Anyone familiar with surround sound systems?

[BoldAsLove]

Anyone have aim whom I can talk to about surround sound speakers? My front two are the only ones that are working and I'm wondering what cables are missing. My aim is who8me2k7. Please help.

 

[Renob]

Everything you need right hear, the interweb is your friend!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb...=10118822#post10118822

 

[BoldAsLove]

I have viewed there. I am still so confused. I have the following plugged in...

Receiver Digital Coaxial ---> DVD Player
DVD Player HDMI ---> TV
All Speaker wires plugged into receiver

The front 2, and the subwoofer are working. The center channel and the rears will not work. Anyone have any idea? This is probably an easy fix.

 

[Tiamat]

Check your receiver's manual. It should have instructions on what "mode" to set your receiver in order to upmix the source into quasi-surround sound.

 

[BoldAsLove]

So I'm not missing a connection?

 

[BoldAsLove]

Why cant I have actual surround sound instead of quasi?

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Why cant I have actual surround sound instead of quasi?

The source will have to pass the Dolby Digital signal, which it seems to be doing, but at only 2 channel.
Go to an "HD" channel or put in a movie in the DVD player and see if the 5.1 clicks on.

 

[BoldAsLove]

Originally posted by: montypythizzle

Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Why cant I have actual surround sound instead of quasi?

The source will have to pass the Dolby Digital signal, which it seems to be doing, but at only 2 channel.
Go to an "HD" channel or put in a movie in the DVD player and see if the 5.1 clicks on.

I was watching a movie. I dont think my TV is working with the speakers at all right now cuz the only thing I have connected to the TV is HDMI from the DVD player.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Do you have the DVD player set to bitstream output for digital sound output?

Is your receiver setup to have 5.1 speakers enabled in the settings?

Do you have the DD / DTS track selected in the audio menu for the movie?

If you try to play test tones through the receiver (if it has this calibration feature), does that work on all the speakers?

 

[BoldAsLove]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you have the DVD player set to bitstream output for digital sound output?

Is your receiver setup to have 5.1 speakers enabled in the settings?

Do you have the DD / DTS track selected in the audio menu for the movie?

If you try to play test tones through the receiver (if it has this calibration feature), does that work on all the speakers?

1. How do you setup the DVD player for digital sound output

2. I believe it is. How do I check?

3. I haven't tried. Where do I find this? Just in the dvd menu's options?

4. I will try the test now.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: BoldAsLove

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you have the DVD player set to bitstream output for digital sound output?

Is your receiver setup to have 5.1 speakers enabled in the settings?

Do you have the DD / DTS track selected in the audio menu for the movie?

If you try to play test tones through the receiver (if it has this calibration feature), does that work on all the speakers?

1. How do you setup the DVD player for digital sound output

2. I believe it is. How do I check?

3. I haven't tried. Where do I find this? Just in the dvd menu's options?

4. I will try the test now.

1. It varies by DVD player. You'd go into that audio settings and check to see what it's set to. If for example it was set to PCM stereo instead of bitstream, then this would limit your playback to 2.1 or fake-surround. You may also have settings in the audio menu that could be causing issues. Could you tell us what the options are that you have for audio from the DVD player menu?

2. It varies by Receiver. Do you have an On Screen Display for your receiver's settings?

3. Yeah, DVD's menu. You want to make sure you're selecting a 5.1 track to play rather than a stereo track.

 

[BoldAsLove]

1. I just switched it to bitstream.
2. I have an onscreen display on my receiver. Its an Onkyo from a HTIB.
3. Will try that now
4. Sample works out of all speakers.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

4 working means that it's not a physical connection problem and the receiver is able to play on all speakers, so it's a problem with either the signal coming out of the DVD player or with the settings on the receiver rather than a physical problem with your receiver.

Was the DVD player not on bitstream before? If it wasn't, that might have fixed it now. Did you try it again?

When you play a movie, does your receiver kick into Dolby Digital mode? Can you select Dolby Digital as the mode on the receiver once you start playing a movie if it doesn't automatically kick into that mode?

(I'm assuming you're trying a movie with a Dolby Digital track selected)