HDMI Multichannel De-Embedding

[A/V SQuad]

Two days ago, I didn't know what a de-embedder was, and now I wants to buy one.

This appears to be the perfect gizmo for the quaddie who wants to attach a blue ray/PS3, and a FIOS set top box to his 4 channel receiver. Apparently, the most hi rez audio out and proper RCA plugs are available only the Atlona HD 577.

http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-HDMI-1.3-Audio-De-Embedder-with-3D-Support-and-2-x-1HDMI-switching.html

http://tecluv.com/atlona-at-hd577-hdmi-1-3-audio-de-embedder/

Lots more blah blah blah here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82217.0

The official description:

Atlona Technologies AT-HD577 HDMI Audio De-Embedder offers the highest compatibility to HDMI 1.3 in the market. This unique device supports the separation of high quality audio from the incoming HDMI signal and make HDMI audio more friendly to your expensive audio systems. Plus, the high bit rate HDMI 1.3 data can be scaled down the color depth, which is compliant to HDMI 1.2 and DVI 1.1, to ease the limitation of the transmission distance and gain higher compatibility to the display without noticeable video degradation.One of the advantages of the AT-HD577 over the AT-HD570 it has replaced the 3.5mm ports with more conventional audio ports for easier connection to you home theater, or alternative audio sources. To broaden the spectrum of HDMI audio output, high quality 7.1 channel analog audio outputs and stereo S/PDIF in both Toslink and RCA connectors are seamlessly integrated in AT-HD577. The AT-HD577 is designed to enrich your full digital video and audio experiences at the least expense in a smoothest way. With built-in HDMI switch, it can serve as a 2x1 HDMI switch to easily switch between HDMI home theater systems and PC HDMI/DVI devices.

Anyone on this board got one, or considering one? It also does switching if you have a cheapo TV like mine with only one HDMI input.

Wish it cost less (more than $200-ouch), but on the other hand, I was surprised that these boxes exist.



www.myspace.com/mysterytacos

 

[geotex]

Depending on your quad equipment, this could be a more economical (less than $50 bucks) solution; http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5557&seq=1&format=2

I have not used this specific unit, but have had one of their 4x2 HDMI swiches for some time. Bought other stuff from them also, found them to have quality products and, for the most part, reasonable prices.

 

[jefe1]

I have a Sony XBR Tv that was HD ready and accepts a 1080i input. It receives HD broadcasts from an HD tuner but hooked up thru component connections. In short the TV has no hdmi port. I wonder if this device would allow the use of upscaling HD players to work with it since you can only transmit an upscaled signal thru an hdmi connection for commercial media.
Getting back to quad i would love to be able to use my PS3 for multichannel to my sansui reciever. All I can do now is take in the stereo signal and synthesize it to 4 channel.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I have a Sony XBR Tv that was HD ready and accepts a 1080i input. It receives HD broadcasts from an HD tuner but hooked up thru component connections. In short the TV has no hdmi port. I wonder if this device would allow the use of upscaling HD players to work with it since you can only transmit an upscaled signal thru an hdmi connection for commercial media.
Getting back to quad i would love to be able to use my PS3 for multichannel to my sansui reciever. All I can do now is take in the stereo signal and synthesize it to 4 channel.

There are quite a number of DVD players that ignore the restriction of upscaling over component connection. The list I have compiled for other forums goes back to 2004 beginning with the Zenith DVB318 but I know there were at least a dozen or more. Most commercial DVDs did use protection that prevented upscaling over component with most DVD players, I think the players looked to the CSS protection to activate the restriction to 480p. I can dig up the list I put together a few years ago if you are interested. It was really one of the silliest things ever, the thought that true HD could be viewed over component but faux HD should be restricted.

 

[A/V SQuad]

No, the monoprice is stereo only. The Atlona is 5.1.

There are other devices that do video upscaling, but this isn't one. I was decoding with my QSD-2 hoping it would equate to Dolby Pro-Logic, or whatever the last matrixed Dolby formatting was, but it seems that newer source material has less out of phase information, so I brooke down and bought something discrete.

I bought the HD-577 yesterday for about $210, and it's being shipped a small interstate distance (free), so I should soon have it in my hands and will post a quick review on how it mates a Pioneer SX-9900 to a FIOS STB and a PS3.

A lot for me to spend, but it seemed like a good piece that will extend my use of quad hardware for A/V sources.

 

[geotex]

Looking forward to the report. By the time you add decoders and converters for digital output, etc., the unit you listed is not really that expensive.

 

[A/V SQuad]

Looking forward to the report. By the time you add decoders and converters for digital output, etc., the unit you listed is not really that expensive.

Not quite sure what you're referring to. I am going to use the analog de-embedded 5.1 signal that this unit provides and pass through the digital video from the PS3 and FIOS STB to my TV. Shouldn't need any additional hardware other than cables.


BTW, that monoprice literature is quite deceptive, it says, "If your looking to expand the input capabilities of an A/V receiver that doesn't support HDMI, then the HDX-401TA ... features ... 3.5mm stereo output port."

So it runs stereo to your A/V receiver. Great.

 

[A/V SQuad]

Yep, works as intended. Had a little issue with the video handshake at first.

It has 4 audio jacks labeled surround, as this unit is actually 7.1, and it doesn't say which is for the side as opposed to the rear channels. I "Y" the center channel to front L and R and I suppose I will do the same for the surrounds to mix 7.1 down to 4 (.1).

