Help needed - older system surround sound issues

[SauRoNZA]

Ah - so you determine what is surround?

No, but I get to decide what is good and what isn’t worth bothering with.

Did you use multi channel SACD or DVD-A yourself?

I'm almost certain my multichannel SACDs sounded better - with better seperation and sound stage - than your stereo?

Had plenty of SACD’s but they were Dolby Digital not Pro Logic which is why they were great.

It's tough to call without having all the info in front of you and owning/trying all the formats yourself. Agreed ?

I did try them which is how I know they sucked. There’s never a reason to settle for Pro Logic when you could have Dolby Digital instead.

It’s a transition best effort tech at best.

That's quite early - what amplifier & source did you use ?

Like I said the source was the PS2 mostly or my PC and jumping between my Logitech Z-680, Z-5500 and later Onkyo component setup.

Yea - also started in stereo. You should ask him what equipment he had ?

He is very much dead now. I recall him jumping between Technics, Maranthz and NAD kit. Something Sony as well at some point.

On another note - did that Apple Music lossless irritate you to such an extent that you asked to close it?
Or did the idea of the thread just piss people off because they realised I had a point?

I didn’t even know it was closed. Your persecution complex is astounding sometimes.

I think you are just very bitter than I’m the only one who can discuss this stuff with you at your level, or at least the only one who bothers and you just can’t stand it that nobody else cares.

 

[Dolby]

No, but IHad plenty of SACD’s but they were Dolby Digital not Pro Logic which is why they were great.

I’ll reply to most of your other comments and correct you tomorrow - but I’m interested in this as both the discs and the players were quite rare and specialised and never made it here. Same as DVD-A

What equipment did you have and where did you even get the discs?

They also didn’t use Dolby Digital at all for multichannel ? Not sure what you’re thinking of?

 

[Dolby]

I didn’t even know it was closed

Obviously - otherwise I would have corrected you? These are public forums that anyone can access . I’d hate someone to stumble on incorrect information if I can change it

 

[SauRoNZA]

I’ll reply to most of your other comments and correct you tomorrow - but I’m interested in this as both the discs and the players were quite rare and never made it here.

What equipment did you have and where did you even get the discs?

They also didn’t use Dolby Digital at all for multichannel ? Not sure what you’re thinking of?

The PS3 supported SACD but yes I think you are right it wasn’t Dolby Digital but rather DTS.

I imported them I think from DVD Crave or CD Universe as I did with most things music back in the day.

I did only have a small handful between The Blue Man Group, Nince Inch Nails and I want to say Alice in Chains or Godsmack.

Also Bruce Springsteen but that I think I borrowed.

Dabbled in Minidisc and HD-DVD as well over the years.

 

[r0ckf1re]

Does the TV have Dolby digital and PCM settings ?

 

[Dolby]

If you could post a labelled drawing of the connections on each piece of equipment, I will suggest a workable solution

I have been installing and commissioning systems like this for many years

You will get more meaningful answers by posting your problems on AVForums South Africa

OP sorry about the noise - the above it a legit question buried in the argument .

 

[SauRoNZA]

You really hate being wrong and/or corrected?
In general, or by me in particular?

I actually have no issue whatever being corrected when it’s matter of fact black and white care.

Thing is you seem to always choose very wishy washy neither here nor there topics and then want to jump on some higher ground about being right without actually supporting your own argument fully and pushing through with a matter of fact conclusion

Like above you are going on about impedance and I can just see how you are bubbling over thinking you are “winning” and yet I can show you how you can stick any old cheap and nasty RCA connector mono wire in any coax port and it will work just fine.

If you want to be right find something you can be right about 100% and I’ll happily concede.

And let it knows I’ve accepted your corrections multiple times in this thread…yet tomorrow or next week you’ll harp on about how I can never be corrected or proven wrong.

It’s all in your head mate. You have this incredible narrative about me and made me out to be the villain in your story and you seemingly just can’t get over it.

Meanwhile I’m just having a lekker nerd chat and not getting all wound up about it like you are.

And let it be known you are once again solely responsible for detailing yet another thread with your own unnecessary drama.

 

[Dolby]

I actually have no issue whatever being corrected when it’s matter of fact black and white care

I don’t think I’ve seen many occasions where you have ‘no issue’ on being corrected? You generally insult the other person

Thing is you seem to always choose very wishy washy neither here nor there topics

Like whether Dolby Surround is a surround format? Or SACD is Dolby Digital? Or Dolby Pro Logic is stereo duplication? Or commercial property increased in value in Covid? Or Apple Music isn’t easy to get 24/192? Or WiFi is safer than Ethernet? Or ISPs don’t hand out Gbit routers?

and then want to jump on some higher ground about being right without actually supporting your own argument fully and pushing through with a matter of fact conclusion

I think I’ve supported every single one of times we get into a debate.

But when you are stubborn and say things like ‘Surround only started when things when digital & I got surround …’ or ‘FNB research and data is wrong’ - then we are going to hit a stalemate. If you don’t want to believe something (which in most cases, you don’t) , then no amount of evidence is going to change your mind.

Like above you are going on about impedance and I can just see how you are bubbling over thinking you are “winning” and yet I can show you how you can stick any old cheap and nasty RCA connector mono wire in any coax port and it will work just fine.

Well, I just pointed out the impedance could be an issue and you own link mentions impedance. And although it was 20+ years ago, I recall having the same issue with impedance being the issue. Ie you couldn’t use a simple R and L to transmit data (but V was fine).

