# Just bought Onkyo 806... can't get TrueHD to be recognized



## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

Ok, yeah... I'm stupid.

The manual is useless. I'm trying to set the receiver up so it will just play the correct audio. Currently it just seems to pick whatever it feels like. I'm playing Iron Man and can't get TrueHD to light up. I have a Sony 350 bluray player and I'm going through HDMI. 

Could someone please give me a quick tutorial on the correct settings? My old Onkyo just did the right thing automatically. I looked at the listening modes and they are all on "Last Valid". HDMI audio is working but when I play Iron Man it selected Multi Channel the first time. PCM is lit up and HDMI is lit up. What am I doing wrong?

Also, I have a 5.1 system, am I supposed to use side surrounds or rear surrounds?

Darren


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

I believe you would use the surround, not surround back, for a 5.1 configuration. Just make sure you go into the speaker setup menu so it knows you don't have rear surrounds.

Next go into the menu on your bluray player and make sure it is configured to output bitstream not PCM. Once you do that, the onkyo should detect it. :T


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

hddummy said:


> I believe you would use the surround, not surround back, for a 5.1 configuration. Just make sure you go into the speaker setup menu so it knows you don't have rear surrounds.
> 
> Next go into the menu on your bluray player and make sure it is configured to output bitstream not PCM. Once you do that, the onkyo should detect it. :T


Thanks, got my speaker setup done but still have the audio issue. 

None of my audio settings are set to PCM on the dvd player, still have the same problem.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Ok, I have the 805 so it basically the same receiver.

First go into the menu of the 806 and select the listening mode preset (Page 87 in your manual) You need to select the mode for that input meaning if it receives TruHD what is the default sorround mode that you want to to use if it received TruHD.
You will need to do that to all the modes in that list, the other thing to note is do you have a 7.1 speaker setup and you wnat the rear speaker to be matrixed you will have to select one of the modes that will do so because almost all BluRay movies only have 5.1 DTS Master audio or TruHD so if you leave it set to just TruHD or DTS MA you will not hear anything out of the back speakers.

Another note is that you must select DTS MA or TruHD in the BluRay DVDs audio setup menu or it will only play Dolby Digital+


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

Ok, I tried that early on but had similar results... I'll try again carefully tonight when I get home and report back. Is there a mapping for what should be set to what? I noticed some settings like DTS MA aren't listed in the options so I didn't know what to set for that.

If I remember correctly I set TrueHD to TrueHD in the settings and still ended up with PCM and whatever the receiver was on prior.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Darren said:


> Ok, I tried that early on but had similar results... I'll try again carefully tonight when I get home and report back. Is there a mapping for what should be set to what?


This is a bit of trial and error as it depends on what you like, I have most of mine set to THX Ultra 7.1 or THX cinema 7.1 as I like how that sounds for movies.


> I noticed some settings like DTS MA aren't listed in the options so I didn't know what to set for that.


If thats the case then that just means that its not available for that mode (DTS MA and TruHD only work for BluRay movies through HDMI)



> If I remember correctly I set TrueHD to TrueHD in the settings and still ended up with PCM and whatever the receiver was on prior.


Do you have your input for the BluRay selected on the Onkyo to HDMI? also you need to make sure that the BluRay player is set to bitstream (I know you said you do) and that you dont have dynamic compression turned on. What player are you using? Could you have a setting in the Onkyo that passes the audio through to the display. Try turning that off if it does, sometimes this will cause the receiver to default to a lower audio stetting because obviously the display cant read the new uncompressed audio formats.


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

tonyvdb said:


> This is a bit of trial and error as it depends on what you like, I have most of mine set to THX Ultra 7.1 or THX cinema 7.1 as I like how that sounds for movies.
> 
> If thats the case then that just means that its not available for that mode (DTS MA and TruHD only work for BluRay movies through HDMI)
> 
> ...


 
Everything is set to go through the HDMI... I didn't see bitstream option anywhere specifically on the DVD player. I'll try all of what you are suggesting tonight. Sucks being a noob again... lots to learn all over.

Oh, I have the sony 350


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

Ok, got it all figured out but noticed something disturbing. 

Every so often the video goes black when using HDMI. The Tivo, in the Guide, or while watching bluray DVD... anyone seen this? It goes black for a second and comes back. I rewind and play again and it doesn't do it.


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

So what was the problem with the audio?


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

hddummy said:


> So what was the problem with the audio?


No problem with audio anymore, it was a setting on the dvd player. It was set for Mixed and needed to be Direct. 

I how have a new issue that has been uncovered... I think it might be my Panny plasma. I've had the TV for a couple years now but never had anything with HDMI. Since hooking up the HDMI as the primary source for video I've noticed the screen occasionally going black, sometimes for a second, other times until I hit TV/Video at which time it comes back. 

Could this be a weak signal from the HDMI cable? Something else? Audio remains during this blackout.

