Question - 360 HDMI > AV Reciever > TV

[Daz]

I think I'm finally, just about getting somewhere with my audio setup, but I have one niggly question which some of you guys might be able to answer.

Currently I plug my 360 into a specific HDMI port on my TV which does 1:1 pixel mapping - the 360 can then output at the native panel resolution and it looks sharp and lovely. Peachy. What experience am I likely to get if I put a receiver in the middle? At the moment I'm assuming that these things tend to only deal in 720/1080p etc, so I'll lose the native res. Is that a reasonable assumption?

[leowyatt]

From my understanding, depending on the receiver you buy (the one I gave you the link for) should just pass the image through to your TV :) If you get the Sony I'd suggest just running an audio cable to the amp and leaving the 360 plugged into your TV.

[Mark]

Aye. There's no reason for an AV receiver to process the video stream unless they're doing something funky with upscaling.

Might be worth asking about specific models at somewhere like AV forum.

[leowyatt]

You could theoretically plug 2-3 HDMI devices into an amp and then have that amp feed into 1 HDMI socket on your TV but the amp would not perform any scaling it would just show the same image as if the device was plugged direct into the telly.

When we eventually get ours I'm just going to be using the amp for sound and not video as everything will remain attached to the TV.

[Daz]

That's my fallback aye, would just have to fork out for the official 360 HDMI cable so I got the audio dongle thing, and it isnt cheap for a cable! It would also reduce my HDMI port count requirements, which possibly open up another couple of amps.

[leowyatt]

you got a hdmi machine? or you using VGA? I'd have thought that would look best on your TV, both the VGA cables I have have optical out on them for audio :)

[Daz]

HDMI, used to use VGA but I when I won that 360 I decided to shift to HDMI to free the VGA up for something else. With 1:1 mapping it's no different over HDMI at all :)

[leowyatt]

ah I see, it's shame the HDMI audio cables are so expensive :(

[NokkonWud]

Aye. There's no reason for an AV receiver to process the video stream unless they're doing something funky with upscaling.

Might be worth asking about specific models at somewhere like AV forum.

Yep. I'd go direct to the TV for video, audio to the AV. Unless you really want it upscaling, which won't be necessary for an Xbox360 or PS3, then I'd just bypass it.

[Wossi]

I've got my 360 video going into my amp then to the tv. It just cuts down on the cables going in to the tv, I'm still using component, but the Sony receiver I've got can output via HDMI from there. All it does is act as a pass through for the signal.

[Desmo]

would just have to fork out for the official 360 HDMI cable so I got the audio dongle thing, and it isnt cheap for a cable!
Balls to that. Just pop the plastic cover off your current cable :D
Allows you to have that plugged in for optical out and HDMI at the same time :)

[Daz]

I did see that but I literally dont know where I'd hide the rest of that cable. It's chunky and long, and I'm running out of room :D

Pretty set on my speakers now I think (Onkyo SKSHT518 (http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=ONKY-SKSHT518-BLK), looked at the Jamo A102 HCS5's but the satellites are tiny and I thought they'd look a bit daft!), just cant decide on my amp.

The requirements I settled on were onboard HD-audio decoding, taking multichannel audio over HDMI, upscaling analog sources for output over HDMI, and at least 3 HDMI inputs.

The Sony STRDG820 (http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=SONY-STRDG820-BLK) does everything I set out for except upscaling analog sources, a steal at £250 though, and with 4 HDMI inputs. The Yamaha DSPAX763 (http://www.hifix.co.uk/sku.lasso?&item=90f218d51bddf62f41265faa435e2cfa&rlog=froogle) has all the bits but only 2 HDMI inputs which I feel is a bit limiting (I already have 2 HDMI sources), in budget at £300-350. Ticking all boxes would be the Denon 1909 (http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=DENO-AVR1909-BLK) but it's too expensive if I want to buy some speakers this year.

I could do with a fourth contender really. And then I have to work out how the fudge to route the cables - might run them outside the house.

[NokkonWud]

Balls to that. Just pop the plastic cover off your current cable :D
Allows you to have that plugged in for optical out and HDMI at the same time :)

Much better solution really. Annoying that MS give it away with Elite consoles but not the others.
I have a friend who loaned me his though which was awesome.

[Daz]

Purchases have been made :eek: It's nothing like what I originally set out for ;D

I hate that guilty feeling after spending money ;D It passes through fine, so no optical jiggery required. Only got the front 3 speakers hooked up so far, sub cable isnt quite long enough and I still havent decided how to cable the rears. That Halo 3 recon trailer sounded ace though :D