Sunfire TG5 HDMI only half ready Video yes Audio no

Chuck_K

I've been reserching the HDMI and your right about audio being part of the package with the new interface. I have been also reading the manual for the TG5 and it states the TG5 still needs a Coaxial Digital cable for the audio side of things.


TGP-5 manual says following.
21. HDMI

Use these to connect any HDMI
components you may have in your
system. Two are inputs, and one is
an output to your HDMI-equipped TV.
No TGP-5 on screen display or audio
decoding inside the TGP-5 is available
from the HDMI inputs. Always connect
a separate digital audio input cable when
using HDMI

seems to me the TGP-5 for $ 5,000 is a very expensive HDMI video switch
that I feel really good about keeping my TGP II and just letting the TV switch HDMI inputs for now.


Interesting I found out that if you have a highend video card for your computer "DVI" with a cable conversion ( DVI to HDMI ) most of us have a low end but workable HDMI compatible hookup. That's if you have a TV thats HDMI ready that is.

Just wondering if the Outlaw that you want to get is a full audio/video HDMI hookup.

Chuck_K am I missing something?

TFM-75

TFM 75

I was on Outlaw's site and the 990 does not have HDMI at all. It is all DVI. Unless they haven't updated their website photos of the 990. Hope this helps.
Bill

While I am on the subject of Outlaw......Does anyone have some of the 2200 mono block amps they offer? I am thinking at that price you can't go wrong......

Don't do it Bill those amps are all class G design and made abroad unlike there big ones that are made here. All you need to do with the 990 is get a DVI to HDMI plug and everything that I have read about it says it works just fine.

I own an Outlaw 990 and, yes, it has DVI switching vs. HDMI. That was an intentional decision by Outlaw to keep costs down and also due to the next HDMI standard being up in the air until recently.

I almost bought a TG5 and I had assumed that its HDMI switching included audio processing since it is part of the HDMI standard. So, after reading page 13 of the manual, it appears that the TG5 is essentially behaving as a DVI switching processor (or the world's most expensive HDMI/DVI adapter).

Now I am glad I bought the 990.

Thanks for the warning. I am now going to start looking for an outlaw 990.

That Outlaw 990 is looking better and better.

hdmi comes in a number of flavors (versions). the latest version 1.3 does it all, and is particularly attractive from the hd perspective.

i didn't realize that the tg5 didn't support the audio portion of hdmi - that's a shame...many others are still playing catch-up as well. btw dvi is nothing more than hdmi with the audio stripped off. so anything that has dvi connectors by definition doesn't suppor tthe audio part.

i don't remember saying i wanted to get an outlaw because i allready own an outlaw pre/pro. problem is i and am tired of fiddling with the audio format controls for each movie/tv show/cd i play. as nice as it is, it only remembers the last mode you used for that input...duh...the acurus act-3 i had previously did all the audio codec selection automatically. i miss that. in addition, i'm tired of fiddling with the projector/dvd player/cable box for each video format.

wouldn't it be great if someone made a pre/pro that automatically selected the optimal sound codec and video rendering for each source to match the speaker setup and projector capability? that's the pre/pro i'm looking for. the hdmi interface standard can make it happen, but for now i refuse to buy sony equipment.

the hdmi standards are complicated. below is a description that i 'borrowed' from another site:

HDMI 1.3 connectors could appear later on next-generation HDTV displays, next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD players, A/V receivers, surround-sound preamp/processors and PCs.... HDMI 1.3 could appear in high-definition disc players and A/V receivers as early as the summer of 2007.

Because it boosts bandwidth to 10.2Gbps from 4.95Gbps, HDMI 1.3 connectors will enable suppliers of future video sources and HDTV displays to accelerate refresh rates to 120Hz from 60Hz, deepen color bit depth to 48-bit RGB from 24-bit, and deliver 1.8x more viewable colors to include every visible color that the eye can see; subtle changes in the blues of a blue sky will be smoother and less abrupt

For future HD DVD and Blu-ray disc players, HDMI 1.3 also promises to transport all, not just some, of the two formats' optional high-bandwidth surround-sound codecs in native form, thanks to a boost in the HDMI standard's "frame rate" to 768kHz from 192kHz. First-generation HD DVD players already deliver all codecs over HDMI 1.1 connectors, but only after transcoding to multichannel PCM. First-generation Blu-ray players lack that transcoding capability.

The newly supported surround codecs are losslessly compressed Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master. Optional surround codecs previously supported by HDMI were (for Blu-ray) uncompressed 7.1-channel 192kHz/24-bit PCM and compressed Dolby Digital Plus. For HD DVD and Blu-ray, previously supported optional codecs include various DTS HD implementations, including 5.1- to 7.1-channel soundtracks.

The HDMI 1.1 and 1.2 standards support all mandatory surround formats in the HD DVD and Blu-ray standards, including Blu-ray's mandatory 5.1-channel PCM up to 192kHz/24 bits. The current 1.2 spec also transports DVD-Audio and SACD streams, 1,080p video at 60Hz refresh rates (also supported in the 1.0 spec), 24-bit RGB color, eight channels of uncompressed 192kHz/24-bit audio and the CEC bidirectional communications protocol, also called HDMI One Touch. It allows for one-touch turn-on of a home theater system built from multiple brands.

sorry for the long winded rant...

Well thanks chuck_k,
I was just about set on a 990 and now I'm not sure anymore.
I guess I'll go back to looking at the Denon AVR with full HDMI up conversion. It's an awful shame to have pay for an amp section I don't want to use. I wish I could afford a Lexicon. This Sucks
This is the kind of stuff that makes this forum so great.
Thanks again chuck_k

lexicon mc12 v3 is to die for. take a look at the b&k reference 50 Version 2. i'm not sure if they are any more automatic or not. haven't had the time or $$ to warrant looking deeper. my budget has led me to the outlaw, which i still beleive is a heck of a lot of pre/pro for the money. i'd just like to see more automation.... for god sakes my wife is afraid of this thing....since the older acurus act-3 did the automatic codec switching i'd assume the newer models (now aragon - see the stage one) do so as well if you have the time to check them out...

good luck!!

Thanks for the reply Chuck_K

Sorry my mistake that you wanted the 990. But thank you for the insight and info. It seem's I guess I'm happy for now until HDMI gets a little more muture. I guess one good thing about my TGP II is it auto detects the correct format when you hit play on source. It would be nice to know that the new Outlaw 990 at least auto detects correct format source.

That would also be nice if a company came out with an outboard HDMI switcher so we could get alittle more life out of what we have. One that would send the video to the TV and the audio to the Pre-amp.

Anyways thanks Chuck for your reply.

TFM-75

that's a good question tfm75 about the 990 autodetect. that tgII you have is a really nice unit you have. does it do 7.1?

garcia - does your outlaw 990 autodetect the audio format and choose the best for your speaker setup? my 950 doesn't...it just remembers the last audio format you selected for that input.

it just burns me up that sony bologny can do this over hdmi and we struggle....

Hey Chuck_k
I was just checking out the b&k reference 50 Version 2.
Very pretty unit. I love the blue on black. No HDMI though.

stunning looks. i like the black panel myself. plus it's got dual low frequecy notch filters to tweek the bass to your room. they're going on ebay for about 1,700 (ouch). about 2,200+ for the lexicon mc12. to rich for my blood right now. oh well - maybe someday...

I hear ya Chuck,
The Mrs. would hang me by the thumbs.