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Just got the MiniDSP Flex HTx device. It does work with AppleTV but I was looking forward to get also multichannel audio for the TV originated content (multichannel antenna broadcasts and TV internal apps) but these are always output as two channel audio. The TV in use a Sony KD-55AG9.
Does anyone know of any TV on the market which can provide multichannel PCM for its own content?
I don't believe so. Dolby (and the copyright holders) wants to prevent digital copying so the decoded PCM isn't usually available. ....They'd LIKE to prevent ANY copying but they are able to build restrictions into their hardware/software licensing.
Ok, guess I will need to stick with my current TV then which is no problem in itself.
Are there any eARC extractors or converters which could take the av-signal output from my TV (e.g. Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master ja DTS:X) and convert it into LPCM 7.1 and make it available via an eARC output of the extractor/converter?
Ok, guess I will need to stick with my current TV then which is no problem in itself.
Are there any eARC extractors or converters which could take the av-signal output from my TV (e.g. Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master ja DTS:X) and convert it into LPCM 7.1 and make it available via an eARC output of the extractor/converter?
The AppleTV does work very well? Easy to use and opens up surround music from Apple Music too. I found the entire process, from set up to following the manual for the various tabs etc, requires some time and a learning curve. Results are well worth it though.
The AppleTV does work very well? Easy to use and opens up surround music from Apple Music too. I found the entire process, from set up to following the manual for the various tabs etc, requires some time and a learning curve. Results are well worth it though.
Flex HTx/AppleTV work fine together but for the everyday use (multichannel content provided by antenna broadcasts and TV's own apps) I ended up ordering HD920PRO, a Chinese AV decoder/preamp to complement the setup. I am sure it cannot in any fashion compete with Flex HTx what comes to sound quality but it seems to work quite nicely though. First I connected the HD920PRO via the optical out from the TV but in this setup HD920PRO seemed to upmix everything to 5.1. This was ok but I wanted to connect it via HDMI and therefore got also a Marmitek connect AE34 audio extractor with eARC. This way I can connect both the Flex HTx and HD920PRO via the TVs eARC HDMI output.
The price of HD920PRO decoder/preamp roughly 1/10th of the Flex HTx. The price difference becomes obvious when browsing through the documentation which is available for the products, the firmware upgrade process, the remote control, etc.
Hd920 pro seems like questionable quality decoder..the price you pay for Flex HTx, does not make sense to handicap it. I would rather use an external source that outputs PCM (e.g. Apple TV) or insert an AVR as a Dolby decoder ahead of the Flex HTx.
Hd920 pro seems like questionable quality decoder..the price you pay for Flex HTx, does not make sense to handicap it. I would rather use an external source that outputs PCM (e.g. Apple TV) or insert an AVR as a Dolby decoder ahead of the Flex HTx.
I can use Flex HTx solo when streaming via Apple TV or when listening to music via the optical in, i.e. HD920PRO is bypassed totally. When watching multichannel antenna broadcasts I can go through HD920PRO and have multichannel sound.
The AVR option was what I used before I got Flex HTx. I had Cambridge Audio’s Azur 752 blueray player which had an eARC output/input and could decode but it broke down.
Most likely I would not have purchased Flex HTx had I known that TVs only pass through the multichannel LPCM and cannot produce LPCM for their own content.
Those who are more into REW measurements do you think that the quality difference between the Flex HTx and HD920PRO would show in room/speaker measurement? I could do two measurements, one with Flex HTx only and one where the signal first goes through HD920PRO. I think this what I could achieve if my ****** PC manages to do it with HD920PRO. I had to get an old Macbook Pro because REW would just not do multichannel output right with Flex HTx via the PC. Or are there some other REW measurements a beginner like me could carry out?
Those who are more into REW measurements do you think that the quality difference between the Flex HTx and HD920PRO would show in room/speaker measurement? I could do two measurements, one with Flex HTx only and one where the signal first goes through HD920PRO. I think this what I could achieve if my ****** PC manages to do it with HD920PRO. I had to get an old Macbook Pro because REW would just not do multichannel output right with Flex HTx via the PC. Or are there some other REW measurements a beginner like me could carry out?
That is a good idea who knows maybe it's a transparent product.
Baseline (Flex only): laptop → USB → Flex HTx. Set the OS output to 5.1 and REW can sweep channels directly.
HD920PRO path: laptop → HDMI → HD920PRO → (your normal HDMI/eARC extraction path) → Flex HTx. Set the laptop’s HDMI audio device to 5.1 so REW outputs multichannel over HDMI. Just a basic full sweep of all your channels just different pathways.
Look at distortion, group delay, impulse response.
That is a good idea who knows maybe it's a transparent product.
Baseline (Flex only): laptop → USB → Flex HTx. Set the OS output to 5.1 and REW can sweep channels directly.
HD920PRO path: laptop → HDMI → HD920PRO → (your normal HDMI/eARC extraction path) → Flex HTx. Set the laptop’s HDMI audio device to 5.1 so REW outputs multichannel over HDMI. Just a basic full sweep of all your channels just different pathways.
Look at distortion, group delay, impulse response.
I did not come to think of the HDMI route into HD920PRO. That would actually be much better because then I wouldn’t have to use the badly performing PC laptop at all. For that purpose I’ll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter though.
