Thanks for the responses. Let me see if I have got this right. A typical
DVD Player with 5.1 system OUGHT to handle stereo sources (eg CDs and MP3
CDROMs) in one of the following two ways:

1. If the two front speakers are full range, then the sound signals can go
out as conventional L/R stereo (2.0)

2. If the two front speakers are mid/upper range only, then there should be
an option on the DVD player to set the speakers as "small" or "satellite"
and send sound as L and R plus central subwoofer (2.1)

Does that sound right? Well, I don't seem to have this option on my DVD
Player........

Steve

Steve W wrote:
Thanks for the responses. Let me see if I have got this right. A
typical DVD Player with 5.1 system OUGHT to handle stereo sources (eg
CDs and MP3 CDROMs) in one of the following two ways:

1. If the two front speakers are full range, then the sound signals
can go out as conventional L/R stereo (2.0)

2. If the two front speakers are mid/upper range only, then there
should be an option on the DVD player to set the speakers as "small"
or "satellite" and send sound as L and R plus central subwoofer (2.1)

Does that sound right? Well, I don't seem to have this option on my
DVD Player........


Right and wrong. Yes on my Panny S75 I have a bass management option, but
then it's designed for use with different speakers and secondary use with CD
and DVD-A. And it wasn't 50 quid.

Your DVD player decodes 6 channels from a dolby digital stream and passes
them to a 6 channel amp in the subwoofer. It probably has no processing
internally. So it's probably very good value for money for watching films.
So be happy, and as mentioned elsewhere save up for a bigger and more
flexible system later. In the mean time enjoy your intro to surround....


--
"Get a paper bag"

Thanks - that eases my mind considerably! I was starting to do a bit of
post-rationalisation myself and coming to the view that I could hardly
grumble for £50. It just means I will need to keep my existing audio system
"in parallel" for playing music CDs using the digital out on the DVD Player,
and switching to 5.1 only when I play DVD films.

But I did rather hint to my wife that the new set up would allow me to shift
the old Wharfedale speakers out of the living room, and so now I'm going to
have to break the bad news to her....

All the best
Steve

"Tim S Kemp" wrote in message
...
Steve W wrote:
Thanks for the responses. Let me see if I have got this right. A
typical DVD Player with 5.1 system OUGHT to handle stereo sources (eg
CDs and MP3 CDROMs) in one of the following two ways:

1. If the two front speakers are full range, then the sound signals
can go out as conventional L/R stereo (2.0)

2. If the two front speakers are mid/upper range only, then there
should be an option on the DVD player to set the speakers as "small"
or "satellite" and send sound as L and R plus central subwoofer (2.1)

Does that sound right? Well, I don't seem to have this option on my
DVD Player........


Right and wrong. Yes on my Panny S75 I have a bass management option, but
then it's designed for use with different speakers and secondary use with
CD
and DVD-A. And it wasn't 50 quid.

Your DVD player decodes 6 channels from a dolby digital stream and passes
them to a 6 channel amp in the subwoofer. It probably has no processing
internally. So it's probably very good value for money for watching films.
So be happy, and as mentioned elsewhere save up for a bigger and more
flexible system later. In the mean time enjoy your intro to surround....


--
"Get a paper bag"

Steve W wrote:

Thanks - that eases my mind considerably! I was starting to do a bit of
post-rationalisation myself and coming to the view that I could hardly
grumble for £50. It just means I will need to keep my existing audio system
"in parallel" for playing music CDs using the digital out on the DVD Player,
and switching to 5.1 only when I play DVD films.

But I did rather hint to my wife that the new set up would allow me to shift
the old Wharfedale speakers out of the living room, and so now I'm going to
have to break the bad news to her....

But did you try the digital input to the amp?
I don't recall you saying that it didn't have one.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...
Steve W wrote:

Thanks - that eases my mind considerably! I was starting to do a bit of
post-rationalisation myself and coming to the view that I could hardly
grumble for £50. It just means I will need to keep my existing audio
system
"in parallel" for playing music CDs using the digital out on the DVD
Player,
and switching to 5.1 only when I play DVD films.

But I did rather hint to my wife that the new set up would allow me to
shift
the old Wharfedale speakers out of the living room, and so now I'm going
to
have to break the bad news to her....

But did you try the digital input to the amp?
I don't recall you saying that it didn't have one.

Sorry I didn't mention that. No, the amp only has six phono inputs. I
admit that I still don't understand how I would connect the digital out from
the DVD Player to the analogue stereo inputs of my existing hifi amplifier.
Can that be done, or do I need to simply connect the FL and FR channels from
the DVD Player to the L and R inputs of my old amp?

I still need to be able to play my NTL Cable box, my portable minidisc
player and my Nicam Video Recorder out through my hifi. So I think I now
have two options:

1. Connect my existing two full range speakers to the 5.1 amp as FL and FR
and use the new 5.1 amp as the only "hifi" system. In which case I need
some kind of switching system for my inputs (DVD, MD, Cable Box, VCR).
Maplins, here I come.

Or...

2. Keep the existing hifi in parallel, and set up all six new speakers in
addition to my present ones. Use the 5.1 amp and new speakers only for DVDs;
and use my existing amp and old speakers for everything else.

Steve

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:46:07 GMT, "Steve W"
wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Let me see if I have got this right. A typical
DVD Player with 5.1 system OUGHT to handle stereo sources (eg CDs and MP3
CDROMs) in one of the following two ways:

1. If the two front speakers are full range, then the sound signals can go
out as conventional L/R stereo (2.0)

2. If the two front speakers are mid/upper range only, then there should be
an option on the DVD player to set the speakers as "small" or "satellite"
and send sound as L and R plus central subwoofer (2.1)

Does that sound right?

Yes,

Well, I don't seem to have this option on my DVD
Player........

Too bad. You need to change this unit or get full-range speakers (or
an A/V receiver with bass management).

Kal