# HDMI not 5.1?



## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

On my 722, I thought it rather odd when I switched my audio from optical 5.1 over to HDMI (thinking HDMI would be better), to find my AV receiver only pumping out PCM 2.0 as opposed to the 5.1 during football. So, I did some poking around in System Setup>Diagnostics>Analysis>HDMI Test and I discovered that 'Audio Format" is in fact only PCM (2.0) and not DD 5.1.

How can this be fixed?

If needed I can post a photo from my phone.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

First off. Are you sure the program you were watching was DD 5.1. If it was not then this would happen (Not all HD content is DD 5.1). I assume your 622 is set for DD/PCM.

Second possibility. Does your Receiver support DD 5.1 through HDMI? Not all do from my understand. What is your make and model? Perhaps someone here has the same model and can comment on it. 

Third possibility. There is a incompatibility between your 622 and AV receiver.

I would verify the first two first.


----------



## booger (Nov 1, 2005)

Or save yourself the hassle and just pick an optical cable and case closed.

My Sony receiver does not have HDMI pass-through and this is what I did. My brother had to do this as his D* HD receiver did not even offer it through the HDMI cable.

I would like to know for sure though if the 622 offers this capability using only an HDMI cable. I plan to pickup a new receiver soon that has HDMI pass-through and would like to use the HDMI cable for both video and audio 5.1.


----------



## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

DD5.1 over HDMI was added with the L401 software back in March.


----------



## jmora (Jul 10, 2007)

I have a 622 connecting to an Onkyo TX-SR705 AVR with one HDMI cable as the sole connection point between the two devices and am getting DD 5.1 on all programming content that supports it.

I know it's not the same as the OP's 722 but I expect the capability over HDMI would be exactly the same. Just wanted to give a quick example of hardware where DD 5.1 over HDMI is working perfectly fine.

Ron's troubleshooting steps will be a great place to start!


----------



## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

Ron Barry said:


> First off. Are you sure the program you were watching was DD 5.1. If it was not then this would happen (Not all HD content is DD 5.1). I assume your 622 is set for DD/PCM.
> 
> Second possibility. Does your Receiver support DD 5.1 through HDMI? Not all do from my understand. What is your make and model? Perhaps someone here has the same model and can comment on it.
> 
> ...


HDMI is going from my 722 to the TV, then from the TV to the AV receiver via optical. I have a Yamaha RX-V2200, which does not have any HDMI inputs (it's pre-HDMI). Either way, the Audio Format of the 722 via HDMI is PCM (see the picture below). Yes, the source I was watching was/is 5.1. Yes, I checked immediately to see if DD is selected, and both DD/PCM is selected.



> So, I did some poking around in *System Setup>Diagnostics>Analysis>HDMI Test and I discovered that 'Audio Format" is in fact only PCM (2.0)* and not DD 5.1.












Also, my PS3 can send 5.1 via HDMI>TV>AV Receiver


----------



## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

It will be interesting to see what you find out. I have a like setup... HDMI to TV with optical to receiver and mine shows PCM also. My receiver does have HDMI inputs/output but I don't have additional HDMI cables to try and run it through the receiver.

What I did was take the optical cable out of the TV and plug it directly into the VIP622. I now get proper switching between DD and PCM as shown in the receiver display. Guess my TV is not able to handshake properly with the 622 to get DD.

Next step will be to get extra HDMI cables to try and go through the HDMI input on the receiver.


----------



## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Just an update... I tried running the HDMI to a Panasonic HDTV (42PX77U) and then an optical cable from the TV to my AVR. The AVR only sees PCM. If the optical is hooked directly from the 622 to the AVR, it changes from PCM to DD with the different programming. So it does appear that the HDMI output only does PCM and not DD.


----------



## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

HobbyTalk said:


> Just an update... I tried running the HDMI to a Panasonic HDTV (42PX77U) and then an optical cable from the TV to my AVR. The AVR only sees PCM. If the optical is hooked directly from the 622 to the AVR, it changes from PCM to DD with the different programming. So it does appear that the HDMI output only does PCM and not DD.


