Upgrading from an AVR3311 and have questions on features

DpM

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Hi all,



I have a few questions regarding features on the newer AVR’s vs what I have now, the Denon AVR 3311.

Since moving from a 2014 Sony LCD and Blu Ray player to an LG B9 and 4K Blu Ray player in 2020, I have taken a step back on the sound side. Some apps via ARC are pro logic II or DD+ at best and 4K discs are DD+ where I used to get DD True HD and DTS MA.

I am thinking I will get a X4700H to improve the sound formats and allow everything to go via the AVR again rather than TV to the AVR as I have now. I have a few questions on the features the newer AVR’s have.

I run a 5.1 system (Q Acoustics 3010/3090 with a Velodyne CHT 10). I doubt I will ever move to full Atmos in the living room as I am going to be converting the garage to a cinema room.

I see that Pro Logic II is no longer on the newer AVR’s and they have Dolby Surround, are the rear channels stereo? I as I will be using some older games systems with stereo only output and would have liked to keep rear stereo effects for those if possible.

I get the odd drop out on some of the TV apps, mainly Netflix, sometimes Disney +. I am thinking it is either the apps (maybe someone with an LG OLED can chime in) or ARC/the older AVR causing the issue. Is eARC as problematic and can I expect the same dop outs?

Dolby Atmos height virtualization, is this only possible when the AVR is fed an Atmos track, or will it also convert other formats?

Lastly, has anyone with a Series X and the AVR I am thinking about had any issues with HDMI on the newer versions or does it handle 4k/60 and 120 with no issues?

Thanks for reading,

Dean
 
Giving this little bump in case anyone can offer some answers before I take the plunge and order.
 
I have a similar vintage AVR-3312 in my living room system running 6.1 and don’t see the point in upgrading it at all unless I moved to an Atmos speaker layout.

It covers all the non-Atmos HD audio codecs (TrueHD, DTS HD Master etc) from discs and supports DD+ from streaming feeds. Currently no streaming service offers higher than DD+ so I can even use my TV as a source for those if I wish. PLIIx works great as an up mixer for the back channel on 5.1 sources.

The key benefit I can see is moving from Audyssey XT to XT32 with multi-sub EQ capabilities.

What specifically do you think you are missing out on?
 
I have a similar vintage AVR-3312 in my living room system running 6.1 and don’t see the point in upgrading it at all unless I moved to an Atmos speaker layout.

It covers all the non-Atmos HD audio codecs (TrueHD, DTS HD Master etc) from discs and supports DD+ from streaming feeds. Currently no streaming service offers higher than DD+ so I can even use my TV as a source for those if I wish. PLIIx works great as an up mixer for the back channel on 5.1 sources.

The key benefit I can see is moving from Audyssey XT to XT32 with multi-sub EQ capabilities.

What specifically do you think you are missing out on?
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

The main reason was to get 4K pass through from the blu ray player to the TV.
The blu ray is currently plugged directly into the TV and audio is through ARC so I am not getting anything better than DD+ from the 4K discs.
My blu ray player has dual hdmi but I could not get the AVR to not auto switch the TV to the feed it was getting from the player, so I would get audio and no image.
 
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

The main reason was to get 4K pass through from the blu ray player to the TV.
The blu ray is currently plugged directly into the TV and audio is through ARC so I am not getting anything better than DD+ from the 4K discs.
My blu ray player has dual hdmi but I could not get the AVR to not auto switch the TV to the feed it was getting from the player, so I would get audio and no image.
Can't you turn off HDMI CEC in the AVR to stop it being able to do this? You may also have to turn it off in the TV to stop it switching AVR audio to the ARC HDMI connection rather than the HDMI from the player you want to use to get HD audio.

When I use player 2 cable connection I basically turn off CEC everywhere so I am in control of what is being used and when, rather than letting the devices conspire amongst themselves to go against what I want...:(
 
Can't you turn off HDMI CEC in the AVR to stop it being able to do this? You may also have to turn it off in the TV to stop it switching AVR audio to the ARC HDMI connection rather than the HDMI from the player you want to use to get HD audio.

When I use player 2 cable connection I basically turn off CEC everywhere so I am in control of what is being used and when, rather than letting the devices conspire amongst themselves to go against what I want...:(
I agree, that should fix the auto-switching issue.
 
Can't you turn off HDMI CEC in the AVR to stop it being able to do this? You may also have to turn it off in the TV to stop it switching AVR audio to the ARC HDMI connection rather than the HDMI from the player you want to use to get HD audio.

