Question Small matrixes with HDCP 2.2 now available ?

roydonaldson

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Hi there,

Having everything working fine with my setup, I went and bought a new 4k TV, Xbox One X and Samsung 4k BluRay player. Xbox One is plugged directly into the TV, so now problems there, but the BluRay is in my rack and goes through a HDMI Matrix. This is a small 4x2 matrix with ARC. So, 4 inputs and one output to main display in living room, second output to HDMI extenders to upstairs. And I use the Arc to pull the audio back from the TV's apps to my Linn processor.

Now, add a 4k BluRay in the mix with HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 and it doesn't like the matrix.

Looking around, I can't really find anything to go in here now ??

Are there any easy options to get a 4x2 with ARC and HDCP 2.2 available ?

All I have been able to find is the Octava UHDMXA71, but it's out of stock and even then I can't see if all the specs work on this ?

Any ideas ?

Thanks,
Roy.
 
Octava UHDMXA71 - will be revamped to include some or all of the HDMI 2.1 Feature set, I don't expect to see the revised unit until Q3 2018.

HDfury Vertex - is a 2x2 Matrix which supports full uncompressed 4K UHD and ARC.

HDMI Extenders - are your installed units compatible with the 4K UHD signal your new Player Outputs? If they only support 1080p the Vertex can be used to deliver 4K UHD to the Main Display plus 1080p to the secondary Display (via the Extenders).

Joe
 
Thanks Joe. I think the HDMI extenders are a pair of Octava 1080p extenders just. There probably isn't enough 4k material to justify replacing with 4k TV in bedroom and extenders.

And, it's a shame that ARC only supports DD/DTS or stereo today. So, can't carry back any of the newer uncompressed audio formats.

I may just end up Xbox One X straight in to TV, 5.1 back over ARC and then ARC to Optical to Linn Exotik. I get the benefit of 4k and make do with 5.1DD/DTS audio only.

If I use the HDFury (which looks ideal by the way), then I get 4k from Samsung 4k BluRay player, then still onyl 5.1DD/DTS into my Linn Exotik.

The UHDMXA71 looks an ideal product, but looking at it now, to be really really good it would be good to have eARC in it and then able to decode the higher rate audio formats to analog maybe ?

Thanks, Roy.
 
Octava Extenders - they may support 2160p at 30fps but not 50/60Hz and not with HDCP 2.2.

ARC - there are a few TV/Amp combinations which support DD+ from onboard streaming Apps on the TV.

eARC - this and the rest of the New Features supported by HDMI 2.1 are causing all of the smaller Manufacturers a big hassle as going into production today with an HDCP 2.2, 4K UHD capable device will mean a short shelf life if you cannot support the new features.

HDfury Vertex - supports DD+ and ATMOS ARC extraction and forwarding via optical. You will need to ensure you use suitable HDMI and Optical cables.

Joe
 
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Just had a look at this a bit more and ARC can carry DD, DTS and DD+ across it. Older implmentations only provided DD and DTS. Newer TV's tend to also support DD+ over it. What the TV will provide over it is depenant on the HDMI-CEC negotiation with the sink end of the ARC connection.

Now this is the interesting bit.When using ARC, most people are then coming off of it at a matrix for example to L/R analog or Optical SPDIF and the max that you can output over Optical SPDIF is DD and DTS. Therefore, the matrix only advertises back up the HDMI-CEC that it can only do DD and DTS. ( so I'm guessing a Fury would only be able to do DD and DTS also ).

However, if the matrix is able to output over 5.1 analog signals (eg. HDMXA71) there is the possibility for the matrix to advertise DD+, as it is theoretically capable of decoding and outputting the higher sampling/rate DD+ codec over the analog outputs.

Now, whether anyone does this or not I'm not sure and trying to find this out would probably be quite a challenge.

Roy.
 
I just grab a spare Octava 5x2 distribution amp as a test and plugged it in. The TV now shows that ARC has PCM and DD available as options. If I swap back in a Fospower matrix, it offers PCM, DD and DTS Neo 2:5 ( a Samsung proprietary DTS 2 channel matrix variant ).

Both of these tests were with the TV on terrestrial. I wonder if I have a DTS sourced input if it'll offer true DTS as an output format ?
 
Unlikely as DTS is not normally supported over ARC.

Some TV’s do now support DD+ via ARC - you have to further confirm if that is for onboard or external Sources, there is a thread over on AVS where there is an updated list of TV’s which Support DD+.

Matrix with Analogue Out usually rely on you inputting PCM as the cost to Licence Dolby Decoding is way outside the typical manufacturing budget for this type of product - you can run into annual licensing costs in excess of $100k.

One or two of the big accessory manufacturers in the US tried to market devices with onboard decoding - you were looking at $700+ per unit which was just too high in the Residential market.

Joe
 
Have updated Post #4 with info on DD+ support via the HDfury Vertex.

Joe
 

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