The TV may not have a way to convert the signal from the HDMI input to output the 5.1 to the optical. The optical may only pass DD if it is coming from the built in ATSC tuner.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

The usual set up is passing through your AV receiver then to your TV and all of it being down using HDMI. I know people have this working and I know people are getting DD 5.1 through the HDMI. Lot of people reported it working after L4.01 as Bobabird indicated.

Going from your 622 to TV then to AV receiver is not a common set up from what I have read here. Be interested to know if anyone has a setup like this working? Interesting that the PS/3 set up is working. 

Definitely not my error of expertise but I would suspect some handshake issue between the TV and the 622 because the 622 does output DD 5.1 throught HDMI and that has been verified. 

Since your receiver does not have HDMI, I would go the optical route from the 622 to the receiver.


----------



## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

You guys see the picture I posted in post #6? Obviously, that is coming directly from the 722 (using the path I posted a couple of times). The 722 is the source and the source is putting out PCM through HDMI as the Audio Format, not DD 5.1.

As far as software versions go, I just got my 722 recently, so all I have is 443.

You guys that do have DD via HDMI, could you check the path that I indicated and let us know what your HDMI Audio Format is? There is no way for me to change the HDMI Audio Format. The picture indicates what the Audio Format is currently set at though.

Dish Tech Support was rather surprised at this revelation.


----------



## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

OK, did some more setups with this. To start, *I have the same PCM setting shown in the VIP622 diagnostic screen*. I have done this using two different TVs, one a Hitachi 42V710 and the second a Panasonic 42PX77U. The AVR is a Sony STR-K7000. The below results are the same on both sets

Setup 1) Hook the HDMI cable fro the VIP622 to the TV and then run an optical cable from the TV to the AVR. The AVR shows only PCM is getting to it.

Setup 2) Run the HDMI cable to the TV but run the optical cable from the VIP622 to the AVR. The AVR shows both PCM and DD getting to it.

Setup 3) Run the HDMI cable from the VIP622 to the AVR, then run another HDMI cable from the AVR to the TV. The AVR shows only PCM is getting to.

I have tried two different HDMI cables.

I am not sure what setup others are using to get DD out of the HDMI cable, but it is obvious that I am not getting DD from my HDMI cable.


----------



## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

Here's mine:

Menu 6/7 External decoder set to Dolby digital only.

HDMI only from 622 to Denon 3806. 3806 to TV HDMI only.

ESPN2 right now is Dolby Digital 5.1


----------



## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Could you go to 

System Setup>Diagnostics>Analysis>HDMI Test 

and see what the audio format says?


----------



## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

After a lot of digging around for obscure details it appears that I am wrong with my testing. The HDMI ports on my AVR are just passthough switched ports so it will not pick up any audio signals that may be present. It apears it was switching to analog audio I had hooked up for use with my DVD recorder when I was testing.

The optical out on both TVs will only put out DD when the ATSC tuner is being used.

Soooooooo. with the equipment I have I will have to use the optical cable from the 622 to the AVR to get DD5.1

Sorry for the confusion.. it was driving me nuts and I had to figure out why I wasn't getting DD with the hookup I had.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

davethestalker said:


> You guys see the picture I posted in post #6? Obviously, that is coming directly from the 722 (using the path I posted a couple of times). The 722 is the source and the source is putting out PCM through HDMI as the Audio Format, not DD 5.1.
> 
> As far as software versions go, I just got my 722 recently, so all I have is 443.
> 
> ...


Yep and that is why I said what I said because I know there are people receiving DD 5.1 through HDMI to their receivers. The 622 can do it and people have reported it working so in most cases it does work.

I was thinking possible something like what HobbyTalk descovered might be happening but given you indicated that with a PS/3 you are able to pass through DD 5.1 in the same configuration another possibility is something in the handshaking was getting messed up between the 622 and your TV.

I assume the PS/3 test was done with the same cables and same HDMI ports so it is a apple to apple comparison.

I also felt it was worth mentioning that going from 622->TV->AVR is not normally done so you might be fighting an uphill battle and going optical might be easier than trying to fight this one.

This is definitely an interested thread, but I still think the jury is out on this one if we have a bug here. What is your TV make and model?


----------

