DVD-A problem

[quadjoe]

Help! I just purchased a new DVD player (a Panasonic DVD RP-82) which has DVD-A, DTS, and Dolby Digital capabilities. It works great except for one thing: when I play a DVD audio disc, the unit will only play the high-res stereo tracks and not the multi-channel tracks. I know the unit is connected properly, and I have read the owner's manual 3 times, but I cannot figure this out. Does anyone out there have any suggestions? FYI, all the other functions work properly and they are not difficult to select.
Thanks all!

[Jamie Tate]

Does it have built in Dolby and DTS 5.1 decoders?

[quadjoe]

Yesman, yes it does have DTS and DD decoders, and I'm outputting directly to my multi-channel inputs on my receiver, and DTS and DD work just fine (the Eagles Hell Freezes Over concert DVD has an awesome DTS soundtrack), it is only when I play a DVD audio disc that I only get stereo, but no multi-channel high resolution sound.

[mcow1]

It may be a stupid question but are you changing your receiver off digital input for the dvd-a?

[Jamie Tate]

Originally posted by quadjoe
Yesman, yes it does have DTS and DD decoders.

I know it was a slightly insulting question (NOT INTENDED TO BE!!!) but I once fixed a 24 track simply by plugging in the "broken" tape machine.

[JohnG]

Does your receiver have a EXT IN. switch on the face?

I use a Denon 3300 receiver and a Panasonic RP91. To play DVDA's in Multi-Channel I need to hit the 6 CH EXT. IN switch.

Sometimes I forget to hit that switch and I'm puzzled why the sound is off till I remember.

Also try going into the DVDA players menu under ACTION for the proper settings for DVD's and DVDA's.....

[RetroSmith]

QuadJoe, Dumb question, but you DID connect the 5 coaxial output cables from the DVD player to the 5.1 coaxial Inputs of the amplifier, right?


remember, the multichannel wont play thru the digital connection to the amp.....

[mcow1]

What receiver are you using? Mine defaults to digital when I set it to dvd to bring in analog I have to turn off the digital switch.

[petzi]

The fact that the music industry renders digital inputs in our amplifiers and D/A converters unusable by not allowing digital output from DVD-A and SACD players is most impudent and annoying.

I therefore recommend that people demand audio DVDs that are authored like regular DVDs, these are called DAD sometimes. Classic Records have quite a few of these, and Chesky used to have some. With these discs, you will be able to use your digital amplifier or D/A gear.

[quadjoe]

Hi all. Thanks for all the input. I'm using a Yamaha RX-V595 receiver, and yes I'm using the analog inputs. The Panasonic's manual made it very clear that you will only get stereo if you use the digital connections. I'm beginning to suspect that the chip that decodes the high resolution multi-channel audio may be defective. I've tried all the possible connections, and nothing seems to work. One thing I did discover is this, I know that the DVD-A disc (yes I just have one, there are no stores in my area that carry them, so I bought "American Beauty" by the Greatful Dead to test out the format) has 3 audio programs on it: High Resolution Stereo, High Resolution Multi-channel, and Dolby Digital Surround. I have played this on my old DVD player and was able to listen to the DD program, so I know it is on the disc. The Panasonic wont even let me access the DD program, and when I select the Multi-channel High res. program it only plays the stereo one. I have been on the phone to Panasonic, and their tech were unable to help me (they didn't seem to familiar with the player). What do you all think?

[JohnG]

Just to be clear....you have gone into the Panasonic menu called ACTION located down at the bottom of the remote and set your speaker settings to MULTICHANNEL?

And your Yamaha is set to MULTI/ 6 EXT. IN when trying to play a DVDA?

[bbush32]

I had a similar problem with my Toshiba 5700. The problem was a menu setting that had the machine default to the DVD-V track for DD or DTS. Once I changed the option to default to DVD-A first all was well.

Brian

[JohnG]

Yeah, its got to be a setting is off or not enabled.

