Is there any reason to run HDMI cable to an AVR that does not support HD audio or will I really just get the same result using an optical cable?

so the HDMI is a passthrough for the video only? I would use it simply because of less cables, one hdmi from output to receiver, one hdmi from receiver to tv. I understant that some receivers are unable to decode the HD audio, but devices such as the PS3 decode the lossless audio and output the data, but not sure if regular AVRs are able to play it. If you worried about price of cable, I would check monoprice.com for cables, they are pretty cheap.

The main reason would be for the HD video 1080P otherwise component can handle the 720P signal.

Seems odd to me that if a receiver has HDMI inputs it should support HD audio in some form, I guess some very early HDMI compliant avr's might not support HD audio.

After reading your other posts I now know you are working with an older HK 645; someone correct me if I am wrong but isn't the HK645 capable of playing HD audio when the Player is set to output PCM?

those AVR with HDMI 1.2 or lower would accept 7.1 LPCM signal but would not take bitstream from the player.

as long as the player can decode those HD Audio and send as PCM, it will be fine....I have a Yamaha V861 previously so I knew that.

Thanks for your help. So what I think I understand from your replys is I should scrap the optical cable and run the 8 (6) channel analog from player to AVR and set player to output pcm? When doing this, since the signal is output as analog, is there any audio quality difference between the DAC in the samsung BR vs the one in the Oppo DVD. I am trying to convince myself that it is time to retire the Oppo and let the BR take over, but I dont seem to want to let it go.

Actually, since the Oppo is a DVD player (I am assuming is not a BR player), then you don't have HD audio from that player anyway - HD audio codecs are only BR discs. IMO I would just use the BR player for everything - the only thing you'd be giving up is the Oppo's well known good up-conversion for standard def video material - but this will not affect your audio options. Unless SACD or DVD Audio are a concern for you? Those might be other reasons why you'd want to keep the Oppo in the mix.

So, the only way you're going to get HD Audio with your current setup is to use LPCM output from the BR player over HDMI to your receiver.

Hope that helps, and if I've made a mistake or bad assumption please correct me!

You are correct about the Oppo and I have played the same DVD's on the BR with only a slight difference in video quality. My concern was the audio quality of the Oppo vs the BR but I think I have come to realize that as long as the signal is digital it shouldnt matter since the AVR will handle that anyway. Will the 8 channel analog outputs of the BR also give me HD audio to the AVR?

Actually that I am not 100% sure of - someone else will answer that I'm sure. However I believe if you go LPCM over HDMI there's no advantage to the 8 analog cables. It should amount to the same thing either way with the likelihood of better bass management through HDMI.

Ok, so if BR is set to output LPCM to 8 channel would I them choose PCM on a DVD menu as opposed to 5.1? All my DVD's have either a 5.1 Dolby, DTS or PCM option. How does that setting fit into the mix?

What's your brand of AVR? Some of the entry level early AVR's with HDMI connections did not pass audio through HDMI, only the video. If this is the case allowing the player to decode the audio will NOT work either because the AVR would not be able to pass audio through HDMI.

If your receiver has 5.1 or 7.1 multichannel analog connections and so does your Blu-ray than you will be able to receive the lossless codecs such as DTS Master-HD and Dolby True-HD.

You would need to run 4 pairs of these cables (7.1) OR 3 pairs for 5.1.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produc...=1&format=2

from your receiver to blu-ray player. I know for Denon AVR's to switch to multichannel analog you go to EXT.IN. For speaker setup and bass management you do it through the BR player settings.

My AVR is a Harman Kardon 645, its about 5 years old, it has both HDMI and 7.1 analog with speaker management and eq settings built in

It seems like the 645 can at least pass audio through HDMI at the very minimum from by brief search. The model below the 645 cannot. Now the question what is the make and model # of your Blu-ray player?

BR is a Samsung Bd-6500

OK great.

You have two options. Option one might work (as I'm not 100% sure about the AVR and its hdmi processing) and option 2 which will work for sure. According to this link your Blu-ray player can internally decode the lossless formats and also supports 7.1 multichannel analog.

http://www.samsung.com/us/video/blu-ray-dvd/BD-C6500/XAA-specs

Option 1 (HDMI):Read posts 4 and 5.

Option 2 Follow the steps regarding multi-channel analog above (this option will work 100%)

awesome...thank you for your help

Just to be clear HD Audio is only from Blu Ray discs.

Got it, I think my confusion was in the HK's lack of ability to decode not realizing that thr BR is already doing it and the HK is simply amplifying and dibursing the already decoded sound??

Did you get it working?

Like what Jakewash said, the hd formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master are only supported by Blu-ray disks.

Regular DVD's will still decode as Dolby Digital or DTS or perhaps very old movies, tv on DVD just in stereo.

I havent had time to get everything hooked up yet but thanks to all the help from the great people on this forum i am confident that I have the best scenario figured out. I also took the advice here and ordered a universal remote which I can see will certainly make things a lot easier. Thank you to everyone here for the good advice. It can all seem so complicated sometimes.