Denon 3900h - setup issues - is this just borked?

[Marc v E]

Does the PS5 Pro black out only during gameplay at 120 Hz, or does it also black out while sitting idle on the PS5 home screen (60 Hz)?

 

[tearfalls]

Does the PS5 Pro black out only during gameplay at 120 Hz, or does it also black out while sitting idle on the PS5 home screen (60 Hz)?

Only during 4K 120hz Vrr gameplay.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

Quick update with the new android TV box - everything is working properly with the 3900h.

I can set the HDMI output mode to enhanced/8k enhanced - no video glitches / no on off on off cycles. No drama - just works.

For anyone interested in the buzz TV g series as a potential replacement of the nVidia shield, 4 hours in I see no downside.

Seems as fast as the shield in UI use, kodi working great, youtube now gets AV1 decoding & HDR, netflix working in 4k with dolby vision. Set at 4k 60hz, HDR10 & Dolby vision working glitch free (buzz box does support HLG & HDR10+, but my TV doesn't - so could not test those).

The nVidia shield remote pairs up with the buzz tv g series also - a bonus if you prefer the nVidia remote. (I do).

I saw some early reviews of the box saying some limits to audio passthrough with hi-def sources - but testing with kodi I see passthrough of everything, and the denon 3900h identifying the right sound profile & switching automatically.

All the standard stuff, dolby atmos, TrueHD 7.1, DTS-X, DTS-X MA - everyything looks spot on.

I guess that's the end of my mission, nVidia shield will be up on ebay shortly.

 

[Ruediger]

If you decode in Kodi - multichannel pcm, aac, truehd, dts-hd - can you send 7.1 pcm channels to the AVR?

There was a limit with Android. I wonder if it is out of the way now.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

I select 7.1 channels as the output mode in kodi, then enable audio passthrough with everything enabled.

I hear sound from all 7 speakers - that's as far as I've got. Possible the AVR is upmixing, either way - happy bunny.

 

[Ruediger]

Did a quick search on the Buzz box. Amlogic hardware, the smaller SoC. Thought so... in theory it can also run CoreElec.

But it's all about the software with this vendor. Android 14 TV, DV certified, DRM working.. all you asked for.

It's too much Google invasion for my taste, but looks like a media box done right.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

Just checked - true hd 7.1 source in kodi, clean pass through to the denon 3900h, correctly identified & decoded.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

 

[Ruediger]

Passthrough is never a problem. But a processor is needed then.

Decoding various formats on the box, possibly mixing channels and sending x.x channels pcm to output - that can have hard limits.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

We might be talking about different things.

Unimpeded passthrough & having all audio decoded by the denon 3900h is exactly the goal I was looking for.

When this box had day 1 reviews, it was reported that not all formats were able to be passed through - I’m not seeing that.

 

[Tre2023]

I bought the buzz tv g series (certified). New box for 2026, latest amlogic processor s905x5m, 4gb ram, 64GB storage, wifi 6, AI upscaling, properly google certified Google TV 14. Has gigabit ethernet & toslink outputs - I won't be using those.

The remote for it looks to be pretty good too & not a flimsy horrible thing.

I see some weakness in the audio passthrough (so no TrueHD, no DTS-HD MA) - but it's a technicality for me as I don't download huge remuxes & won't see those audio formats regardless.

From what I can see it has all the latest HDR options, HDMI 2.1, the youtube HDR codecs, and works with the full versions of netflix in 4k etc.

Will be weaker for gaming than the shield (but I never did that), I need Netflix, Youtube, Kodi (for local download library) - so fingers crossed will be a good fit.

If it works nicely with the denon 3900h, I'm pretty sure it meets my needs.

Feedback once it's up & running.

Any info on the Buzz TV G Series supporting DTS:X profile 2 for Disney+ IMAX Enhanced titles?

 

[Ruediger]

We might be talking about different things.

Unimpeded passthrough & having all audio decoded by the denon 3900h is exactly the goal I was looking for.

