HDMI switching pre / processor
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lugano
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Cherian
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Lugano, I am looking for something like
http://nadelectronics.com/products/masters-series/M15-Surround-Sound-Preamplifier
Thanks
Cherian
http://nadelectronics.com/products/masters-series/M15-Surround-Sound-Preamplifier
Thanks
Cherian
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Pcar928fan
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I would wait till you can get one w/ HDMI 1.3 or you will likely run into handshaking problems. Also a later 1.3 pre/pro will be able to handle the newer DTS and DD formats... YMMV.
Reverb2009
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Brand new from Onkyo with HDMI 1.3 switching.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-00S1RqxZ5P7/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=10420&I=580TXS605S
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-00S1RqxZ5P7/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=10420&I=580TXS605B
Reverb2009
Well-known member
Also Denon has a new HT Pre-amp coming out this summer that will have HDMI 1.3 switching built in.
Reverb2009
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As far as separates go you don’t have a lot of options right now. There are only seven pre-amps I can think of off the top of my head with HDMI.
Anthem AVM-40 (switching)
Anthem AVM-50 (video scalar)
Anthem Statement D2 (video Scalar)
SunFire theater grand 5 (switching)
Halcro SSP-70 (video scalar)
Halcro SSP-100 (video scalar)
Arcam AV9 (switching)
Anthem AVM-40 (switching)
Anthem AVM-50 (video scalar)
Anthem Statement D2 (video Scalar)
SunFire theater grand 5 (switching)
Halcro SSP-70 (video scalar)
Halcro SSP-100 (video scalar)
Arcam AV9 (switching)
lugano
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Well, if you can afford the waiting, then - as James said - wait till HDMI 1.3 is offered, allowing your investment to keep joyous handshaking with everything that's due to appear in the next years.
Cherian,
My $0.02 :
Skip trying to get both in one unit, it’s always a major compromise.
You can get excellent audio in whatever pre you choose (My recommendation: Meridian 568.1 @~$$1,175) Here's one on A'Gon.
Then add a remote controlled HMDI switcher @~$150 (monoprice)
Plus a universal, macro capable remote, and voila, best of both worlds.
Your technical, so this would not be a challenge to set up.
The value of top-notch audio processing can not be ignored. I highly recommend the Meridain.
Cheers,
Jonathan
My $0.02 :
Skip trying to get both in one unit, it’s always a major compromise.
You can get excellent audio in whatever pre you choose (My recommendation: Meridian 568.1 @~$$1,175) Here's one on A'Gon.
Then add a remote controlled HMDI switcher @~$150 (monoprice)
Plus a universal, macro capable remote, and voila, best of both worlds.
Your technical, so this would not be a challenge to set up.
The value of top-notch audio processing can not be ignored. I highly recommend the Meridain.
Cheers,
Jonathan
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Reverb2009
Well-known member
Lets say he does that and go’s with an external HDMI switcher then buys a Blu-Ray/HD DVD player. How is he going to get the new audio formats into his new pre-amp without HDMI on the pre-amp to strip the audio away?
Reverb2009
Well-known member
Pcar928fan
Well-known member
Thanks Zip. All of them are more than I can spend. Looks like I will need to save for a few more months.
None of those are 1.3 HDMI either...
Pcar928fan
Well-known member
He won't... That is why you need to wait for 1.3.
To answer the post that followed, 1.3 is supposed to take care of the many, many bugs that have infected earlier versions of HDMI that make is so that many pieces won't see each other or at least won't speak the same language to each other. When my Sony 70" RPTV arrived the guys setting it up were glad to see my HDMI was out of a DirecTV box as they don't have problems w/ those. They said when a receiver is sending the signal or it is coming from a T/W cable box the TV often won't see it or respond properly to it and/or the system will require frequent resets.... SUCK!
1.3 WON'T be perfect of that you can be sure, but it will be MUCH BETTER than what is current....
Reverb2009
Well-known member
You have some crazy ideas about how HDMI works.
HDMI 1.1 can pass a Dolby Plus/ True HD audio track as long as it’s processed in the player first. What HDMI 1.3 adds is higher bandwidth so you can pass an uncompressed single over HDMI to have the Dolby Plus/True HD track decoded in the processor.
HDMI 1.3 is not important for Dolby true HD you can enjoy that now over HDMI 1.1. HDMI 1.3 is important for DTS-HD, because DTS does not want their format decoded in the player, only in the processor. So you will need HDMI 1.3 for that, but there is currently no DTS-HD software available, so who cares at this point.
HDMI 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 are all built off each other and are backwards compatible with each other. What you have to keep in mind is both components have to be the same version to use the features of the higher version.
