

Next question is sound settings. The film was Die Hard 4 and the amp automatically set itself to Dolby Digital (As the manual says it chooses automatically). The DVD also says DTS - I actually don't know which is best ( I guess the amp knows better than me)

just set to what gives the best picture and leave it there, as for audio on your dvd you can go into the menu and pick what soundtrack youe want, fsometimes you have to select the dts audio as dolby digital is the default.
 
I can't seem to choose between DD or DTS. The player is set to Bitstream for both but theres no option to choose which is output via the player. Asked in the DVD Rec forum for advce.
 
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I can't seem to choose between DD or DTS. The player is set to Bitstream for both but theres no option to choose which is output via the player. Asked in the DVD Rec forum for advce.

you cant choose it in the dvd player menu, as long its set to bitstream and you are connected by optical or digital coax you will get 5.1 audio. Now its on the disc itself that you choose the sound type, some only have dolby digital,some have dts and some have both, you select which one you want on the disc menu itself usualy under audio options.
 
right, iv read a lot on the avs forums and the problem i may be having with the avr 255 and the toshiba hd-dvd player is with the 'handshake' between the two via hdmi, there seems to be a bug in a certain batch of the amps, mine is one of them :(
 
Reading this thread with interest, and was concerned about the 50hz/60hz thing as my set up is:
Toshiba E35
Panasonic BD30
Sky HD
Pioneer 508
As the Pio is only 1080i, is it the case that the double clicking fix would work with this? I'm not bothered about Sky, as I plug that straight into the TV anyway (optical to amp).
What output settings should I use on the E35 and the BD30?
Will the 255 correctly decode and display the correct soundtrack with this setup? e.g. True HD, Digital Plus etc.
 
Reading this thread with interest, and was concerned about the 50hz/60hz thing as my set up is:
Toshiba E35
Panasonic BD30
Sky HD
Pioneer 508
As the Pio is only 1080i, is it the case that the double clicking fix would work with this? I'm not bothered about Sky, as I plug that straight into the TV anyway (optical to amp).
What output settings should I use on the E35 and the BD30?
Will the 255 correctly decode and display the correct soundtrack with this setup? e.g. True HD, Digital Plus etc.


for picture try setting your e-35 and bd30 to 1080p/24, and make sure 25hz frame rate is selected on the tosh. It doesnt matter that your tv is only 1080i as the 255 will take a 1080p/24 and convert to 1080i/50hz and there is less judder, if you are happy with this dont use the double click workround. However if you dont like it this way set both your players to 1080i and use the double click to change your 255 to ntscs mode and it should send the 1080i/60hz for your tv.

Now for audio as both thes players can bitstream the hjd audio for the 255 to decode you will need to set your players to bitstream mode for hd audio, if its working properly your display should light up with dolby true hd,dtsma depending on what your are listening to. If you want to watch picture in picture special features you will need to set your players to pcm over hdmi. If you want the hd audio decode by the 255 set your players to bitstream output.
 
i have been playing about with the setting to switch to 60hz and i have watched alot of skyhd today in this setting and the picture looked ok and didnt notice any juddering and my movies were judder free compaired to the 50hz setting, so i am leaving it set this way.
 
@ Chic: Thank you very much for informing me about Cchoau's solution. It seems like everything now works as it should. I'm so glad I know this forum so I'm not solely dependable on HK Netherlands. Now I've allready (finally) been able to enjoy I am legend in all it's cinematic greatness. I'm not 100% sure about the sharpness of my picture at the moment but it's totally exceptable. I have yet to read about ntsc, if it changes the picturequality, and walk through all the settings of avr, tv and ps3 again. I think I'll do that between Wimbledon and TopGear.
Thanks a lot and have a nice day :clap:
 
@ Chic: Thank you very much for informing me about Cchoau's solution. It seems like everything now works as it should. I'm so glad I know this forum so I'm not solely dependable on HK Netherlands. Now I've allready (finally) been able to enjoy I am legend in all it's cinematic greatness. I'm not 100% sure about the sharpness of my picture at the moment but it's totally exceptable. I have yet to read about ntsc, if it changes the picturequality, and walk through all the settings of avr, tv and ps3 again. I think I'll do that between Wimbledon and TopGear.
Thanks a lot and have a nice day :clap:

ntsc tv pictures are not as good as pal, but i dont think that matters with bluray as the movie is 1080p on the disc, however what i noticed when i switched to 60hz mode it made the default output of the 255 720p, when i changed to 1080i it looked much better. I would advise tweeking the image untill you get a pic your happy with. There is a rumoured firmware update due soon which will fix a few bugs with the 255/355, so hopefull it will allow a straight pass through of your image without passing through the scaler.
 