I would doubt the Panasonic player is defective just in the multi-channel mode.

DVDA is tricky. For me the puzzlement was that EXT. IN button. I have to press it before I can listen to DVDA's.
Since my Receiver defaults to Dolby Digital or Pro Logic Sound. I have to press the EXT.IN (or Multi-Channel) button to hear DVDA in its full glory.
You could easily miss that important step and think the player was defective.

Your discs may be defaulting to the DD mix and is not recognizing the DVDA mix.

[Ed Bishop]

Quadjoe,

Best bet: take your copy of AMERICAN BEAUTY to a local mall A/V outlet ala BEST BUY or CIRCUIT CITY--or any local audioshop with DVD-A capability(which should be most of them by now, even in smaller markets)and hear through THEIR equipment. Then ask questions. Because if no other answers seem to work, while there may well be problems with your equipment, the real problem is, which piece? If, as you say, everything was fine until you added the DVD-A player, then maybe the player DOES have a fault, or perhaps there is something inside the menu you have to consider. My own suggestion is to be sure your DD and DTS work fine on your system in and of themselves. My two favorite reference discs: for DTS: the GLADIATOR DVD, with its ferocious total surround effects and frontal separation(you pick and choose the channels; a little goes a long way for this one). For DTS audio, I'd want to hear SANTANA ABRAXAS, particularly during "Gypsy Queen" for the 360-circular effect during certain passages. If the rest of your system's up to snuff, those two on DTS alone will prove it, and of course GLADIATOR has a pretty strong DD track as well.
Still not working? As chatters have noted, go into your remote's MENU and see just how much there is to work with. The player & receiver's manual? Trust each only so far, then get to work. This can be very frustrating and, indeed, you might well have one or the other component with some kind of defect or anomaly that is screwing up the DVD-A 5.1 playback. And, obviously, reread(at bedtime, when patience and tiredness should help)the receiver manual. Trial and error can erase the lines between the lines, as it were.
Finally, while many manufacturer's websites are of little help even with techs on the phones or sites, the CRUTCHFIELD phone & web was of invaluable help in assisting me in reshaping my system for DVD-Audio(of course, I did buy the receiver and player from them, but you can't imagine how much time on the phone, and how indulgent they were, with me. I can't thank them enough).
Best of luck,
Ed Bishop:cool:

PS: How did you come up with the monicker? CD-4/SQ/QS inspired, of modern digital? Just wondering...

[quadjoe]

Originally posted by Ed Bishop
Quadjoe,


PS: How did you come up with the monicker? CD-4/SQ/QS inspired, of modern digital? Just wondering...

Ed and others,

Thanks for the suggestions, I will check out Circuit City tomorrow. I did try our "expensive" audio/video store, but they haven't hooked up their DVD-A stuff yet. My player plays both Dolby Digital and DTS flawlessly, Gladiator is glorious in DTS, and Star Trek Insurrection has a wonderful DD sound track. I will try every setting on my remote to see if I can select the DVD-A soundtrack for American Beauty once again.

Now the story of my monicker: I have been a lover of Surround Sound since 1974, and I was an early adopter in my area of CD-4. I know that a lot of people dislike Quad sound, and I will readily admit that it was ill-timed, and ill-conceived: too many incompatible formats, formats which streched the limits of the then state-of-the-art in audio, and the expense of the equipment were huge impediments to people adopting the system (think of it like this: a Sansui QRX-9001 receiver retailed for $850.00 in 1976; a price which would be about $3000.00 today!). BUT, I love Quad sound when it works, love being immersed in the music, love the feeling of being in the studio or concert hall, even the gimmicky stuff is sometimes fun. Needless to say, I am thrilled with the new technology for surround sound: we can finally get it right, especially if the music and record/CD producers take the proper care. And that is why I chose to be Quadjoe.

Thanks again for your suggestions, I will let you know how things go.

Quadjoe