i was wondering if i get true 5.1 surround sound with regular AV audio cables (white and red). or should i be using optical audio cables from my dvdplayer to my reciever?
For 5.1 surround, you MUST use an optical cable or digital coax cable, from dvd player to A/V receiver. Also, in your dvd player's setup menus, set the audio output to "Bitstream" or "Raw", whichever terminology it uses. Turn on DTS also, if it has a separate setting. If you use just the red and white rca cables, all you'll get is Pro Logic (simulated surround), which isn't bad, but it's not as good as 5.1 surround! ) While watching tv, using A/V receiver, set it to Pro Logic for that. The only channels you'll get in 5.1, are some of the Premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc.), some PPV channels, and HD channels. That's more info than you asked for, but I figured if you didn't know about the cable to use, you might not know this either. ) Good luck! Let us know how it goes? EDIT: Just saw in your other thread, that you have a plasma tv. You can also get 5.1 through HDMI, if your receiver has HDMI capabilities. You'll have to go from the dvd player with HDMI (you said you have upconverting dvd, and that usually only happens through HDMI hookup), to receiver. Then out from receiver, with another HDMI cable, to the tv. HDMI cables can get a little expensive, but they carry the video and 5.1 audio, in the single cable.
whoa, hey thanks again JVC and no by all means i welcome all the info i can get. unfortunately i dont have HDMI in on my receiver, i have a yamaha rxv-659 and it only has component, but my JVC-combo upconverts to 1080i through component as well as HDMI, as a JVC fan i'm sure you kno i have the JVCHRXVC38B since i believe thats the only JVCcombo that upconverts. i still have a couple questions. does optical cable brand matter? i'm sure you kno i get things at cost, but some monster cables are still outragously priced at cost. the second question is a little more complicated. i have a mixer hooked up to my reciever so that i can have a couple of microphones with some echoFX and my DVDplayer runs regular audio cables to it and from there it goes into the reciever. otherwise i cant have the microphone's audio over the DVDplayer when people are singing karaoke or rapping or what not. if i use an optical cable to go from the dvd player to the reveiver AND have a seconday set of regular audio cables run to the mixer could i have the optical still produce 5.1 when i'm watching movies and then just pro logic when i have the mixer on assuming that i have the optical on like DVD and the mixer on something like AUX? i mean would i have to always change the audio output type from bitsream to the regular when i want to use the mixer and then back to "bitstream" when i want watch movies? i kno its alot to be asking about, but i have quite the hardware to do some really cool stuff (my mirage omnisats are fantastic) but i've been out of the game of home audio for a good 5 years. thanks again JVC for you posts, and i'll be eager to hear what you have to say about this one.
No, brand doesn't matter as much as some people think. Don't waste your money on Monster. I have absolutely no experience with your second question. But, you shouldn't have to change from bitstream, once it's set. Try the other cables, for karaoke, and see if it works like you want. That's all I know to tell you about that.............
hey thanks JVC for all your help. i've gotten all my cables in today and they are fantastic, the component cables are nice and thick and give rich color, the optical cables makes it so that i no longer have little voices during movies and loud background music, its all evened out and i even got my hands on an avia disc and calibrated to the best of my knowledge. i have one more question. i ordered a coaxil cable for my sub (from receiver to sub) but i had also noticed that my DVDplayer has a coaxil out and my reciever coaxil in, what does the coaxil cable do? i already have optical out would adding coaxil make a difference? could i jus use a regular audio cable to act as a coaxil cable? please explain in detail what that output actually is for, if you dont mind.
oops, okay nevermind i did some research and found that it's an "either or" and it seems people prefer digital coax, but there is little differnce between the two. so jus one really quick follow up question or rather something i just want to confirm. only optical and coaxial can give you true surround sound right? and LR(yellow/white)will not, only stereo simulated to surround which isn't nearly as close as what optical/coaxial can do, right? anyways, thank you JVC for all your help, and i appreciate all the info you've given me. my hometheater is freakin thumping and my mirage speakers are finally getting the input they deserve.
