Hey Scottimon, no worries. This new receiver is a huge step up from my last one so this has been a huge learning experience and I felt stupid since nobody else seems to have brought it up either here or on avs.  I was just trying to figure out if it was possible. It terms of audio I don't imagine there is a difference between using analog vs. HDMI for playing a CD, do you think? When I've played with it they sound similar. I'll definitely read up on the HDCP issue tomorrow. Some good light reading to do at work during some down time. Just so I understand with Bryan...if you use an optical from the TV back to the receiver the TV will still have to be on to "loop" the audio back, right? I have no problem getting another cable or two, but I'm not sure if that would help the situation if the TV still needs to be on. I don't think i can use the optical out on my DVD player along with the HDMI cable, I think it wanted me to pick one type of digital output to use. Anyway, still sounds great. I already feel like buying more speakers.........

Here's my setup.

Cable -> TV
TV Audio out (optical) -> Receiver (Optical 1)
Receiver HDMI out (Video only) -> TV
PS3 (HDMI) -> Receiver (HDMI 1)

There should be no relationship between my PS3 connection and my TV connections as far as I can tell.  It would seem to me that when I play a CD through my PS3 the signal goes through the PS3 HDMI connection to the receiver and then plays through the speakers.  No need to send anything down the HDMI out from the receiver to the TV and therefore no need for a loop back from the optical.

I'll test tonight by removing the optical cable from the TV and the receiver and testing it that way.  I may try removing the HDMI out from the receiver to the TV too just as an other test.

Bryan

Hey imbng. If the onkyo people are right it shouldn't work since you should have your receiver's HDMI monitor output to on since you use the HDMI from receiver to TV to watch your PS3. I'd love to know what you figure out! Thanks for testing! Do you find that you loose any quality of the audio by using the optical from TV to receiver for cable, for example on HD channels? In terms of the WAF, I think she would prefer to not have to use the receiver and just use the TV audio for cable. But I'd be reluctant set up the DVD player to TV (HDMI) and loop the audio back to the receiver with the optical if I were to loose any quality in the audio. In any case I think I'll end up getting an optical for the cable...any of you guys know a good cheap on-line seller of good quality optical cables?

There is 1 and only one place to go for high quality/cheap cabling/accesories

www.monoprice.com

Check out this Premium Digital Toslink Optical CAble for $5.  I have a couple and they are very nicely built and work perfect.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022901&p_id=2765&seq=1&format=2

They also sell Plasma wall mounts for $25 or so to. Work great!

Hey Jason,

 I just tested some things out.

When I walked into the sound room, our Xbox360 was feeding digital audio out to the receiver via an optical connection. I turned off the TV and nothing happened. This is what I expected.

I then turned on the Blu-ray player half expecting the Onkyo to switch to the Blu-Ray input. It did not. I started a CD in the Blu-Ray player and saw that it was running. I switched the Onkyo to the Blu-Ray input and the Blu-Ray player reset to the main menu as I expected it to. I got the music playing and all was well. When I turned the TV OFF, the sound disappeared.

It appears that the HDCP protocal is the issue. Here's what I suggest:

If your DVD player has an optical connection (or coaxial) in addition to the HDMI connection, you could run that to one of your Onkyo's inputs for CD audio without having the TV on. There will be a difference in sound quality between running a digital signal and an analog signal. Unless you have a mighty nice player with premium DACs built in, the Burr Brown DACs in your Onkyo should be superior and provide the best audio.

As for running Optical from your TV to your receiver: This will be fine in most cases, but if you want to hear Dolby Digital Tru HD or DTS Master HD tracks on Blu-Ray movies, then you must use your HDMI connection to the receiver. Those formats will not pass via an optical connection.

Hope this helps!

CD

 

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Caleb Denison
Home Theater Guru
Aperionaudio.com

HDCP...just as I suspected in my earlier post on this thread. Thanks for testing Caleb. Now I don't have to do it!

Here is the real simple solution to the issue. Assuming you are not listening to SACD or DVD Audio, just get a stand alone CD player, and hook it up with RCA connections. Cheap solution! You can even get a small one if space is an issue.

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Scottiemon

I think the Oppo players are the solution to everything... well, perhaps excluding world peace, poverty and George W. SACD and DVD-A via analog out and HDMI for everything else, including killer standard DVD upconversion. The downside is the 6 RCA cables going from the Oppo to the Onkyo.

You know what? I think Oppo needs to send me a free player. I think I've sold about 100 for them at this point.

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Caleb Denison
Home Theater Guru
Aperionaudio.com

Man I hate jumping the gun. But I did so here.

I don't think the TV needs to be on. I THINK what you need to avoid is activating or deactivating a connected HDMI device (like the TV) while the music is playing. If you start a CD in your player prior to turning the TV on, it should play just fine. If you turn on your TV set while it is playing, it will reset the player back to it's menu. If you have a CD playing with the TV on and you turn it off, it will be interrupted but if you press play again on the player (even with the TV off) your music should resume.

 

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Caleb Denison
Home Theater Guru
Aperionaudio.com

OK, here's what I tried. 

PS3 on, Onkyo on, TV off, all cables connected, insert CD into PS3 -> CD plays as expected (I have auto play on for the PS3)
PS3 on, Onkyo on, TV off, disconnected optical out from TV, insert CD into PS3 -> CD plays as expected
PS3 on, Onkyo on, TV off, disconnected optical out from TV and HDMI out from Onkyo, insert CD into PS3 -> CD plays as expected
PS3 on, Onkyo on, TV off, disconnected optical out from TV and HDMI out from Onkyo, insert DVD into PS3 -> DVD plays as expected

Basically, all scenarios worked as I think they should.

Now, as for what Caleb just said is somewhat true for me.  As shown above I can play a CD while the TV is off just fine.  If I turn on the TV while the CD is playing then it cuts out for a second but then resumes playing.  It doesn't go to the menu but I'm assuming that's because it's a PS3.  Not sure.  If I turn off the TV while it's playing then it cuts out for a few seconds but then resumes just fine.

I really don't think it's an HDCP issue.  Jason, I would try disconnecting all your a/v equipment except the DVD or PS3 and remove the HDMI to the TV and see what happens.  That will isolate the exact scenario you want and hopefully that will work and then you can one by one add back in the other connections and see when it stops working.

Bryan

Hi Caleb,

 Is there a reason you set the mains negative and leave the sub around 0.  I tuned my Onkyo 705 with the mains around zero and bumped the sub up.  Is one way better than the other?

 

Regards,

Steven