There is a rumoured firmware update due soon which will fix a few bugs with the 255/355, so hopefull it will allow a straight pass through of your image without passing through the scaler.
That would be a dream coming true because to be quite honest I'm getting sick of calibrating all those hd devices.
I watched wimbledon at a really poor quality today and I honestly think youtube sometimes is less blurry and squary (if you know what I mean). avr's default was 1080p, switching to 720 or 1080i didn't help. input from digital-tv-box was 576i :(
 
Am considering this receiver to replace my old H/K 4550. I have a US PS3, don't watch TV, and most of my DVDs are NTSC. In other words, I have no need for 50Hz whatsoever. My Pioneer 428XD plasma can take a 60Hz DVD and convert it to judder-free 24p, so I need to know:

1) Can the H/K 255 pass a 480p/720p/1080i 60Hz signal without tampering?
2) Can the H/K 255 pass a 1080p24 signal without tamping?

I'm rather partial to my PS3's upscaling abilities and therefore have no need for the receiver to upscale whatsoever. Can this function be switched off?

Thanks!
 
Am considering this receiver to replace my old H/K 4550. I have a US PS3, don't watch TV, and most of my DVDs are NTSC. In other words, I have no need for 50Hz whatsoever. My Pioneer 428XD plasma can take a 60Hz DVD and convert it to judder-free 24p, so I need to know:

1) Can the H/K 255 pass a 480p/720p/1080i 60Hz signal without tampering?
2) Can the H/K 255 pass a 1080p24 signal without tamping?

I'm rather partial to my PS3's upscaling abilities and therefore have no need for the receiver to upscale whatsoever. Can this function be switched off?

Thanks!

1)any 60hz signal will be converted to 50hz thats the problem, the workaround fixes this and will keep a 60hz signal at 60hz.
2) if you put in a 1080p/24 the 255 will allow you to put out a 1080p/24 signal

if your ps3 has done the scaling the 255 wont need do do anything. The problem is the 60hz to 50hz conversion, so if you play a uk dvd at 50hz and your ps3 upscales to it to 1080p the 255 will allow you to send it out at 1080p and as its coming in at 50hz it wont so anything with it as its already 1080p and 50hz. However a us dvd coming in at 1080p/60hz can only be output at 1080p/50hz unless the 255 is switched to ntsct mode and it will output a 1080p/60hz signal.

The functtion cant be switched off but like i said if you use the workaround and switch to ntsc mode for anything not 50hz you should be ok, the picture still willm pass through the scaler i think, but it wont do anything to it as its already upscaled from your ps3 and if its 1080p/24 already it will pass that through as 1080p/24 even without switching to ntsc mode. Its any 60hz material thats the problem.
 
1)any 60hz signal will be converted to 50hz thats the problem, the workaround fixes this and will keep a 60hz signal at 60hz.
2) if you put in a 1080p/24 the 255 will allow you to put out a 1080p/24 signal

if your ps3 has done the scaling the 255 wont need do do anything. The problem is the 60hz to 50hz conversion, so if you play a uk dvd at 50hz and your ps3 upscales to it to 1080p the 255 will allow you to send it out at 1080p and as its coming in at 50hz it wont so anything with it as its already 1080p and 50hz. However a us dvd coming in at 1080p/60hz can only be output at 1080p/50hz unless the 255 is switched to ntsct mode and it will output a 1080p/60hz signal.

The functtion cant be switched off but like i said if you use the workaround and switch to ntsc mode for anything not 50hz you should be ok, the picture still willm pass through the scaler i think, but it wont do anything to it as its already upscaled from your ps3 and if its 1080p/24 already it will pass that through as 1080p/24 even without switching to ntsc mode. Its any 60hz material thats the problem.
Thanks for the reply.

Am I to understand that you have to use the workaround and switch the 255 to 60Hz mode every time? Or does it remember and retain the last setting? Like I said, I have NO 50Hz material whatsoever. No PAL DVDs. No UK PS3. No UK TV. Just a US PS3 outputting 60Hz or 1080p24.
 
Thanks for the reply.

Am I to understand that you have to use the workaround and switch the 255 to 60Hz mode every time? Or does it remember and retain the last setting? Like I said, I have NO 50Hz material whatsoever. No PAL DVDs. No UK PS3. No UK TV. Just a US PS3 outputting 60Hz or 1080p24.

no once switched it stays that way untill you switch it back, i have mine on the 60hz setting and it still says that way, i have my sky hd which is 50hz and i havent seen any problems so far with putting through a 50hz signal. I am happy though with this setting as my blurays are not juddery any more.

Also if your tv is 1080p/24 capable the 255 will pass through a 1080p/24 signal to your tv even if its on the 50hz setting.
 
Hi I finally got my 255 last night. I'm having some problems with audio output via HDMI. I connected my ps3 and 255 with HDMI and get no sounds of the key tone when i'm in the ps3 menu page. If I flick through the menu continuously then sounds just kicked in and disappear randomly.

When I looked at the source set up it said "no audio input". I played a song and it was silent for like 1 second before sounds kicked in and this happens everytime I pause and play a song, sound just kicked in a bit later. But as long as I play songs or movies there's no problem.

