AV Receiver to computer via HDMI

[elniro]

Hi guys,

I am planning to invest in an Onkyo TX-NR609 AV receiver (plus the 5.1 speaker set), but since most of my video files will be on computer, wanted to hook it up to the AV receiver and have picture coming from my computer, but sound from the AV unit.
In theory this should be possible as there's several HDMI ports on the AV receiver, so I would think i could have a HDMI to HDMI cable going from computer to the AV unit and then another HDMI to HDMI cable going from the AV unit to computer. Would it really be that simple or is it more complicated than that?

Sorry for what may be a stupid question, but I would rather confirm these things before splashing out.

Thanks =)

 

[digi247]

I can only speak for my own setup i dont own the Onkyo as i never liked the harsh sound from them, Owned when they first appeared around 2006 and set me back at the time around £1400 i ended up changing it for the more warm sounding Yamaha, anyway i have a yamaha at the moment and have 2 sat receivers and a HTPC hooked up via HDMI into Yamaha and then a single HDMI out to the 3D Plasma i use the HTPC for Blu ray playback and it works as it should.

 

[elniro]

ah thanks for reply.
yea i have been having second thoughts about Onkyo, as some people recommend it highly but others complain about the sound, which puts enough doubt in my mind.

I am going to look at alternatives.

 

[little_pob]

Any reason to not use the optical input on the receiver?

 

[elniro]

Any reason to not use the optical input on the receiver?

from what i've been reading, optical would not support higher definition audio like DTS HD or if I decided to expand to 7.1...would that be correct?

I've decided on the Yamaha Rx v473, now to decide on a bloody 5.1 speaker package, just too much choice

 

[little_pob]

from what i've been reading, optical would not support higher definition audio like DTS HD or if I decided to expand to 7.1...would that be correct?

Interesting. Looks like your research is correct.

To answer your original question then. Yes; computer - HDMI cable - receiver - HDMI cable - monitor would be the way to go.

 

[digi247]

from what i've been reading, optical would not support higher definition audio like DTS HD or if I decided to expand to 7.1...would that be correct?

I've decided on the Yamaha Rx v473, now to decide on a bloody 5.1 speaker package, just too much choice

A very nice choice i have the RXV 673 which i love purchased due to the fact that you can assign a HDMI video feed to either the network radio input or the FM radio input which is handy for myself when the football is on a foreign sat i can listen to english radio commentary and view the HD picture on the TV all through the speakers, as far as i am aware the Yamaha's are the only range thus far to have this facility if the Denon range had this then i would have gone for the denon as my previous 3 amps where Denon's and i love the Build quality. Sound quality is roughly about the same for the yam and the Den range.

As for the Optical quite correct its not the amount of channels that it can pass through its the bitrate as Optical can do 7.1 or 9.1 etc... but only up to the full range of DTS which is around 1.5mbps, i have Blu rays here with an average DTS-HD soundtrack of around 4-5mbps which is where the digital HDMI comes in.

Just out of interest what sort of speaker package range where you looking at either small cbe range like the Kef's or proper floorstanders form the likes of B&W, Kef , Tannoy etc...

 

[elniro]

A very nice choice i have the RXV 673 which i love purchased due to the fact that you can assign a HDMI video feed to either the network radio input or the FM radio input which is handy for myself when the football is on a foreign sat i can listen to english radio commentary and view the HD picture on the TV all through the speakers, as far as i am aware the Yamaha's are the only range thus far to have this facility if the Denon range had this then i would have gone for the denon as my previous 3 amps where Denon's and i love the Build quality. Sound quality is roughly about the same for the yam and the Den range.

As for the Optical quite correct its not the amount of channels that it can pass through its the bitrate as Optical can do 7.1 or 9.1 etc... but only up to the full range of DTS which is around 1.5mbps, i have Blu rays here with an average DTS-HD soundtrack of around 4-5mbps which is where the digital HDMI comes in.

Just out of interest what sort of speaker package range where you looking at either small cbe range like the Kef's or proper floorstanders form the likes of B&W, Kef , Tannoy etc...

I will definitely be getting 5.1 package, and probably the smaller speakers, as I am getting the ceiling in my room completely redone (as it seems to be sagging) and am thinking of getting the builders to create area in each corner of ceiling where I can put the speakers, although not sure if that's the best idea.

To be honest I am really lost on what speaker package to get, there's just so much choice and range. I've been looking at the Q Acoustics 2000I. Richer Sounds have a package deal of YAMAHARXV673 & Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 for £800 which looks very good. I ideally only want to spend around the £400-500 mark, but if the speakers are exceptional then I could push the boat out by up to £200. Do you have any recommendations at all?

 

[digi247]

I will definitely be getting 5.1 package, and probably the smaller speakers, as I am getting the ceiling in my room completely redone (as it seems to be sagging) and am thinking of getting the builders to create area in each corner of ceiling where I can put the speakers, although not sure if that's the best idea.