Anyone else considering a device like this? Who uses a quad setup for multichannel home theatre? I had considered buying a modern multichannel HT setup, but they mostly all lacked multichannel tape loops which I'd need for my outboard quad decoders.

 

[Lucanu]

Interesting, I bought something similar I talked here https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?13799-What-do-you-think-about-this

It works fine for me and passes HDMI 1.4 signals though it's rated for 1.3 only, but your solution looks better than mine.

 

[A/V SQuad]

Interesting thread.

Someone else was cautioning somewhere about the bit rate on the Amberry. I don't really know if it would've affected me since I am mostly using it for a Motorola FIOS STB, though I admit to firing it up while playing one of my son's PS3 games yesterday, and I don't know if I would be sacrificing anything as I haven't researched their maximum audio resolution.

My regular DVD player (Pioneer 578) decodes DTS, DVD-A and SACD natively and supplies MCH analog outputs, though I guess I could hook it up to the optical input on my new box and compare A/B on my receiver to hear if there's a difference.

Unless someone out there knows anything more about this. And could tell me which sounds better <<heh, heh>>.

I am mostly into the legacy stuff, and just learned as little as I had to to find something that would work for my application.

Ciao,

Matt

 

[geotex]

Glad to hear you got the sound expected. Not totally certain you need the Y to feed side channel output as that is derived anyway except for a few videos.

As to your comment on the monoprice equipment putting out stereo, you missed the PCM in front of the word "stereo" PCM is basically analog DVD audio. That is more than likely what you are outputting on your device, anyway unless it specifically has digital audio decoders, and you have set your input devices to specifically supply digital audio output. Most every device (blue ray, satellite receiver) I have ever looked at has PCM stereo as the default. for more info on PCM and DVD Audio see http://www.answers.com/topic/dvd-audio

As to using a quad for home theater, I used my Sansui QR-6500 for sound from a Directv HD receiver. Just fed the stereo output into the stereo input, using the built-in surround decoder Sound was good, with some rear channel decoding. Dropped it in favor of a 5.1 surround system as the better half got fed up with the big quad speakers :-(

 

[A/V SQuad]

Actually wound up returning the Atlona yesterday as I couldn't get it to reliably switch between the PS3 and the FIOS STB. Often the image from the STB was green, and I followed all the directions regarding the DIP switches for the handshake. When I got a phone call during a poker game on Friday that the TV wasn't working, I made up my mind.

Yeah, I use some kind of 80's Pioneer surround unit or my Sansui QSD-2 to listen to movies that presumably have some kind of matrixed multichannel audio, but the dialog is often drowned out for movies, even when I use the phantom center channel (on the Pioneer).

You're probably right about the extra 2 channels, but i wasn't getting a lot of rear info with the Atlona setup, so I figured it would boost it, but i returned the unit before I ever fitted it with extra"Y"'s.

Wondering if I'll try the Ambery unit with the HDMI auto switcher I already have in front of it....

 

[A/V SQuad]

Even though Gefen has no specs on the bit rate, I ordered one of these:

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=9164

based on the fact that it had RCA rather than stereo mini connectors, and i picked it up for just a few bucks more than the Ambery.

Somebody's gotta be an early adopter...!

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

So eleven years and nine months have gone by since the last post in this topic...

But given that over this time fewer and fewer disc spinners (and non disc spinning media playback devices) offer 8-channel analogue outputs I thought it might be handy for those of us with analogue only amplifier set-ups to get some feedback regarding the quality of todays HDMI to multi-channel analogue audio de-embedding devices.

Does anybody have any recommendations or advice about products to stay clear of?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Nope. I try to steer clear of devices that look too good to be true at their asking price.
I can recommend the AudioPraise VanityPro (AudioPraise VanityPRO HDMI audio extractor)
Another one that LOOK$ to be a killer is the Arvus H2-4D.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Wow Kal, thanks for the recommendations.

Unfortunately, anything over £500.00/$500.00/€500.00 is out of my price range

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Wow Kal, thanks for the recommendations.

Unfortunately, anything over £500.00/$500.00/€500.00 is out of my price range

I'll be interested in what you come up with.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

So eleven years and nine months have gone by since the last post in this topic...

But given that over this time fewer and fewer disc spinners (and non disc spinning media playback devices) offer 8-channel analogue outputs I thought it might be handy for those of us with analogue only amplifier set-ups to get some feedback regarding the quality of todays HDMI to multi-channel analogue audio de-embedding devices.

Does anybody have any recommendations or advice about products to stay clear of?

I use one of these, quite acceptable for my purposes.
Why not try one for the price of a good dinner, with 30-day return privileges?


https://amzn.eu/d/5TgEsTP

 

[gene_stl]

The Atlona unit can usually be purchased in excellent condition possibly NOS on fleabay for about $20-$50.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3253747178...q8vGqkDXsuoFvRA/swYM2DnDk=|tkp:Bk9SR6yOlv2gYQ

 

[MixerRog]

I use one of these, quite acceptable for my purposes.
Why not try one for the price of a good dinner, with 30-day return privileges?


https://amzn.eu/d/5TgEsTP

Will this decode 5.1 flac over HDMI from a computer to analog outputs & still pass on the 5.1 flac through the output HDMI?

Rog