Surround sound question

YChang

500+ Posts
so I'm a complete newb to this stuff....anyway here's the spec and questions:

HDTV, TW Digital Cable Box/DVR, Basic Onkyo HTIB, Basic Progressive Scan Sony DVD player.

Questions:

A. Do I get surround sound only when I watch a dvd or do I get it also when I watch just a regular ol broadcast tv.

B. The Dvd player cable that came in the box is composite. Do I need digital audio cables hooked up to my HTIB receiver to get surround?

I know avforum.com exists...but hf has never failed me before.
 
A. On standard cable channels, you will get Pro Logic surround. This is equivalent to your receiver determining what sounds it think ought to be piped out to your surround speakers. Generally you'll get some music tracks and what not through there.

Many digital TV channels have 5.1 dolby digital. Pretty cool when you're watching a football game and you get the stadium announcements coming out the surrounds while the announcers come through center channel.

B. Go optical. Any relatively recent receiver and DVD player should have inputs/outputs for optical cable. The cable itself runs ya about $20 from Best Buy for a 3-6'.

Then my best advice:

Get it all set up, purchase AVIA (about $30 off of ebay. lots of people don't do this step) for TV calibration, buy the special edition of Saving Private Ryan, crank the volume, and prepare to be blown away by the opening scene. With a good surround set-up you'll start feeling movies in a way you didn't think possible.
 
echoed sentiment on coaxial vs optical. Optical are prone to interference sometimes. Especially if you're in a multi-family environment, have lots of equipment or have to bend the wires.
 
One of the coolest things I thought when I first got hdtv, which was right before the Horns run to the final four, was to turn the center speaker volume all the way down during the some of the basketball games in hd and pump up the volume. It turns the announcers off, and The croud surrounds you while you here the sneakers screeching on the court, ball bouncing, players brawling, and baskets made.
smokin.gif
 

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Back
Top