When I use player 2 cable connection I basically turn off CEC everywhere so I am in control of what is being used and when, rather than letting the devices conspire amongst themselves to go against what I want...:(
Yeah so on my AVR if I turn off HDMI control it works and I can have the sound from the player to the AVR and the picture from the player to the TV.
This is great.
The only issue is its going to trip up the rest of the family as they will now have to switch the AVR on as well as the TV and select the correct input. Bummer.

I guess now I'll need to decide if that functionality is worth the outlay of a new AVR that can pass through 4K.
If Xbox series's X games use better than Dolby digital + then it could be worth it as I'll get a bump in quality there also.
 
I have also lost ARC so no sound from the TV to AVR.
If there isn't a way around this then it's a no go option.
 
The only issue is its going to trip up the rest of the family as they will now have to switch the AVR on as well as the TV and select the correct input. Bummer.
Just like the good old days! At their current prices this has got to be the worst time in history to buy a new AVR.
I have also lost ARC so no sound from the TV to AVR.
If there isn't a way around this then it's a no go option.
Don’t understand why that would have happened. Try switching sources on the AVR and then back to TV input. My ARC sometimes glitches and mutes the sound when turned on and this always fixes it.
 
Yeah so on my AVR if I turn off HDMI control it works and I can have the sound from the player to the AVR and the picture from the player to the TV.
This is great.
The only issue is its going to trip up the rest of the family as they will now have to switch the AVR on as well as the TV and select the correct input. Bummer.

I guess now I'll need to decide if that functionality is worth the outlay of a new AVR that can pass through 4K.
If Xbox series's X games use better than Dolby digital + then it could be worth it as I'll get a bump in quality there also.
Get a harmony type remote to do the switching on and changing inputs.
I have also lost ARC so no sound from the TV to AVR.
If there isn't a way around this then it's a no go option.
Manually change to ARC input using the AVR remote, or use analogue, optical, or co-ax for the TV audio (depending on what options the TV has). You only really need to use ARC if the TV is outputting DD+ atmos (and the AVR can make use of it).
 
Just like the good old days! At their current prices this has got to be the worst time in history to buy a new AVR.

Don’t understand why that would have happened. Try switching sources on the AVR and then back to TV input. My ARC sometimes glitches and mutes the sound when turned on and this always fixes it.
No luck on switching inputs.

If I turn HDMI control back on when on the correct input, TV sound is back.
When I switch it off then the TV disables ARC and the internal speakers are enabled.
I switched the TV back to ARC as the sound output and still nothing.

Looks like maybe my AVR is missing the finer controls to get around this.
 
Get a harmony type remote to do the switching on and changing inputs.

Manually change to ARC input using the AVR remote, or use analogue, optical, or co-ax for the TV audio (depending on what options the TV has). You only really need to use ARC if the TV is outputting DD+ atmos (and the AVR can make use of it).
Looks like coax or optical is the only option I have based on my reply to Mr Wolf.


If I don't want to spend anything then my workflow to get TrueHD from the blu ray each time I watch a disc (so 2 to 4 times a week) would be to switch off HDMI control on the AVR then after the film switch it back on for anything else I want to use (TV apps and Series X).
 
Get a harmony type remote to do the switching on and changing inputs.
If I could find a remote that can be setup with a macro so it will go through the menus to turn off HDMI control on the AVR with one button press and the reverse with the second press that would be awesome.
Thing is I wouldn't want to spend much as I would only be using it for that 1 thing 😁
 
Looks like coax or optical is the only option I have based on my reply to Mr Wolf.


If I don't want to spend anything then my workflow to get TrueHD from the blu ray each time I watch a disc (so 2 to 4 times a week) would be to switch off HDMI control on the AVR then after the film switch it back on for anything else I want to use (TV apps and Series X).
Or leave it off and press co-ax or optical input button on the AVR remote to get TV audio. Surely your family can cope with that?
If I could find a remote that can be setup with a macro so it will go through the menus to turn off HDMI control on the AVR with one button press and the reverse with the second press that would be awesome.
Thing is I wouldn't want to spend much as I would only be using it for that 1 thing 😁
As above but when you are finished with true HD press the AVR remote button to co-ax or optical before switching it off. Most Denon AVRs operate on last input used (don't know about yours). So when family turn on TV they just need to also turn on AVR (you'll have set the correct input for them).
 
I watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory last night (wow what a great image the 4k has, HDR really makes the colours pop). The only issue with HDMI control off was when we had to pause for someone to go to the loo. The TV wanted to swap to the AVR input and I had to switch back to the blu ray input twice for it to display a picture.
A little bit of a PITA.
 

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