1068 - lovely sound, but...

[hazard]

Hi all,

I'm a new member of the Rotel gang. Got my new processor a couple of weeks ago, a 1068, but I'm having a few problems with it. Anyone else here relate to these ?

Issues are (in increasing order of annoyance):

1) video out stuck on NTSC - there is an option in setup which toggles between PAL and NTSC output for the menu screens. No matter which setting is selected, the processor outputs NTSC.

2) cannot switch off OSD - again there is an option in the setup menus, but regardless of whether it is set to "on" or "off" - the on screen graphics still appear.

3) it often loses connection with the DVD player - if I skip a chapter, or fast forward/rewind, or anything that causes a temporary interruption in the digital stream, the processor goes silent and cannot resume sound output. I have to switch to another input (e.g. "VCR") and back again for it to resync and continue decoding the soundtrack.

4) loud pops when skipping chapters or fast forward / rewind - I see others here have experienced this but the problem I have is that the pops are so loud, they cause my amps (Arcam A85/P85s) to overload and they shut off! This is extremely irritating...

Before I call the dealer, I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced any of these problems?

Thanks
Fergus

[Andrew Pratt]

Sounds like a defective unit to me. I'd exchange it for a new one and your issues should be resolved.

[hazard]

Thanks Andrew. No-one else seems to be having the same problems so it must be a faulty unit.

Having said that, I watched Kill Bill (Japanese edition) last night from start to finish. The sound from this processor is absolutely amazing! Very detailed on fight scenes, and great music quality for the songs on the soundtrack. Brilliant.

Once I swap it out for a bug free version I will be very happy.

[shadow]

Hope you are able to get a new unit or get yours fixed.

[ti33er]

I had one of your problems with my old RSP1066 - when I tried to play DTS music it would appear to "drop" the decoding occassionally, and either it would sound like a maniac FAX machine, or be totaly silent! ??? ...I discovered that it was my source DVD player in the end though - it seems that in order to decode DTS (I work with computers so have a basic understanding of how audio software might work?) the first few packets of Data instruct the DAC that it is DTS/DD/or whatever format, and if the source doesnt report this on every startup/skip, the DAC does not know what to decode? (Digital is all a series of "0"'s and "1"'s/"Off"'s an "On"'s at the end of the day is it not?) - I could be wrong because I am not an audio engineer, but a new DVD unit solved this issue for me, and I conclude it was my source! ?

[hazard]

Here's an update: my dealer contacted Rotel with the details and they said they had no other reports of 1068's losing the digital stream or popping.

My dealer suggested I try a different DVD player. I wasn't sure this would help - after all, my current player has worked perfectly with my old Yamaha AV amp for years.

I dug out my old Marantz DV4100OSE and plugged that in. Surprise! No skips, pops or audio loss. I'll need to do some more testing but it looks like the 1068 is in the clear on that issue.

Now, if only I could fix the other two problems - permanent NTSC output and permanent OSD

It would be nice if these were fixable by firmware. I already have v1.1.7 but maybe there is a newer "internal" version?

[Agamemnon]

I have the exact same problems with my unit.
No OSD off and no PAL output.

[hazard]

Thanks, good to hear I'm not the only one.

I emailed Rotel Europe just now, let's see what I get back from them.

[Stevebez]

Must say had trouble getting the system to do the composite to component conversion in PAL format. Thats when I experienced the same problem as you guys. I tried all sorts of switching on and off and then only when I input a PAL feed into the component video in feed did I get a PAL component output. Composite was fine all along.

Cannot say exactly if this was what remedied the problem but had to fiddle with the monitor a bit and then, almost randomly, the unit output PAL - but as I say above only once I had fed it a PAL input into the component video2 input. So it may default NTSC unless it detects a PAL source.

Have not fiddled with the generic OSD setting but will try that tonight. With Video 2 component in set to progressive, and video format set to PAL the OSD detail does not display. With "OSD on" in this progressive format the OSD display is distorted across the screen.

My firmware is also 1.1.7, and unit is 1 week old.

Rgds Steve

[Agamemnon]

So it may default NTSC unless it detects a PAL source.

If thats the case, a fw-update should be able to fix it.
I only use s-vhs from Monitor Out to my tv-set.

btw: Does anyone know what chip-set handles the up-conversion from the composite and s-vhs inputs to the component output?

[Stevebez]

Agememnon - do you have any Component inputs going into the processor at all?

Do you have any PAL source inputs going into the S-Video inputs?

I assume you are referring to the S-Video inputs that you are using - I don't believe there is conversion from S-Video to Component, its only composite to component?

Rgds Steve.

[Blazar]

" it often loses connection with the DVD player - if I skip a chapter, or fast forward/rewind, or anything that causes a temporary interruption in the digital stream, the processor goes silent and cannot resume sound output. I have to switch to another input (e.g. "VCR") and back again for it to resync and continue decoding the soundtrack."


I have this exact same problem on occasion... It happened while I was playing a movie one time via coaxial digital and another time it occured while I was listening to a CD. The processor not only goes dead but only the 5 channel bypass inputs actually continue to amplify. Even the 2 channel analog inputs which are subject to digital domain processing fail to work.

The first time I had to turn on and off the unit MANY times before it "fixed" itself. The second time it was just a matter of turning the unit on and off once. I have the latest upgrades installed. It happened before the firmware update and after... so it hasn't been fixed in software at least.

I guess it could be MY sony dvd player AND sony CD player at fault... but they were NEVER a problem with other processors.


If this continues to occur then Rotel will have to give me a new unit... it's such a spurious occurence I can't imagine how they would troubleshoot this.

[Agamemnon]

Stevebez: I have no video inputs connected right now.
I'm going to buy a projector this fall, and then use the 1068 as a videoswitch.
I really hope it can handle s-vhs.
From Rotels homepage:

To increase your viewing pleasure, the RSP-1068 includes inputs and switching/transcoding for five composite, five S-, and three component video sources.

I assume the "S-" means S-VHS.
Maybe "upconversion" was the wrong word to use...

[Kevin D]

The 8's will convert both composite and svideo to component.

Kevin D.

[hazard]

The 8's will convert both composite and svideo to component.

Kevin D.

This is true and works for me, subject to some weirdness as alluded to above.

For example, I have my DVD player, Arcam DV88+, connected via S-VHS to the 1068. I then take the component out from the 1068 and feed that to my projector, a Sony HS10.

I find that I have to manually switch the processor output format (PAL/NTSC) to match that of the DVD player. This is very annoying if I switch from watching a region 1 disc to a region 2.

If I don't switch format manually, I get some kind of weird hybrid output, neither PAL nor NTSC. My projector will normally auto-detect successfully if fed one or the other, but in this case, I get a fuzzy black and white image.

For this reason I will keep my DVD player connected separately to the projector. Luckily my projector has two component inputs so this is not a problem, but others may not be in the same position.

Hopefully this can be addressed in a firmware update sometime soon.

[hazard]

I have this exact same problem on occasion... It happened while I was playing a movie one time via coaxial digital and another time it occured while I was listening to a CD. The processor not only goes dead but only the 5 channel bypass inputs actually continue to amplify. Even the 2 channel analog inputs which are subject to digital domain processing fail to work.

Blazar, when you talk about amplifying, are you talking about a receiver? The 1067 perhaps?

I guess it could be MY sony dvd player AND sony CD player at fault... but they were NEVER a problem with other processors.

It's worth trying another player just to experiment. I found that my current player worked fine with my old processor but has issues with the 1068. I tried three other players and all worked fine!

All I can think of is that my current player is "marginal" with the SPDIF specs or something - and that my old processor was more forgiving.