Darren


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

This sounds like the good old handshake problem, HDMI cables are either good or bad they almost always fail completely but it could be worth it to try another one.


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

tonyvdb said:


> This sounds like the good old handshake problem, HDMI cables are either good or bad they almost always fail completely but it could be worth it to try another one.


Sounds like an easy fix but guess what... my HDMI cable is burried behind brick 

This will just kill me if that is what it is. Of course my TV only does 1080i so I could use the component video cables that are run. I could still continue to use the HDMI for audio and probably be good at that point. I'll hang another HDMI from the TV outside the wall to verify first though.

Thanks for the info. That was a 15' HDMI cable. I had to chisle out a whole row of bricks, run the cable, then mortar them back in. UGH!

Hm, can other cables run close to the HDMI cable cause this issue as well? It happens maybe once every few hours. I really dread having to pull that brick out again.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Darren said:


> Hm, can other cables run close to the HDMI cable cause this issue as well? It happens maybe once every few hours. I really dread having to pull that brick out again.


Unless its power no, Power cables can cause interference if run along side any video cables.
Try another HDMI cable first and see if that solves it.


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## Darren (Apr 20, 2006)

Well, I had to run the power along side the cables going to the TV, no issues with other cables but it is there so that is a possibility. I had no other choice. I'll try another cable before I do anything.


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2008)

Hello Darren,

Your original topic for this thread was that you had a problem getting True HD to be recognized by your 806. 

I'm having the same problem with my 806 and sony 550.

What did you do to resolve this problem? What are your settings?

My sony 550 is set to direct and all I ever really see on my onkyo 806 is multichannel. I've tried Iron man which is master audio and Golden Compass.


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2008)

okay need similar help aswell. just bought the 806 and have it hooked up to a ps3 via hdmi 1.3a the same thing is happening to me the thing wont say dtshd and when listening to music from the ps3 cant choose any good decoders. so please help me out please please please


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

MNATIQ said:


> okay need similar help aswell. just bought the 806 and have it hooked up to a ps3 via hdmi 1.3a the same thing is happening to me the thing wont say dtshd and when listening to music from the ps3 cant choose any good decoders. so please help me out please please please


Welcome to the Shack,
I have an Onkyo 805 receiver and I'm assuming that the setup is fairly similar. In the receivers Menu there will be a section called something like "listening mode presets" under the audio adjustments. You will be given a list of surround formats on the left (Dolby Digital, DTS and so on) and a default mode that you can edit on the right. You need to go through the list one by one and tell the receiver what mode you prefer when it receives that signal.
The receiver defaults to "last mode selected" for each surround type I have changed all of mine to default to the one I like best for each one in the list. For example DTS I set for THX Ultra Cinema as that will the automaticly apply not only the DTS processing but matrix the rear channels as i have a 7.1 speaker setup. and DTS is only 5.1 normally.
For the Music listening modes I selected the mode available that I liked. You will notice that with some modes there are only a few choices like "all channel stereo" or "Neo6" this is normal as an analog signal will not have the digital modes available like DTS or Dolby Digital.
Your 806 is basicly the same as my 805 this is what I suggest what may work well for you.

For all of the settings on all inputs I have basically picked the same modes.

Analog/PCM----Neural THX 7.1
Dolby digital----THX Ultra2 7.1
DTS-----------THX Ultra2 7.1
DTS MA-------THX Ultra2 7.1
Dolby TruHD---THX Ultra2 7.1

There are more in the list but these are the ones that you will use most often.
For the Tru HD and DTS MA modes I selected THX modes as they only add to the the DTS MA or TruHD as I have 7.1 and almost all BluRay DVDs only have 5.1 and i want the rear channels to be matrixed off the sides.
For your CD input or what ever you use for music if you like music expanded to all 5.1 or 7.1 channels then I suggest All channel stereo for low background music but when listening to it a higher volumes your better off using Neural THX 7.1, Neo:6 or the Dolby PLIIx mode.
Direct mode is fantastic for simple two channel mode. My only issue is that is does not use the sub in that mode so straight stereo is another option.


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2008)

thanks a tonne tony


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

MNATIQ said:


> okay need similar help aswell. just bought the 806 and have it hooked up to a ps3 via hdmi 1.3a the same thing is happening to me the thing wont say dtshd and when listening to music from the ps3 cant choose any good decoders. so please help me out please please please


Unless recent firmware updates have changed it, also be aware that the PS3 does not output DDTrueHD or DTS MA through any connection method. It will decode them internally and output PCM over HDMI only. This is not bad and you will be getting a the original high quality audio, just in a different format. Because of this, you should never see DTSMA or DDTHD light up on your receiver.


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## SkiSmuggs (Oct 21, 2008)

He has the Sony 350, but I don't believe it bitstreams HD audio either, in which case PCM or Multichannel is what the 806 should show for HD audio.


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