Well I had purchased a denon 589 which JohnK had recommended but after receiving it and playing with it I realized it does not have audio switching through it's hdmi's.

So I think I am left with a box I can't do much with, please correct me if I am wrong here.

I wanted to connect my computer, my xbox360, and my hd cable through my receiver without having any audio switching issues.. Maybe I am not quite understanding how the wiring will work, this is what I am hoping anyways.

So my DVR is acting as my tuner, my cable comes through my dvr and then uses an HDMI and a coax to go to my avr right? My computer would do the same thing, thus using up all my hdmi imputs.

This leaves my xbox360 without any imputs to use but I could maybe get a switcher.. I guess I am wondering how seemlessly the audio / video would integrate into this avr 589 system. I was eyeing the 1910 or 591 as alternative options.

But I was hoping someone here could straighten out my confusion.

Are there such things as automatic switchers btw?

Hey Bakajon

Can you clarify? I'm not sure wht you are referring to when you say, "audio switching through it's hdmi's"

If your devices put audio out through HDMI then your reciever will use that audio.

Your DVR should use HDMI for video *and* audio. You should not require a Coax. Same with your computer, although support for that depends on driver support. I had to find and install an extra driver to do it, and even then I can only get Stereo over HDMI. If I want 5.1 I have to go Analog or buy another sound card.

The 589 only has 2 HDMI inputs so anything beyond that and you're going to have to start choosing devices to use Componant In.

Ideally you could get 4 Hi Def sources...
- 2x HDMI (video and audio)
- 2x Componant Vid + Coax/Optical

Maybe you could move your DVR to Componant/Coax leaving you with a free HDMI port or Componant/Coax for the XBox?


Personally I chose a Denon 1910 because of the number of HDMI inputs.

What irks me about the Denons... no VGA or DVI inputs! Hooking up a PC is HDMI or nothing! (love them otherwise)

Regards
snazzed

Your DVR is the device in your list that does not require HDMI at all. Use component + coax for it to free a port for your xbox. In your Denon receiver, you need to configure each "source" properly (identifying which connector is to be used for audio, video or both audio/video). Whenever you select a source, both audio and video will switch in your receiver.

Umm, snaz you do realize avr's are designed for Home Theater and not computer use, this would be why they strictly use HDMI, besides which HDMI is becoming the standard even for PC use.

And DVI is electrically compatible with HDMI, so you can use a simple physical adapter to convert DVI to HDMI (without sound of course).

Hey Jay.

AVRs don't "strictly use HDMI". There are a number of AVR manufactueres out there that *do* have DVI inputs on their AVRs. To me its a Denon "irk".

Also, there are still a large number of computers out there that *don't* sport HDMI outs. I'm going to go out on a limb and say *any* computer where you are using the on-board video... and laptops. In fact I have yet to see a PC that *comes with* and HDMI port.

I have yet to see Laptop with HDMI out. In fact, if you have a Mac Laptop, you need an adapter to go from "mini display port" --> DVI and another for DVI --> HDMI.

Is it so wrong that I want to hook my PC up to my good screen and good sound?

snazzed

Hey Bakajon. Are you doing HD audio/video from your PC? I use optical from my computer to the AVR as this is fine for music.

Yes I am doing it from my pc. I wouldn't have any degradation to use optical instead of hdmi? How hard is it to switch between audio / video modes on the avr? This is my biggest concern.

Say I watched a video on my computer then wanted to play a game on my 360. I switch the audio and the video signal separately yes? Sorry I am likely just nit picking. :P Just curious about the process because I have never done it and know no one who knows about it.

Hmmm. Thinking on it, I have my video out from the computer going directly to the display, so I change the source on my AVR from the computer to the PS3 and change my input source on the display whenever I change between the computer and the PS3. It really doesn't seem like much of an burden/issue to me.

I could use HDMI from the PC as I have no other HDMI sources. I'm not sure why I didn't set it up that way.

Hey something awesome. Dakmart informed me that they can not process credit card transactions so I will not be recieving the avr 589.

I am looking into a yamaha 765. I found one for $400, looks like a beautiful piece of hardware.

Jon, yes AVRs are confusing and Denons are probably the worst in that regard. You have to study your manual carefully for each connection that you want to make.