When this box had day 1 reviews, it was reported that not all formats were able to be passed through - I’m not seeing that.

Yep, your requirement is different than mine.

What it can passthrough depends on the player and on the receiving unit. If you look at the list in Kodi, almost any AVR can take those. What it doesn't say (here) is that it also sends Atmos and DTS:X over.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

I'm definitely not an 'expert' on these many many models of media box (nor the AVR to be honest).

From the hours & hours of looking at different models of media box / different specs / different use cases - I'm convinced there is no perfect box out there right now. All seem to have strengths & weaknesses, compromises with some feature or other.

I'm not saying the box I have bought is the best in the world - just that it meets my needs & I'm happy with it. From all those out there, the buzz tv g series feels like the closest replacement to a nVidia shield functionality wise & gains the new codecs / HDR support / HDMI 2.1 - and most importantly - fuss free simple setup with the Denon 3900h.

What I can say for sure, is that I've found a way to run Youtube (4k 60hz with HDR), Netflix (4k 60hz + HDR10, DV), and Kodi (4k 60hz, all sound modes that I have access to) - with the denon 3900h.

Can't speak to challenges with other players, or other units like the playstation 5 (I don't have them).

So I'm happy

After several weeks of working with the vendor, denon support, software updates, trying all ports, switching out cables, hard resets, menu choices, 2x different Denon 3900h's, talking to others facing the same challenge - my own conclusion is that the nVidia shield / denon 3900h is an incompatible combo if you want 4k60 with HDR - it just does not allow you to select anything for the HDMI output mode above basic lower bandwidth modes.

Maybe this will change going forwards, I hope this journey from an early adopter helps others.

 

[Ruediger]

To me the most valuable info here is that the 3900 has no problem.

As for the media player, it's always good to see more choices. The perfect player doesn't exist. Requirements are too different. But you found a very good one for your 3 goals.

 

[Insearchofthedream]

I'm not sure that's my conclusion.

The denon 3900h has HDMI 2.1 ports - they should be backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0, in the same way as my LG Tv has 2.1 ports, but they work with previous HDMI versions just fine.

Something about the HDMI config / hardware on the Denon 3900 (may be hardware / may be firmware) is resulting in less than perfect compatibility with some products. I've found issues with the nVidia shield, seen reports of PS5 problems too.

No idea how widespread this is - but it's a thing. Give it a year, we will have a better picture.

 

[Miker 1102]

I'm not sure that's my conclusion.

The denon 3900h has HDMI 2.1 ports - they should be backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0, in the same way as my LG Tv has 2.1 ports, but they work with previous HDMI versions just fine.

Something about the HDMI config / hardware on the Denon 3900 (may be hardware / may be firmware) is resulting in less than perfect compatibility with some products. I've found issues with the nVidia shield, seen reports of PS5 problems too.

No idea how widespread this is - but it's a thing. Give it a year, we will have a better picture.

I am going to take mine out of the box and run my shield and let you know if I fare better. I was thinking about sending it to Amir. It is a refurb though.

 

[peng]

I am going to take mine out of the box and run my shield and let you know if I fare better. I was thinking about sending it to Amir. It is a refurb though.

If you are talking about the 3900, not the shield, you may want to double check with Amir first before sending it in because I think (not 100% sure) someone has already sent him one.

 

[Miker 1102]

If you are talking about the 3900, not the shield, you may want to double check with Amir first before sending it in because I think (not 100% sure) someone has already sent him one.

Yeah I was talking about the 3900. I kept in the box thinking he could meaure it. I thought a multichannel dac was called for in the 3800 and am looking forward to reading the review. I will ask him..thank you

 

[doodlebro]

If you are talking about the 3900, not the shield, you may want to double check with Amir first before sending it in because I think (not 100% sure) someone has already sent him one.

Yes, Amir has my 3900h until the review goes up!

 

[Miker 1102]

Yes, Amir has my 3900h until the review goes up!

Great. Look forward to it.