I appreciate everyone's help as I muddle through this stuff. In case you don't know I have my Toshiba XA2 hooked up to an Integra DTR 7.7 (which is basically Onkyo we all know) through HDMI. My Directv HD DVR is also running through the Integra. Why is it that when i am watching a 5.1 show through Directv it shows up as Dolby digital but when I am watching my XA2 it shows up as multichannel on the display and I cannot even switch it to any other signal except for stereo and direct. No DD no DD pro logic. Nothing.
Thanks again everyone, You too homedad. One day I hope I am knowledgeable enough to return the advice favors.
Max
I asked that same question when I was setting up my players, when going through HDMI you will only show multichannel on the receiver, I'm guessing you have the audio for Directv going through an optical cable to your receiver thus showing DD. If you are getting all 5 channels giving sound when playing a DVD you have no worries.
All Satellite broadcasts are basically ripped down sound files (similar to WMA or MP3). Well, at least all that I’m aware of anyway. So when your receiver sees this, it knows it has to unpack the file. The two unpacking utilities are DD and DTS. They take that sound file, unpack it and then matix it out to 5.1.
HD/DVD is a lossless format that the player unpacks with its internal decoders and sends it to the audio processor in a PCM format. Your receiver no longer needs to decode this with DD or DTS, so that option is not available. That’s why you see multi channel on your display and not DD or DTS. If you use the coax/toslink output, the player will send your receiver a compressed sound file in a bitstream format. DD or DTS will then have to process it and you would see it on your display.
......that's the short version of an otherwise 5000 word essay that I just can't be bothered with right now.
you guys are exactly right it seems. Because I am definitely getting 5.1 it's just not called anything. It shows PCM Multichannel. Thanks for explaining in such an easy to understand way.
Max