Also when I play MGS4 there should be a sound fx when you finish loading the game. There's not. And when you start the game it was a short moment before sounds kicked in.

For me it seems like when ps3 is silent or even when I flick through the menu the 255 can't detect any audio input. Only when the source send continuous signal ie. songs, movies. that 255 starts to work and that creates the delay.

Bigger problem is when I connected my laptop to the 255 using HDMI. Video displayed fine but coundn't send through any audio. In sound control panel it said HDMI is not connected. :rolleyes:

I'm sure it's not the cable as i've tried connecting both ps3 and my laptop directly to the plasma without any problems.

I've already setup the source in 255 and it shows correct HDMI input for video and sound. I let the avr to choose the surround mode. On PS3 I set audio output to HDMI. This problem persists at any volume.

Any advise?

ps. sorry for my english, I'm Thai.
 
Hi I finally got my 255 last night. I'm having some problems with audio output via HDMI. I connected my ps3 and 255 with HDMI and get no sounds of the key tone when i'm in the ps3 menu page. If I flick through the menu continuously then sounds just kicked in and disappear randomly.

When I looked at the source set up it said "no audio input". I played a song and it was silent for like 1 second before sounds kicked in and this happens everytime I pause and play a song, sound just kicked in a bit later. But as long as I play songs or movies there's no problem.

Also when I play MGS4 there should be a sound fx when you finish loading the game. There's not. And when you start the game it was a short moment before sounds kicked in.

For me it seems like when ps3 is silent or even when I flick through the menu the 255 can't detect any audio input. Only when the source send continuous signal ie. songs, movies. that 255 starts to work and that creates the delay.

Bigger problem is when I connected my laptop to the 255 using HDMI. Video displayed fine but coundn't send through any audio. In sound control panel it said HDMI is not connected. :rolleyes:

I'm sure it's not the cable as i've tried connecting both ps3 and my laptop directly to the plasma without any problems.

I've already setup the source in 255 and it shows correct HDMI input for video and sound. I let the avr to choose the surround mode. On PS3 I set audio output to HDMI. This problem persists at any volume.

Any advise?

ps. sorry for my english, I'm Thai.

its the same with my ps3 through the 255, i think its also a common problem with other harmon kardon amps. The lack of the keytone sounds is not a problem for me. I dont think there is afix for it so you will have to live with it. As for the laptop i have no idea what the problem could be.
 
Hi I finally got my 255 last night. I'm having some problems with audio output via HDMI. I connected my ps3 and 255 with HDMI and get no sounds of the key tone when i'm in the ps3 menu page. If I flick through the menu continuously then sounds just kicked in and disappear randomly.

When I looked at the source set up it said "no audio input". I played a song and it was silent for like 1 second before sounds kicked in and this happens everytime I pause and play a song, sound just kicked in a bit later. But as long as I play songs or movies there's no problem.

Also when I play MGS4 there should be a sound fx when you finish loading the game. There's not. And when you start the game it was a short moment before sounds kicked in.

For me it seems like when ps3 is silent or even when I flick through the menu the 255 can't detect any audio input. Only when the source send continuous signal ie. songs, movies. that 255 starts to work and that creates the delay.

Bigger problem is when I connected my laptop to the 255 using HDMI. Video displayed fine but coundn't send through any audio. In sound control panel it said HDMI is not connected. :rolleyes:

I'm sure it's not the cable as i've tried connecting both ps3 and my laptop directly to the plasma without any problems.

I've already setup the source in 255 and it shows correct HDMI input for video and sound. I let the avr to choose the surround mode. On PS3 I set audio output to HDMI. This problem persists at any volume.

Any advise?

ps. sorry for my english, I'm Thai.
I'm afraid that's kind of a deal breaker for me. My old H/K AVR 4550 has this 'problem' using digital connections and it can be really annoying. You soon get used to missing the first second or two of every song, or special feature on a DVD, or menu sound effect, but it really shouldn't be like this. The sound shouldn't be playing catch-up to the picture. The response of the receiver should be instant if there's an incoming signal. Guess I'll be looking at other brands (Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo) that don't suffer from this flaw.

:(
 
Am I the only person who does not have a problem with the HK 255.:)

No probs at all. The sound is terrific. This amp will do me for 4-5 years until Arcam bring out their Tru HD formats.
 
Am I the only person who does not have a problem with the HK 255.:)

No probs at all. The sound is terrific. This amp will do me for 4-5 years until Arcam bring out their Tru HD formats.

i am happy with mine now i can get the video sorted, it sounds great.:thumbsup:
 
Am I the only person who does not have a problem with the HK 255.:)

No probs at all. The sound is terrific. This amp will do me for 4-5 years until Arcam bring out their Tru HD formats.

Nikonkid, does yours have the same "sounds delay" problem?
 
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