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In Reply to: RE: Promising diagnosis, manual isn't helping posted by David Aiken on August 25, 2007 at 15:51:44
First of all, let me just say thank you for taking the time to look into this as deeply as you have -- I really appreciate it.
The connections you've described are indeed the connections I have, at the moment. The trouble is, first, that I have past experience running the audio signal direct from the stereo RCA outs on the player to the amp, and the same problem has occurred (I think it has something to do with the fact that there are a troubling surfeit of different places to make adjustments to the sound). Second, I've just bought an Arcam FMJ-A22 integrated, and it's got a space on the back for an optical digital input that I was hoping to use -- both for improved fidelity and because the FMJ-A22 is equipped with a DAVE module for generating 5.1 sound, and will eventually be employed in a true 5.1 system. I'm loathe to hook the DVD player to the boring old analog RCA's on the back of an amp that is optical-digital capable.
If you aren't completely bored with this already (and who could blame you?) the pages of the owner's manual where all the trouble seems to be are 23-24, 42-43, and 65-66. Between them I count about eleven different menu settings, any one of which could be causing internal confusion for the player.
One more favor: even if you don't want to mess with this anymore, could you post the link to the owner's manual? I've got this same question up in several other forums and a few other people have been dutifully trying to help.
Follow Ups:
I didn't realise the Arcam had a digital input. Definitely go optical then if you wish instead of using the direct analog input.
Where I tracked things down in the manual was at page 66 in the section entitled "Downmix (DVD Video/DVD-VR mode only). That refers to the Downmix option in the Audio Setup and states that the "Normal" setting provides a 2 channel downmix. The "Digital Out" setting is discussed below that (needs to be set to "on").
Following that is a section on setting the digital output setting. If your Arcam does not have Dolby/DTS decoding, you need to set this to D-PCM. That allows the player to decode the soundtrack to PCM format, the same kind of signal present on a CD, and then the Arcam's DAC can do the digital to analog conversion. If the Arcam can decode Dolby and/or DTS bitstreams, set the digital output to Dolby Digital and the DTS option to On.
I just noticed that at page 65, there's also an "Audio (HDMI) setting" which you need to set. Set it to PCM if the TV does not have a Dolby decoder and to Auto if it does. It does the same thing for audio via HDMI as the digital output setting does for the optical out.
The stuff about the remote and the virtual surround options was at pages 42-43.
The above settings will apply whether or not you just take the digital audio signal from the player via HDMI and then pass it to the amp via the TV, or if you run HDMI to the TV and an optical i/c to the Arcam. If you run the optical to the Arcam, you obviously shouldn't need the analog i/cs between the TV and the Arcam.
If you eventually go with a surround setup, you will need to change the Downmix setting at that time.
I can't remember the link for the manual, I didn't take a note. I just went to Sony's website and tracked down the manual from there in the support area.
If you've got the connections right, and it's hard to get the connections wrong—there's a lot less options than there are on my player which offers HDMI, coax and optical digital, 2 ch analog, and separate 5.1 ch analog outputs)—then it has to be the settings. If you have the Downmix setting set to "Normal", you should be getting a stereo downmix and that should split the centre channel info from the soundtrack between both L & R speakers. The only other thing to watch is the virtual surround options which usually don't work too well so leave that turned off.
The final thing, as I said earlier, is always select the stereo soundtrack on the disc if one is offered. That always, in my experience, gives better results than a downmix by the player or a receiver if you're using one.
David Aiken
Okay, mine is set up in the ways you've indicated -- thanks again for taking the time. I have one last question: should I set DRC ("Dynamic Range Control") to TV-MODE, despite the consequences in compression, if I still can't hear the dialogue very well, or would you just live with it set on STANDARD to avoid having all of that extra nonsense in the signal path?
I'd experiment with it on a case by case basis. Use it where it helps and don't use it where it doesn't.
If something is useful in a particular situation, then it makes sense to use it. It doesn't take long to toggle through a set of options. I often toggle through the Dolby and DTS surround sound options to see which is best. If you have options, pick the one that's best on a case by case basis.
David Aiken
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