To be honest I am really lost on what speaker package to get, there's just so much choice and range. I've been looking at the Q Acoustics 2000I. Richer Sounds have a package deal of YAMAHARXV673 & Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 for £800 which looks very good. I ideally only want to spend around the £400-500 mark, but if the speakers are exceptional then I could push the boat out by up to £200. Do you have any recommendations at all?

Not the best person to answer that LOL as i would spend thousands if i could, I like my floorstanders but up until the last couple of years i have slowly begun to negate back to the tiny cubes with sub all in one packages which some are great and some are just plain dire. at the moment i have the RS Cambridge Audio Minx which i really like but i do notice on some big movie occasions the likes of massive explosions and expecting all that rumbling Bass that sadly its not there, just wish the other half would cave in and let me get some Bass thumping floorstanders again but i doubt thats gonna happen.

Price wise the Boston acoustics get a good write up as well as the Kef 2005.3 series

 

[Mick]

Do not knock onkyo lol, they are the best market value AV amps in the business, I would honestly say that if you do not like the sound of them you may not of set it up correctly, or it certainly was not UK tuned, which is critical. Or it was faulty?

The amount of times, I have gone to a job and seen badly setup onkyo's, you can't just install one and plug it in and walk away, it's not that easy there is so many tweaks you need to do for your own personal preferences.

An onkyo out of the box will sound great, an onkyo tuned will sound amazing. (with decent speakers of course )

I will not install anything but ONKYO NR's, and the NR models you can stream your photos and videos to them (the latest ones do anyway been a while since I messed with a 609 tbh).

However, you really should buy an apple tv if you like photos and streaming movies, as this is made for this, and they cost nothing for what they do ... try and get ATV2 you can even put XMBC on that then its a powerhouse , and airport express means you can just swipe a picture from your ipads, phone onto the tele... and the same with videos.

Regards
Mick

 

[digi247]

Having been into A/V for over 35 years i am pretty sure i know how to setup an AV receiver even the new ones which really should only need tweaking if the levels according to the automated setup are incorrect, personally i dont trust the Audyssey which is used on the Denon's and Onkyo's and Yamaha have there own version YPAO out of these though the Denon is one of the closest i have seen to actually getting it pretty much right first time but then who wants to sit in a quiet room for over an hour while you do 8 passes to get the calculations right. I always check mine with an SPL meter afterwards to see how close they come and as i say i stand by the Denon to get it pretty much correct.

Onkyo to me are pretty much Budget they tried to swamp the market in 2006 when Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD came to the fore front, the 3XXX series that i purchased had a major HDMI-CEC flaw with around 3 different brands of projectors which basically said to me if you cant get that right why release it, Plus the fact they have still not found a solution as to why they run so hot you can cook your breakfast on it LOL.

As i say thats my view they may have won the coveted Amp of the yesr twice running but the likes of denon, yamaha and now even Pioneer have started making headway over them now only in sound quality but features too.

 

[Mick]

Maybe you have hearing issues, as you get older lol your hearing decreases

I'm just playing, onkyo have more awards than most, and their receivers are budget prices, but for what you get, I personally would only use the auto set ups as a start point, they are shit lol.

I'm not a fan of Yamaha, unless your talking about the sound bars, which no one comes close to.

All opinions, my pioneer plasma which is 5 years old gets hot as fook lol, but you will be pushed to find a better picture, but technology is getting there!

Mick




Sent from my iPhone.

 

[DrRu62]

I've had an Onkyo TX-875 for a few yrs now and v.happy with it. I've only got it on 5.1 at the mo. I have 2 spkrs at each point wired in series to bring it up to 16ohms.....as it is capable of blowing one on its own @ 8 ohms. It gives me a good volume range in this state rather than blowing my windows out at a third volume. The satellites are only kef eggs(2000 series) but they sound good set up the way they are. I have two kef subs across the room to each other as my living room is 22ft diagonally across and one on its own on a timber floor produces a sound local to its siting. My Tannoy centers top it off nice. I agree that with a few hours (probably months!) tinkering with the Onkyos result in something special. Ive got Onkyo Bluray,HTPC,Sat Box,WDTV Live,Games Console and audio inputs into the TX, all selectable into one HDMI out to my big telly and it works great.Long live my Onk!

 

[elniro]

I cant believe I made this post way back in May...anyway my house renovation is practically completed now...and I have bought 2 sets of 5.1 speakers. As part of a deal offer I got a Yahama RX-V375, which is fine for what I want in the lounge area as it is just for 5.1 speakers, couple of ceiling speakers in kitchen, and a satellite box.

The other AV receiver I settled on a Yamaha RX-V673, but they seem to be sold out everywhere. Richer Sounds has a superb price, but they only have the display units left in stores. Exceptional AV had next best price but sold out, and as gesture of goodwill are offering the RX-V675 to me at £400. It is out of the price range im looking for and reason I wanted RX-V673 is because I didn't need the extra features of the RX-V675.

Does anyone know any good alternatives to the Yahama RX-V673? Or is the £400 for the RX-V675 too good a deal to pass up?