Help needed.

[hype_male]

Hi all, i recently bought my ps3 for the purpose of the HD audio and blu ray. To my knowledge the str-dh800 will do a good job for the HD audio from my ps3 which is why am waiting for the str-dh800 to come out. However, I have am a bit confused now as i have read the following statement in another forum: 'str-800 will not ever ever decode the HD audio because the PS3 can't bitstream it to the receiver. The PS3 can only decode the HD audio itself and send the signal as PCM to a receiver that will allow passthrough.
In short, you will be paying for something you won't use as long as you're using a PS3'. In this case, should i still wait on the str-dh800 or should i find an alternative.

 

[dante01]

Hi all, i recently bought my ps3 for the purpose of the HD audio and blu ray. To my knowledge the str-dh800 will do a good job for the HD audio from my ps3 which is why am waiting for the str-dh800 to come out. However, I have am a bit confused now as i have read the following statement in another forum: 'str-800 will not ever ever decode the HD audio because the PS3 can't bitstream it to the receiver. The PS3 can only decode the HD audio itself and send the signal as PCM to a receiver that will allow passthrough.
In short, you will be paying for something you won't use as long as you're using a PS3'. In this case, should i still wait on the str-dh800 or should i find an alternative.

The PS3 can't bitstream HD audio to a AV amp to decode the audio. It must always do the decoding itself and send the data as LPCM. It is therefore not necessary to use an AV amp with onboard HD audio decoding abilities because the HD audio is already decoded by the PS3. The AV amp must however be able to accept multichannel LPCM data via its HDMI input(s).

See here for some clarification:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/av-a...06-attempt-explain-high-definition-audio.html


Even though you don't need onboard HD decoding in order to get HD audio from the PS3, you will find that those AV amps with that ability are far more likely to be able to handle the multichannel LPCM data via their HDMI interfaces.

Any AV amp with HDMI passthrough will be unsuitable. The HDMI interface must be a repeater and not a switch that passes the data straight through it!

 

[Rich Marshall]

Hi all, i recently bought my ps3 for the purpose of the HD audio and blu ray. To my knowledge the str-dh800 will do a good job for the HD audio from my ps3 which is why am waiting for the str-dh800 to come out. However, I have am a bit confused now as i have read the following statement in another forum: 'str-800 will not ever ever decode the HD audio because the PS3 can't bitstream it to the receiver. The PS3 can only decode the HD audio itself and send the signal as PCM to a receiver that will allow passthrough.
In short, you will be paying for something you won't use as long as you're using a PS3'. In this case, should i still wait on the str-dh800 or should i find an alternative.

It would be a sensible purchase if you intend to upgrade to a standalone Bluray player later on. You're not really losing out by having the dh800.

 

[dante01]

There's a cheaper alternative to the STRDH800, that being its predecessor, the STRDG820. The STRDG820 is now back in stock at Richer Sounds. See here:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/av-a...68-sony-strdg820-back-sale-richer-sounds.html

 

[dwhite]

Also ToneUK has compiled this list, which may allow you to pick up a bargain.

 

[hype_male]

thanks guys for the quick reply. I have read all your cooments but some how i am drawn to the str-dh800, so though the ps3 will do the decoding itself can i still go for the dh800 even though it has onboard decoding itself. I guess what am trying to say is let though the dh800 has onboard decoding which could come handy at a later date but in the main time i could let the ps3 decode the HD audio it self and send it as LPCM to the dh800 and use optical cable to send standard audio to the dh800 as bitstream. You guys know more about AV reciever than i do some base on what i have said above will i be wasting money by going for the dh800 when my ps3 will decode the audio which means i the onboard decode on the dh800 will be useless or will the onboard decode on the dh800 be useful at a later data say something goes wrong with my ps3.

what is your opinion on this? thanks !

 

[dante01]

thanks guys for the quick reply. I have read all your cooments but some how i am drawn to the str-dh800, so though the ps3 will do the decoding itself can i still go for the dh800 even though it has onboard decoding itself. I guess what am trying to say is let though the dh800 has onboard decoding which could come handy at a later date but in the main time i could let the ps3 decode the HD audio it self and send it as LPCM to the dh800 and use optical cable to send standard audio to the dh800 as bitstream. You guys know more about AV reciever than i do some base on what i have said above will i be wasting money by going for the dh800 when my ps3 will decode the audio which means i the onboard decode on the dh800 will be useless or will the onboard decode on the dh800 be useful at a later data say something goes wrong with my ps3.

what is your opinion on this? thanks !

You don't even need to utilise the optical coonnection. All audio can be sent via the HDMI interface and all audio will be a bit for bit copy of what the PS3 decoded. There's no advantage gained by using the optical output alongside the HDMI output.

How exactly are you wasting money, the STRDH800 only costs £280 and the only way you'll buy anything for less that will accept the multichannel LPCM signal is is you either buy secondhand or buy an older AV receiver with fewer features than the STRDH820. There are better sounding alternatives, but they aren't that much cheaper and will not be as up to date as the STRDG820. Only you can determine what is more important to you.

 

[hype_male]

So it seem i should go for the dh800 then as the price between the dg820 isn't much. Also i mentioned the optical cable is for fact that i have standard dvd as well as sky plus. So, do you think the dh800 is a good buy and in the main time i can let the ps3 decode the hd audio and keep the onboard audio for the future should i need to get stand alone blu ray.

 

[dante01]

So it seem i should go for the dh800 then as the price between the dg820 isn't much. Also i mentioned the optical cable is for fact that i have standard dvd as well as sky plus. So, do you think the dh800 is a good buy and in the main time i can let the ps3 decode the hd audio and keep the onboard audio for the future should i need to get stand alone blu ray.

I think both the STRDG820 and the STRDH800 are bargains. Their spec's make a mockery of the new entry level HD receivers the other manufactures have recently released and none of those receiver beats the Sonys when it comes to price. I would say that the Yamaha RXV465 may have an edge when it comes to audio quality, but that receiver costs nearly £330, that's £100 more than the STRDG820 and £50 more than the STRDH800. The RXV465 is only a 5.1 receiver, not a big deal if that is all you want, but the STRDH800 can use its rear channels to bi-amp the front speakers with if you don't use those outputs to power speakers in a 7.1 configuration.

 

[hype_male]

The DH800 is a bargin as you said and its within my budget. But, the only thing i want your clarification on is that also the dh800 has onboard decode and therefore wont decode the Hd audio itself so in this case can i let the ps3 decode the audio and send it as LPCM TO THE DH800.

Also, must i use the dh800 as a 7.1 or can i use it as a 6.1 and 5.1 as well. Thanks

 

[legendb]

Hi, I know this post a few weeks old but I just received my DH800 yesterday and I'm doing the same thing as you. You can't use the optical to send HD Audio because optical digital doesn't have the bandwith, you have to use the HDMI (I think v 1.3) connector. You can configure it in 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1. If you want to you can bi amp 5.1 with the extra 2 surround channels but you don't have to.

Also the HDMI ouptut is a repeater not a switch