Just got HD10-250- have Dolby HDMI Output problem

[theesir]

I saw the previous thread related to audio over HDMI, but my issue is a bit different.
Let me lay out the facts and the testing I have done.
I have a new 50" Toshiba Plasma with dual HDMI inputs. The TV has a Dolby Decoder including Optical and Coaxial Audio outputs.

I just had my HD10-250 installed on Saturday and hooked up the TV using the HDMI cable. I also connected the Optical Audio out on the 10-250 (not my TV) to my HK receiver. I had sound output on both the TV and stereo.
I noticed when watching a HD 5.1 program that my Receiver only showed a non-dolby digital soundtrack being played.
I went to the audio menu on the 10-250 and found it was set to "normal sound" not Dolby, so I switched it. Immediatly the sound stopped on the TV and the signal on the Receiver showed Dolby Digital.
I unplugged the Optical cable thinking maybe it would only output DD on one of them, but still no sound.
I plugged the Optical out to the back of the TV, it received no sound. As soon as I swtich the 10-250 back to "normal sound" the TV passes sound both through its speakers and the optical out to my receiver, but only in stereo.

Sooo, just to test that my TV can actually process a Dolby signal, I plugged my OTA antennea directly into my TV (its great to have so many inputs), went to a Local HD channel that was braodcasting a 5.1 signal and the TV played it (in 2 channel stereo) and passed a DD signal to my receiver via the Optical Out.

My conclusion... My 10-250 does not pass DD through the HDMI output.

Is this normal? does anyone here pass DD through HDMI from their 10-250?

Thanks, and sorry for all the detail.

[duanej]

I believe that your plasma is just like everyone elses (including my Pioneer), and can't decode DD via HDMI. You will need to run the analog cables to the TV to get any sound.

[theesir]

I believe that your plasma is just like everyone elses (including my Pioneer), and can't decode DD via HDMI. You will need to run the analog cables to the TV to get any sound.
Sure Enough. I just called Toshiba. They said only PCM through HDMI. Which really sucks.

Since my wife likes to watch TV without having to turn on the stereo, I will have to wire both component and RCA to one input for her, and HDMI to the TV and Optical from the 10-250 to my receiver so we can watch some HD content (such as movies) in 5.1 on the Receiver and HDMI (no sound) on the TV

Honestly, to tell the truth. I see very little (read as- NO) difference picture quality wise between component and HDMI when viewing HD or SD content. :rolleyes:

[stevel]

It seems to vary by TV - some do better with HDMI, some don't. Mine looks better with HDMI.

[dbish]

On a side note, you could program the "peanut" remote to turn on the receiver also. I was using that method until I got a Harmony remote which turns everything on and off and switcheds inputs on anything that needs it. Great product IMO. Now all audio goes through optical out to receiver. I don't think I've ever listened to the sound from the TV.

[robgettier]

I have this same setup with my Panasonic 50PX6U. I have DD set to on and have to run analog audio to tv to get sound. DD outputs to receiver using optical. My dvd player is also hooked up with HDMI to TV but I have no sound issue. I think that has something to do with me being able to set the specific type of digital audio being output on the DVD player.

Interestingly enough, I returned a Phillips 50" plasma that had far inferior PQ to this Panny (gotta love Costco). But the Phillips was able to receive the DD signal from the HR10-250. I have not heard of many that can receive the DD signal. If this is important to anyone, the Phillips model # is 50PF7220A

[SpankyInChicago]

I haven't watched TV without running it through a surround receiver for more than 10 years. Met the wife 9 years ago. Since my TV never even had sound running to it, whenever she came over to my house she got used to watching TV with sound going through the surround receiver. Since we started living together she has always had her own remote that allows her to turn TV and receiver on / off as well as control volume on the receiver. Now we've got three setups in the house and she uses the same silver DirecTV universal remote for each setup so she doesn't have to learn a different remote for each room even though the equipment is different in each room.

Through all this she has come to enjoy listening to even "normal" TV through the surround system just as I have done. On occasions where we have had to use the TV speakers for short periods, she has commented how she misses the surround system.

Training the wife can work if you give it a try.

[kpurcell]

Since my wife likes to watch TV without having to turn on the stereo,

Please ladies, tell me why you are so afraid to turn on a receiver when you watch tv?

[kpurcell]

On a side note, you could program the "peanut" remote to turn on the receiver also. I was using that method until I got a Harmony remote which turns everything on and off and switcheds inputs on anything that needs it. Great product IMO. Now all audio goes through optical out to receiver. I don't think I've ever listened to the sound from the TV.

How?

[Dssturbo1]

How?
it's in the manual how to program the tivo peanut remote to control some A/V receivers, on/off and volume etc for some receivers.

[Dssturbo1]

Honestly, to tell the truth. I see very little (read as- NO) difference picture quality wise between component and HDMI when viewing HD or SD content. :rolleyes:
not unusual to see no difference. especially if you calibrate all of your inputs on your display. many people think hdmi must look better by default but that's not true in most real life viewing situations.

[MoInSTL]

Please ladies, tell me why you are so afraid to turn on a receiver when you watch tv?

I can't answer for all the ladies, but I set up my system and it works great. I have my set speakers off and use the toslink cable to my receiver. HDMI from set to DVR. It's not rocket science.

[MacBandit]

Personally on a lot of TV programs I find that the receiver just exaggerates the poor audio that most TV programs have. When I'm watching HD I always have the receiver on though.

[Aietes]

I'm pretty sure that this indeed is a TiVO problem. I have both the TiVO and a Playstation 3 hooked up via HDMI to my Samsung LCD TV. I use the optical out of the TV to connect via toslink to the Dolby Decoder. That would be a perfect setup, since that allows me to switch both picture and Dolby sound with the TiVO remote by just changing the TV input. As said, would be. This works perfectly fine with the PS3, but it doesn't work with the TiVO. When I connect the TiVO directly via toslink to the Dolby Decoder, it works fine. If it goes via HDMI through the TV, there is no Dolby getting to the decoder. Since the PS3 works fine, this must be a TiVO problem.

PS: I used the same HDMI cable for testing this, so it's not a wiring problem.

[memnoch]

I had the same problem (meaning wife and kids). They wanted simple, I wanted surround. I found the solution in a Harmony remote. And damn did it do a great job. I have a button on it called Watch TV for the wife and kids, and a button on it called Watch TV 5.1 for me. SOOOOOO simple. I was blown away.