Answered Question about HDMI passthrough (in standby)

mcspongy

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There is a HDMI passthrough mode on my new Marantz SR7010 receiver, which I was thinking I'd use when watching something on a TV in another room, that TV being connected as either the Zone 2 HDMI output or the 2nd HDMI output for the main zone.

I thought people probably normally used such a "passthrough on standby mode" to watch stuff with the amp switched to standby, so just using the TV speakers, so assumed I wouldn't have to change settings on the BD player/ media player to get the sound from the TV speakers, but I wasn't getting any sound on the TV?? I know there is a setting on the Amp (like previous receivers I've owned) to "output the HDMI audio via the TV", which then outputs stereo only from the receiver's HDMI output, but I don't understand how the passthrough on standby mode is supposed to work, as this latter mode only functions when the receiver is switched on.

Will I always need to decode the HD audio in the Input sources in order to use the passthrough mode for any HD audio? Thanks
 
Simply configur the setting to determine the HDMI source to be passed through. Put the receiver in standby and the selected source will be passed through to your TV via the MAIN ROOM HDMI outputs. It depends upon the source when it comes to whether or not it has to be reconfigured to output audio your TV can handle. Most BD players will only output formats the TV can handle and select this automatically, while a SKY or Virgin TV box would need you to set the STB's audio output to conform with the capabilities of your TV. Most TV's now accept Dolby Digital, but none handle HD audio formats such as DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD.

Don't use PASSTHROUGH IN STANDBY to convey anything to another room. This feature only works in relation to the MAIN ROOM HDMI outputs and you are better off simply using the receiver's dedicated SECOND ZONE HDMI output to facilitate what you want to do. THe second zone can remain in operation while the main zone is in standby and you can freely and independently switch between HDMI sources. Both audio and video are always passed through via the second zone output without any need to use the PASSTHROUGH IN STANDBY function.

The receiver plays no part in processing either video or audio if the content is being passed through the receiver. It will not downmix audio to match its destination and what you get depends upon that destination device's capabilities.

I've a setup using a Denon AVRX3313's second HDMI zone output to convey content sorced via HDMI devices connected to it to another room in my house. I've a Yamaha RXV2065 in the second zone and the Denon's second zone output goes to an input on the Yamaha via cat6 and a HDBaseT HDMI extender. The output from the Yamaha goes to the TV in the second zone.
 
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Thanks very much for the comprehensive reply Dante. I have set up (using very cheap HDMI extenders:eek:) using Zone 2 HDMI out and the picture and sound coming out fine (from my mediaplyer at least, but also tested the PS3 and Sony BD player quickly too beforehand using a short patch cable in the main room as a test), I think I had left the mediaplayer (Dune H1) decoding the HD audio after the test, so I need to remember to set it back to bitstream when I'm using the PJ (and Atmos).

As you say I can put the AVR's main zone into standby and still have the Zone 2 functioning (in the other room).

I've just changed from an RXV2065 funnily enough, and I think that only ever output stereo from the 2nd HDMI out, although I never actually got round to using it, but I was determined to with an extra HDMI output on the SR7010!

Edit: missus has already said "no [amplifier] and speakers in the bedroom"........but she didn't say anything about sound-bars:D.
 
The RXV2065 only has mirrored HDMI outputs and no second HDMI zone capabilities. I simply use it to receive the signal from the Denon so that I can handle the same audio formats in both rooms. The SR7010 and my AVR3313 include 3 HDMI outputs, one of which is a dedicated second zone output.
 

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