You're right that the 589 doesn't process the audio content out of the HDMI connection, but you're certainly wrong that you're "left with a box I can't do much with". You're not obligated to use HDMI connections, and for those sources that you do, the audio should be input by the digital coaxial and/or optical inputs or the analog audio inputs.

Keep in mind that the unit cost only $144 and most(all?)similar level AVRs didn't process HDMI audio and required the use of separate audio connections.

An HDMI unit that does not do the audio from HDMI is very silly. Bakajon, whoever recommend that piece of ^*** should be ashamed.

No, Eric; if that generally excellent unit(or other similar ones)continues to be available at a bargain price, it should continue to be a prime suggestion.

Another option is to stream audio/video to your Xbox 360 from your computer. Wireless is okay, but if possible, hardwiring is best.

That way, your PC may not even need to be connected to your AVR, just a suggestion.

-nods- It is well priced though dakmart can not process credit cards right now. also they add like 30 dollars onto the price for handling even though they claim free shipping.

I guess all in all I think a receiver that has more headroom for expansion is good. I do enjoy movies so I will likely be buying some anime blue rays in the future, so it's good to have the best possible and easiest connections.

Yes it is expensive and I have officially blown my entire budget and broke my bank account but have any of you tried the
yamaha 765? I am just rolling with it now, sucking it up and going to save cash later.

I've recently gotten curious about a new laptop, and nearly all newer laptops (that I've checked out) have HDMI out. Office Depot has one on sale from MSI for $549, for example.

Hi,

Yes, my new Asus laptop has HDMI out and SATA as well.

Alan

Interesting. I guess I've been looking at the wrong machines. Apple, in particular, is lagging here.

Thanks
snazzed

Apple's never going to put HDMI on their laptops, I guarantee that. Mini-DP is where they're at. Displayport is fairly easily converted to HDMI in any case.

Frankly, I'm surprised that most other companies aren't going to DP in the laptop space. Certainly if you look at video cards, DP is where the new cards are going.

OK poor choice of words, not strictly but most have adopted HDMI and dropped DVI. I thnk most common avrs(Yamaha, Denon, H/K etc) have dropped DVI, at least as far as I have seen.



You must not be looking in the right places, I see them quite often now, granted on the more upscale PC's by HP etc. with what seems to be seperate video cards but most if not all MB's for your own build ups have HDMI on board.

Others have already commented and now you know.

Absolutely not but to convert DVI to HDMI is as simple as an adapter.

I just had to look up the specs for Display Port as I have been wondering for awhile now about where this came from as HDMI seems to do the same thing. DP is free, for now anyway, no royalty fees to pay which is why, I will guess, Apple is a big proponent for it. There are some subtle differences and HDMI has been around for awhile longer, Wiki stated DP only since 2006 and HDMI also has a few more features Dp does not:

from Wiki:
"The DisplayPort website states that DisplayPort is expected to complement HDMI, a popular compact audio/video interface.[8] Most of the DisplayPort supporters are computer companies such as Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Toshiba and Acer, some of which have released several computer monitors that support DisplayPort and some also with HDMI.[9][10] Computer support for DisplayPort audio was introduced by AMD in the Catalyst 9.12 hotfix.[11]

DisplayPort is currently royalty free, while the HDMI royalty is 4 cents per device and has an annual fee of $10,000 for high volume manufacturers.[12] But, HDMI Licensing LLC claims that, like HDMI, the DisplayPort specification allows for compensation from implementers to unspecified rights holders.[13]

However, HDMI has certain features that DisplayPort lacks such as support for the xvYCC color space, Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) signals, and electrical compatibility with DVI.[14][15]

In the interest of interoperability, the DisplayPort connection is capable of supporting HDMI/DVI signals.[8] DisplayPort has issued guidelines on the construction of active DisplayPort-to-VGA, DisplayPort-to-SVIDEO/Composite/Other, DisplayPort-to-Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI, and Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI-to-DisplayPort Converters.[citation needed] In addition to active converters, the same guideline document also describes a way for devices supporting both DisplayPort and DVI 1.0 or HDMI to use a single DisplayPort connector for both, using a relatively simple adapter that adjusts for the lower voltages required by the DisplayPort connector. A notable limitation is that this is limited to Single Link DVI/HDMI, and that an active Converter is needed for Dual-Link communication."