Bravia to Onkyo?

[Ace68]

I am looking for a solution here...

I have an older Onkyo RCVR that has no HDMI ports. And 2 Digital Optical Inputs. Currently I have a DirecTV RCVR sending video to my Bravia via HDMI and the sound to my Onkyo via Digital Optical. Also my BluRay player sending video to my Bravia via HDMI and the sound to my Onkyo via Digital Optical. (using both Digital Optical ports on my Onkyo)

I want to send the audio from my Bravia to my Onkyo so I can use it for the sound from my Netflix, etc apps on the smart TV, buy all I have left on the TV are the Headphone Jack output (which only supports crappy stereo sound) or A digital optical output that has nowhere to input on my Onkyo.

Any recommendations on how I can achieve my goal? Digital Optical switch? My Onkyo works great and I don't want to replace it.

Thanks in Advance!

 

[teachsac]

I know you probably don't want to here this, but it is an HDMI world. Might be easier to get a new receiver. Introducing a device in the chain can cause more headaches, but something like this should work.

Amazon product ASIN B07438WJ8G
S~

 

[navychop]

Problem is, it’s BEEN an HDMI world. Then it was a revised HDMI world. Now it’s a stay tuned for a revised revised HDMI world.

I spent bucks on my two HTs. Not happy about having to buy another “upgrade” to properly play the UHD stuff, with new cables. I think my next AVR will be my LAST.

Now to read up on ATMOS.

 

[jayn_j]

Problem is, it’s BEEN an HDMI world. Then it was a revised HDMI world. Now it’s a stay tuned for a revised revised HDMI world.

I spent bucks on my two HTs. Not happy about having to buy another “upgrade” to properly play the UHD stuff, with new cables. I think my next AVR will be my LAST.

Now to read up on ATMOS.

But the older stuff still works as well as it always did. The industry has done a pretty good job of making new features backward compatible (with some exceptions. You can't buy a BluRay player with component video anymore) I agree entirely with what teachsac said. You have reached a point where it is painful to live without HDMI switching and audio decoding. However, you probably don't need the latest bells and whistles. At this point, Craigslist is your friend. Enough people need to have the latest that a 5 year old receiver is selling for chump change. Like under $100 which is what you will need to spend to kludge around this.

Anyone who ventures into higher end audio needs to be aware that this stuff comes with an expiration date. Use it until it becomes painful for what you want and then do a value upgrade. It has been this way since the stereo craze of the 1950s. Face it, the job of the industry is to get you to buy the same stuff over and over again

 

[Foxbat]

I don't know if you can still get these, but I used an Inday DA4X digital audio switch with IR Remote. At the time, my Marantz receiver had only two digital inputs (well, three if you count the RF input for AC-3 from my Laserdisc) and I was able to program my Harmony with the IR commands to the Inday to switch my TV optical out, my ViP 722 optical, my DVD coax out, and AirPort Express optical out to one of the Marantz's digital inputs.

And Amazon has a three-input TOSlink switch w/IR Remote for under $25.

 

[harshness]

Problem is, it’s BEEN an HDMI world. Then it was a revised HDMI world. Now it’s a stay tuned for a revised revised HDMI world.

Sound-wise, anything that can handle Atmos should be good for a while. This should give access to Dolby AC-4 that is supposed to be the audio standard for ATSC 3.0. As long as you don't go too cheap, most of the video stuff is going to be a matter of recognizing the handshakes. I think it will be less about going faster than 18Mbps and more about correctly interpreting the codes for the various HDR schemes (HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Advanced HDR). I reason that protocols should be firmware-level thing.

If you're fussing over your AVR, you obviously aren't devoting enough time thinking about your next TV.

 

[harshness]

Any recommendations on how I can achieve my goal? Digital Optical switch? My Onkyo works great and I don't want to replace it.

Given that pretty much everything now on the market is HDMI, your receiver no longer meets your needs. The amount of switchgear to accomplish what you're trying to do is going to be expensive, requires using multiple remotes and demands a complex flowchart to operate your system.

The big stick in the spokes is that digital outputs such as TOSLINK and coax digital audio are disappearing fast such that any new or replacement sources you buy will have only HDMI outputs. Breakout boxes to separate HDMI into video and audio are available but they're often problematic (black screens and/or no audio) with modern content protection schemes.

 

[dweber]

I use an optical cable from my Bravia TV to my Onkyo receiver. My PS3, Dish Hopper3, Roku3, and my media server computer are all connected to my Sony Bravia by HDMI. The Sony Bravia passes Dolby from any of the HDMI inputs to my Onkyo receiver via the toslink optical cable.

I actually like this setup. The TV acts as the switch. I don't have to always have my receiver on. For example, if watching 11 PM news I just listen through the TV rather than disturb my sleeping grandkids. But if I want Dolby 3.1 sound I just turn on the Onkyo receiver. I never have to change inputs on the Onkyo receiver. The TV does it all. Also the TV switches inputs automatically due to HDMI-CEC.

People are amazed at the sound quality. My old but very expensive Onkyo does not have HDMI ports but the audio specifications are better than a lot of the new receivers. New is not always better. The only negative is that it will not do the latest audio codecs but again most people are amazed at my sound quality. Of course I also have high end Polk speakers.

 

[harshness]

But if I want Dolby 3.1 sound I just turn on the Onkyo receiver.

Do you have to mute the TV when the receiver is turned on?

Modern HDMI-equipped AVRs offer a "pass-through" option that allows them to pass an HDMI audio signal through to the TV if the AVR is in standby. No muting required.

If you wanted to add a security system or an ATSC 3.0 tuner to your TV would you have enough HDMI inputs? Most of the modern AVRs have at least six HDMI inputs.

 

[dweber]

I just keep the TV volume low when using my Onkyo receiver.

I actually have a HDMI Switch that I use for additional components. I actually have the following HDMI components: Computer, PS3, Roku3, Amazon Fire TV, 2 Dish Hopper3, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, and a DVR connected to 2 TV’s so 6 HDMI inputs would not be enough. My security cameras are connected to my computer/media server. As you can see I am not your average user.

Another thing to consider is that many of the cheaper Audio receivers will not pass 4K video through to the TV. Several Dish Hopper3 customers were only able to view 4K content when they bypassed their audio receiver and went directly to their TV.

I agree that the high end new receivers work well but I am not willing to spend a bunch of money when my setup gives me excellent results.

 

[harshness]

I agree that the high end new receivers work well but I am not willing to spend a bunch of money when my setup gives me excellent results.

Our ideas of excellent results differs considerably. I think you underestimate the convenience and utility of what you can get in a modern AVR. There's much to be said of true multi-channel sound that you don't approach by adding a center channel to a stereo system.

Contrary to what you may think, the new receivers aren't necessarily inferior in performance to the old receivers and the new ones are more flexible (unless you're still actively using a turntable or a LASER disc player).

You can always retire your existing receiver to a secondary location.

 

[Foxbat]

I still have enough analog sources that I look for an up-convertor in the AVR. Onkyo, Denon, and others can take composite and component video and convert it to HDMI out to your HDTV. I suggested a $400 Denon receiver a few years back so she could make her low-end Toshiba HDTV with one HDMI input and no analog inputs work with her DVD/VHS combo and U-verse (now DirecTV) STB. It also features internet radio, but she's not really a Tech person. She at least she warmed up to the Logitech Harmony remote we got her for Christmas last year. One remote to bind them all...