There are handshaking issues with some components, Yes. But if you had done some research you would know that the reason some components have handshaking issues is because some companies did not adhere to the HDMI spec. They cut corners to save time and money but ultimately released flawed components. DVDO makes video scalier’s and have been dealing with the handshake issue, lots of people have been blaming DVDO for delivering a faulty product but it’s the few cable boxes and DVD players that are the culprit. DVDO has been releasing firmware updates to try and help people and their handshaking issues. If the component manufactures had stuck to the HDMI spec and not cut corners this would not be a problem. None of my HDMI products have a handshaking issue.
HDMI 1.3 demands manufactures to adhere to the speck so this hand shaking issue should not be a problem with HDMI 1.3 to 1.3 components but HDMI 1.1, 1.2 to 1.3 components may still have this handshaking issue.
Pcar928fan
Well-known member
Hey Joe, before you start throwing stones go back and read the post. Everything you said about True HD sound and whatever else is out there is correct and I know it is. He asked if he DID NOT have HDMI inputs into the Pre and instead used an outboard HDMI switcher how would he get True HD, etc! HE WOULD NOT! Unless it is magically being transferred through the air! It DOES require an HDMI cable to get those! My understanding is that mult. ch. analog DOES NOT pass those on...nor optical or analog digital outs...
And further I don't give a crap WHY one company does not handshake with another companies gear, just that it does or does NOT as is the case many times! That is/was the point in the beginning of this thread. From what I have read v1.3 compliant gear will do a MUCH better job with that. So bite me Joe!
And further I don't give a crap WHY one company does not handshake with another companies gear, just that it does or does NOT as is the case many times! That is/was the point in the beginning of this thread. From what I have read v1.3 compliant gear will do a MUCH better job with that. So bite me Joe!
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Well, if the goal is to process the 5.1 PCM (or the new HD formats), then one would need to wait a good bit for an HDMI 1.3 complaint pre. and those will all likely be >$3K for starters.
As you mention HD formats, it made me realize my recommendation is off base, as the 568.1 does not have 5.1 analogue in, so I retract that one. That puts Cherian back in the hunt for a pre-pro with 5.1 in.
The Meridian G68 has it, but used they start at $4K.
But even with a 5.1 in, it still begs the question of how to handle multiple players (HD/BR/DVD-A). So that’s a mess.
It might be best just to hold tight until a decent receiver with pre-outs shows up. As we see from the Onkyo’s mentioned, this capability does not need to cost an arm and a leg.
I know I’m waiting until the following is true before upgrading my pre-pro:
- 5 HDMI 1.3 compliant inputs
- 3 HD Component inputs
- 3 S-Video inputs
- 2 HDMI 1.3 outputs
- - Upscaling of non-hd signals to 1080i/p
- Handle 8ch PCM over HDMI
- Handle True-HD and other new codec formats natively
- 8ch Digital audio out (24/96 or better) to feed active crossovers (pipe dream I know, no one will output >16/44 due to DMCA/RIAA/MPAA/DRM/and other bone-head orgs and reasons).
You know, with HDMI, it actually becomes possible to have a two box solution:
- Video selector & scaler. Something like the Lumagen RadianceXG
- A top notch pre-pro with HDMI 1.3 in for just the audio. Takes the second output of the RadianceXG and pulls audio from that. Does mean the pre-pro must have mappable inputs so you can pull all audio from one input (the G68 has this).
This is why I’m likely to do the two box vs waiting for the ideal one-box.
Pcar928fan
Well-known member
JonFo,
I am right with you on this one! I am looking for the same thing, but I suspect we are more than a year out and maybe 2 years out before the high end really gets on the band wagon and is producing not only these features but doing it with SUPER high quality that is astheticly pleasing to me!
I love my Rotel 1098 because of the 7" TFT screen, but all the high end guys that have screens either can't do what the Rotel can do (play a different source on the TFT vs. a monitor) and none of them are in ANY hurry to move to 1.3 HDMI, and/or I am not a big fan of the looks of the component.
YMMV!
I am right with you on this one! I am looking for the same thing, but I suspect we are more than a year out and maybe 2 years out before the high end really gets on the band wagon and is producing not only these features but doing it with SUPER high quality that is astheticly pleasing to me!
I love my Rotel 1098 because of the 7" TFT screen, but all the high end guys that have screens either can't do what the Rotel can do (play a different source on the TFT vs. a monitor) and none of them are in ANY hurry to move to 1.3 HDMI, and/or I am not a big fan of the looks of the component.
YMMV!
DTB300
Well-known member
I feel like I am at AVSForum....So bite me Joe!
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