1058 with bluray dvd

[lxgreen]

I recently purchased a 1058 and want to use it with a new 1058p tv and bluray dvd. Since the 1058 does not have HDMI 1.3 to optimize the audio/video in blueray technology, the dealer told me i could get the best audio by setting up the dvdplayer with 6 multichannel cables to the 1058 and then use an HDMI cable from the blueray player directly to the TV. He said the Rotel video is not the best and his recommended configuration would be the best way to go and would look as good or better compared to a HDMI 1.3 cable going to a new 15 series Rotel. Does this make sense and is it correct? thanks

[dmcgowan]

You will get the newer (better) audio via the 5.1ch or 7.1ch analogue outs as your dealer described. Not sure about video quality of new 15 series, but what he suggested will work just fine.

[hifiguymi]

If you have a BD player that does decoding in it, then use the HDMI to the RSX-1058 and then to the TV. Set the HDMI bypass to yes on the RSX-1058 and you should be good.

Your dealer is correct that the scaler in the RSX-1058 is not very good and that is why Rotel now has a bypass option. Using the DACs and analog section in the RSX-1058 should be better than what is in your BD player.

Eric

[Blindamood]

Does the 1058 support HDMI 1.1, like the RSP-1069? If so, it would be best to let the player send the PCM audio (not bitstream) to the 1058 via HDMI. No need for 6 analog cables if it at least supports 1.1.

[hifiguymi]

The RSX-1058 and the RSP-1069 are both HDMI 1.1 so the RSX-1058 will do PCM over HDMI.

Eric

[lxgreen]

i just spoke to Rotel technical support. I did not get his name, but he told me that using HDMI from a BD player that can process the new audio formats will give me equally quality audio as if I used the multichannel cables. It would support all the new audio formats as long as the BD player did the processing. The only advantage of the 1.3 HDMI in newer receivers is the ability to advertise this and use the logo. This would also be true with using the HDMI 1.1 for video since the newer video formats used in current content with the exception of some games.

Any recommendations as to the best BD players that have this processing ability? The local Rotel dealer told me the Pioneer 51 FD was just about as good as the Pioneer Elite 05 FD.

[hifiguymi]

The sound quality won't necessarily be the same using the HDMI and using a handful of analog cables. If you use the analog cables you will hear the digital to analog converters and the analog section of the BD player. In addition you need a BD player that has the ability to do speaker distance, channel level, and subwoofer crossover. The Pioneer players are woefully short on those features. I would stick to using the HDMI from a decoding player (the Sony BDP-S550, Samsung BD-P2500, Pioneer BDP-51FD, Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD, Panasonic DMP-BD35K and DMP-BD55K will all do it) and call it good.

As for which player out of that bunch, I don't have experience with the Panasonics but the Sony BDP-S550 is pretty nice for the money.

Eric