Integra/Onkyo Surround modes w/HD DVR

[mleuba]

Hello Integra and Onkyo Owners. A little help please.

I own an Integra DTR 7.8. I am using Optical input into IN2, from my FIOS/Motorola HD DVR. When playing a TV feed through the receiver, I am not able to use the same range of Surround modes that work with my DVD input, which is connected to the receiver via analog.

The configuration allows me to watch TV without turning on the receiver if I don't want to (the DVR is connected to the Pioneer Kuros through HDMI).

When watching/listening to a show fed through the HD DVR Tuner my receiver allows these options: Digital Dolby, THX, Mono, Stereo, Theater-Dimensional. It does not show the surround modes Pro Logic II, NEO, or the Neural THX, which are available when viewing a DVD. Again, the DVD audio is connected analog to the Integra.

Another but perhaps separate issue is that when I am playing live through the DVR tuner, the 5.1 surround rear speaker volume seems very low as compared to DVD, Audio CD or even the DVR player when it is playing a previously recorded show….very weird, no? Again, the DVR audio comes in Optical to the Integra for both the live and the recorded shows.

Question:
Is there digital encoding that is restricting the surround modes on the optical input from the Motorola, that are not in play with the analog feed?

Thanks for your insights!

[tonyvdb]

Hi Mleuba, First of all welcome to the Shack.

My guess is that you do not have the setting for that input on the Integra set up properly for that digital input.
In the menu there should be a setting for that optical input "Auto" or you can choose a setting that it will default to. If you force a manual setting it will only give you a few choices in that particular group.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Welcome to the Forum, mleuba!

Dolby Pro-Logic is a surround-sound mode that is derived from an analog two-channel stereo source. From what I can tell, Neural THX is similar, so. By comparison, Dolby Digital 5.1 is derived and decoded from a digital bitstream.

As such, that’s the reason you don’t “see” DPL, and presumably Neural THX (which as far as I can tell is also derived from two-channel sources, so I guess it follows that NEO is similar as well) when your DVR is connected via a digital connection. (At least not when the program you’re watching is true 5.1. You can still get Pro Logic from a 2.0 program, as long as it was recorded with DPL in mind.)

Since Dolby Digital 5.1 is not an analog protocol, DPL processing cannot be applied. That’s they reason you aren’t getting Dolby Digital from your DVD player - you have it connected with analog connections (gotta wonder, “why”?). That also explains why your DVD levels are higher than those from the DVR.

Regards,
Wayne

[mleuba]

Thanks Tony and Wayne, very helpful information. I have much more to learn, thanks to you and the other shacksters for this forum. It helped me to select my system. Integra 7.8, B&W CM7/CM6/CM1, Velodyne Minivee Sub, Pioneer Kuros (720)...