3d and HD Audio solutions?

[tnsprin]

One problem I am seeing in doing some research is that few of the Manufacturers have properly thought out how to do High Definition Audio with their products. Only the very newest high end Audio Receivers can handle 3D passthrough or Audio Return Channel (ARC). Although I am close to needing to replace my TV, possibly with one of the new 3D Tvs, I am absolutely not ready to replace my AV receiver (Denon 4308CI). For Denon the xx10 (i.e 2010 models) don't support it only some new xx11 and x91 (2011 models)

Personally I think the TV's should have a HDMI output that can carry the full AUDIO codec back to the receiver, but that doesn't appear to be what any of them do except to ARC compatible receivers.

The only 3d Blu-ray players that seems to handle this are the Panasonic models which have two HDMI outputs, one specifically for audio only. I don't know if any HDMI switches can handle this. Anyone know?

 

[bicker]

One problem I am seeing in doing some research is that few of the Manufacturers have properly thought out how to do High Definition Audio with their products. Only the very newest high end Audio Receivers can handle 3D passthrough or Audio Return Channel (ARC). Although I am close to needing to replace my TV, possibly with one of the new 3D Tvs, I am absolutely not ready to replace my AV receiver (Denon 4308CI). For Denon the xx10 (i.e 2010 models) don't support it only some new xx11 and x91 (2011 models)

Personally I think the TV's should have a HDMI output that can carry the full AUDIO codec back to the receiver, but that doesn't appear to be what any of them do except to ARC compatible receivers.

I don't agree that that implies that "few of the Manufacturers have properly thought out how to do High Definition Audio with their products", at least with regard to the televisions and receivers. Perhaps you were referring exclusively to 3D BD players. That wasn't really clear in your message.

However, even there, the 3D BD players manufacturers do seem to have "properly thought out how to do High Definition Audio with their products". For example, with mine, there are analog outputs for all 7.1 channels. So that means there are two ways to achieve what you're looking for. You want a third way, which requires more circuitry, i.e., more cost. It sure is easy to spend someone else's money, so unless having the two HDMI outputs results in significantly more revenue (read: higher prices, without lower sales volume), what you seem to be implying may not be the best approach.

I don't know if any HDMI switches can handle this. Anyone know?

I'm not sure, but I believe the HDMI spec prohibits splitting like that. Aren't HDMI switches limited to just one HDMI output?

 

[diogen]

[F]ew of the Manufacturers have properly thought out how to do High Definition Audio with their products.

Keep in mind that
a)unlike the video stream, the audio stream - including lossless versions - is not DRM-ed on BD disks;
b)the initial design for BD playback was analog outs - that is the only way to get multiple soundtracks overlayed (i.e. movie+commentary)

The AVR manufacturers didn't like this idea at all and eventually forced DD/DTS to license their codecs to them.
But the CE industry can't cope with PC-like pace of development, it will take a while to find the best implementation and incorporate it in silicon (if it will matter by then)...

Diogen.

 

[teachsac]

There are many inexpensive receivers out there that handle 3D. I'm using the Pioneer right now (until a processor comes out that is worth it) and it's pretty nice. I do also have the Panasonic 3D player. It is excellent and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. You could also use the analogs as stated.

Even then ARC TVs more or less won't carry lossless audio. Discussion over at AVS about that.

S~

 

[HiDefRev]

Audio

Onkyo has 3 lower priced receivers that handle 3D video and audio. :up

 

[bicker]

There are many inexpensive receivers out there that handle 3D.

I suspect that what is and is not "inexpensive" is subjective.

 

[tnsprin]

I suspect that what is and is not "inexpensive" is subjective.

I suspect I would not be happy going from my Denon 4308CI to an inexpensive AV Receiver.

I also currently use a PS3 as my Blu-ray player which only has one HDMI output which will ouput multi-channel PCM for HD audio.

There were a few TV's before these 3D models, that output a audio signal via a HDMI output to a AVR. Even of these only a few would pass on more than a stereo signal. However the new models apparently only have a ARC two-way HDMI, and the problem appears to be that only if the AVR supports ARC will they ouput a signal to the AVR. This limited capablity is part of what I meant by the comment of them not being well thought out. I would have liked there still to have been support of output from the TV of the full HD audio (perhaps via the connection that also supported ARC if available) to a older AVR . Personally I always would have prefered outputing from a Blu-ray player directly to a TV rather than to the AVR so I wouldn't need to use the AVR if I didn't feel the need to hear room shaking Audio for dvd/blu-ray I was playing. Currently I am using HDMI from my PS3 to my AVR and then onto the TV.

So for me the cheapest way would be a HDMI switch, if one exists, that can passthru the 3d video to the TV and the full multi-channel audio to my AVR. The other choice would be to replace my PS3 with one of the Panasonic 3d Blu-ray players, and to use the digital ouput from the TV to the AVR for non HD-audio from other sources (currently OTA and FiosTV).

 

[bicker]

I Even of these only a few would pass on more than a stereo signal. However the new models [don't]. ... This limited capablity is part of what I meant by the comment of them not being well thought out.

Except that what you're reporting sounds like something that was well thought out. You just didn't like the result of that thinking. :shrug:

I would have liked there still to have been support of output from the TV of the full HD audio (perhaps via the connection that also supported ARC if available) to a older AVR .

Heck, I would have liked every device ever made to have supported HDMI 1.4 from the start, and that all the rules that prevent pass-through of this or that, and the entirety of HDCP, just never having had existed. Lots of things I would have liked.