A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...
Question:
I was given a Sony STR-DA30ES receiver. There is a light that is supposed to light up when the unit is decoding a multichannel signal. I have the dvd player hooked to the the receiver through RCA cords (red ,white ,yellow). Do I need to use the coaxial from the DVD audio out to the receiver to get it work?
-submitted by zip
Answer:
When connecting a receiver capable of decoding Dolby Digital and/or DTS digital sound, the receiver needs to be connected to a digital audio output on the DVD player. The red/white analog connection is not a digital output. The best audio you would get from this connection would be Dolby Pro Logic surround.
DVD players typically support 2 kinds of digital outputs. One is coaxial, which is usually an orange RCA connector. The other is known as optical, which is a squarish-black TOSLINK connector. Your DVD player may only sport one or the other. Either you choose will be able to get the digital audio stream to the receiver.
Some DVD players have specific settings in the player's setup menu for digital audio. Make sure that you check to see if your DVD player is properly configured.
Your receiver may also need some configuration as well. In many receivers, digital inputs need to be assigned to one of the main inputs. This tells the receiver where to look for the digital audio when you select DVD or VIDEO1 on the receiver. Ever receiver is a little different in how it handles digital inputs. Refer to your user manual for specific instructions. If you get stuck, use the discussion page for this article to get help.
Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com
While You're At It...
Anytime you setup a new receiver, it's essential to get the speakers configured properly. One of the key aspects to this is bass management. Read "The 'Bassics' of Bass Management" for more about this.
Another important aspect to a great surround sound experience deals with the sound levels of each individual speaker. If you can get your hands on a SPL meter, you can really fine tune your system. Read "How To Calibrate Your Surround Sytem Using an SPL Meter" for mopre help on this.
Did You Know...
Not sure what Dolby Digital or DTS is. That's okay... many don't. Take a few minutes to learn about the leaders in home surround sound, and how these different technologies bring theater quality sound right in to your living room. Check out:
