New Samsung surround sound reciever issues

[LitmusDragon]

Today I finally upgraded to a full 5.1 surround sound system. I had previously been using an old Aiwa receiver (about 10 years old) but it had developed issues so I decied to go full 5.1. I purchased a Samsung ht-as730s because it was the only brand name unit with multiple HDMI inputs and that did NOT include a blu-ray or DVD player. Unfortunately I am having some major issues that are leaving me scratching my head.

I am using HDMI from my digital cable box and my DVD player (model Sony DVP-CX995V) running directly into the Samsung unit which then outputs HDMI to the TV.

The digital cable box (Comcast) seems to have surround sound working fine. All 6 channels show up.

Using the Sony DVD player, sometimes I get surround sound sometimes I don't (mostly I don't). I tried TNG and Farscape, both of which have Dolby digital 5.1 tracks available according to Amazon, and for some reason I was only able to select the 2.1 tracks. The 5.1 didn't even come up as an option when I hit the "audio" button. On my old Aiwa unit using this same DVD player, I was able to select the 5.1 tracks. However I was using analog output instead of HDMI.

Is there some kind of rule that you can't do 5.1 dolby over HDMI? I tried to find this info on google, and had no luck.

I think there's different kinds of 5.1, maybe the problem is the ones with Dolby? Grasping at straws here.

 

[Mr. B]

I was going to tell you to try your question at avsforum, but somebody already tried that. I don't own this unit but it apparently sucks and is a bit quirky. If you have another DVD player to try, it would be worth a shot.

 

[LitmusDragon]

Yeah, that's me over there too. I cast a wide net.

Unfortuantely the DVD player in question is a 400-disc changer, which makes it pretty much irreplaceble.

I did see the reviews after I bought it, wish I had done some research.

The only other reciever they had at Best Buy that had 3 HDMI inputs was a "Devon", which I wasn't about to touch with a 10-foot pole being that I didn't recognize the brand name.

My original plan was to buy a Sony, but all of the Sony models had built-in DVD or Blu-Ray players and they didn't have any HDMI inputs. Not at all what I want.

 

[LitmusDragon]

False alarm. Apparently the Sony lists the 5.1 tracks as "Dolby 3/2.1". Once I calibrated the surround sound reciever it was apparent that this was the surround sound track.

The weird letterboxing I was getting was specific to a couple of DVDs and I now think those DVDs actually have that letterboxing on them. I tried Lord of the Rings which is also 2:35 x 1 and it was black boxed only on the top and bottom as expected.

By the way, this Samsung isn't so bad. It has a microphone you can use to auto-calibrate the levels (and this worked amazingly well for me). Most of the complaints online are about the menu system, which I will agree is not intuitive, but that's not the kind of thing I would let bother me. I've only had the unit for a day or so and I've already got the menu down.

 

[Saturn0660]

Yeah, that's me over there too. I cast a wide net.

Unfortuantely the DVD player in question is a 400-disc changer, which makes it pretty much irreplaceble.

I did see the reviews after I bought it, wish I had done some research.

The only other reciever they had at Best Buy that had 3 HDMI inputs was a "Devon", which I wasn't about to touch with a 10-foot pole being that I didn't recognize the brand name.

My original plan was to buy a Sony, but all of the Sony models had built-in DVD or Blu-Ray players and they didn't have any HDMI inputs. Not at all what I want.

Devon? You sure it wasn't a Denon? The Denon 590 HTiB is an amazing deal.

 

[USS KG5]

Devon? You sure it wasn't a Denon? The Denon 590 HTiB is an amazing deal.

I think it would be pretty cool if it was Devon and named after the old bloke from Knight Rider.

 

[LitmusDragon]

Devon? You sure it wasn't a Denon? The Denon 590 HTiB is an amazing deal.

That's probably it.

I did consider the Denon but it has a downwards-facing subwoofer which would probably have annoyed my downstairs neighbor to no end.

 

[Saturn0660]

Devon? You sure it wasn't a Denon? The Denon 590 HTiB is an amazing deal.

That's probably it.

I did consider the Denon but it has a downwards-facing subwoofer which would probably have annoyed my downstairs neighbor to no end.

You should take your sammy back and but that Denon... That thing is nutz.. Plus just the fact that its a Denon..