But that said, I had a huge variety of equipment back in the day and it can cause issues. I don’t feel like plugging everything in as I know you’ll make up something to counter proof - but I’ll Google a bit.

You have this incredible narrative about me and made me out to be the villain in your story and you seemingly just can’t get over it

Well, I do find you quite funny in the Apple threads building use cases around what Apple can and can’t do. I almost know what you’re going to say when you’re asked. The constant blaming is also funny because it’s another of those predictable things you say.

You come across as heavily opinionated and you really can’t be wrong . You’ll try your best to wiggle out of everything, down to working & phrasing (remember supporting or implementing AV1? Or CBI Geyser or CBI Astute?) I’m not saying you’re a villain - but the self righteous image you put out on MyBB isn’t pretty

Meanwhile I’m just having a lekker nerd chat and not getting all wound up about it like you are

I’m not getting worked up? I realised who you were along time ago and half the time I’m asking you something, I know the answer upfront.

And let it be known you are once again solely responsible for detailing yet another thread with your own unnecessary drama.

Actually, a few posts up I apologised to OP for the noise that BOTH of us ( it’s a conversation right?) caused and even quoted the question he may miss because of us.

I made coffee , came back … And there was another wall of text from you? As per the cycle, you assist greatly in derailing things because you can’t be wrong and you blame the other person? Classic

 

[SauRoNZA]

Does the TV have Dolby digital and PCM settings ?

Probably be easiest for OP to provide the model number, rather than go digging for things that are already confusing to them.

It doesn’t look that ancient.

 

[rrh]

ou could post a labelled drawing of the connections on each piece of equipment, I will suggest a workable solution

I have been installing and commissioning systems like this for many years

You will get more meaningful answers by posting your problems on AVForums South Africa

You, sir, are both a scholar and a gentleman

I v.briefly considered making a similar offer, but went with the alternative of the OP hiring a local expert 'cos
he {OP) seemed a tad out of his depth and so might miss something important.

In addition, if (as the OP appears to believe) the system uses an AVR, then I believe that the system is not wired together.

 

[Gudnews]

You will get more meaningful answers by posting your problems on AVForums South Africa

I was offended by this message on the behalf of others, but then I saw what @Dolby and @SauRoNZA did to this thread.

 

[Gudnews]

Get a digital /optical aux cable

Takealot

www.takealot.com

Connect decoder to your sound system....set your sound system to optical aux, go to your decoder to settings , visual and audio and set output to digital aux ...

This sounds like the solution to me.

A simpler version perhaps?

1. Buy an optical cable.
2. Connect the decoder and the system together with it.
3. Set the decoder to output surround sound (Dolby digital).
4. Select 'digital in' as the output mode on the system.

Try to remove the R/L aux cable you currently have. Hell, even remove the HDMI cable from the system after you've finishing setting it up. These are not necessary steps but just a precaution.

If you still have the problem, than I suspect it might be some shortcoming of the Explora Ultra and maybe DStv need to be told of the problem so they could patch it.

 

[HAL 9000]

From the photos you supplied, the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray Home Theatre System only has an HDMI OUT port to send the video/audio signal to the TV set, and no HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 input ports for connecting a DSTV decoder or streaming box to it (which my Sony HTS does have).

However, your parents system has an OPTICAL IN (SPDIF) port and the DSTV Explora Ultra decoder also has an OPTICAL OUT (SPDIF) port as well.

The only unknown is what input & output connection ports are on the rear or side panel of the SAMSUNG TV Set - if you can take photos of these it would help to guide you as to the best solution to the issue of poor quality audio.

As other forumites have suggested, the best solution from what you have provided so far is this:

1. DSTV Explora Ultra decoder HDMI OUT port (purple) to the SAMSUNG TV set's HDMI 1 input port and the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray system to the TV set's HDMI 2 port

2. Optical SPDIF cable from the DSTV decoder's OPTICAL OUT port (orange) to the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray DVD system's DIGITAL AUDIO IN (OPTICAL input) port.

3. Set the TV volume to zero - so no sound comes out of the TV speakers

4. Disconnect the analogue audio cable (the one with the red/white plugs) from the decoder & Blu-Ray system

5. Check the instruction manual of the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray system (or download it from the internet if not available) and set the source input option via the remote to OPTICAL IN

6. Set the DSTV settings menu options for Video & Audio to 'Fixed Output' which will allow Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (if it is set to 'Variable Output' - which means you can use the DSTV remote volume control buttons - it can only output 2-channel analogue stereo audio - which is probably the main reason for the poor audio quality)

7. This audio setting change on the DSTV Explora Ultra will allow your parents to just use the DSTV remote to change channels or select a streaming service for viewing, and they will then use the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray remote for all audio volume adjustments (as the DSTV audio is now being processed by it)

8. You can then go into the SAMSUNG Blu-Ray system's menu options for Audio and set it to 5.1 digital surround, and then also adjust the volume level controls for all 5 speakers as well (Front L/R, Front Centre, Rear L/R and Subwoofer - I set my centre speaker to +3 and all the others to the 0 setting for improved speech clarity, as dialogue is normally routed mainly through the centre speaker)

If you need any further guidance, you are most welcome to PM me and I can assist you further.

 

[NotVeryTechie]

Ivan, thank you so much. This is a great set of instructions. I am going to give it a go and may then need to PM to check details. Thank you!