sorry, I think this is a dumb question - but I’ve found no real answer for it…
Usually, I enable passthrough and my TV/Old AVR just does what I want. But now I have a Vero2 and would like to get rid of the old IR remote control. I needed it to change the volume on my avr.
To do this, I need to disable passthrough, and I can change volume e.g. via yatse. Great
But when I start a movie with DTS sound, my AVR doesn’t display “DTS” anymore, but “Dolby Surround” This sounds worse in two ways
But what do I get when I play a Movie with DTS with disabled passthrough via SPDIF to my AVR?
Have you tried using our forum search for DTS passthrough? I think everything you are asking has been answered numerous times.
I believe the key issue is, passthrough must be enabled to send raw untouched audio data to your avr. If you disable passthrough (in order to have volume control ie: no longer untouched data) the pi must decode the data itself which is no easy task.
yes, I have searched the forum. “Passthrough” is mentioned a million times, and whereever I saw it, the context was trouble with the AVR…
So, did I understand correctly? I should hear (almost) the same whether or not using passthrough. Only without passthrough, I can modify the data stream, for example to change the volume?
Today, I had time to try it, and it didn’t work: I played a DD5.1 testfile. With passthrough, every speaker was addressed correctly. Without, the subwoofer didn’t work and the rear channels were played on the front speakers Is there anything I can do about this?
With passthrough you are offloading all audio decode to the AVR. This is the whole purpose of using an AVR. Controlling volume with the AVR is only logical and natural.
If your whole problem is combining all these functions into the same remote, sounds like you need to up your remote game with something like a Logitech Harmony.
Either enable ‘AC3 Transcoding’, which will let you adjust volume on the device, but still deliver 5.1 channels; or enable something like Prologic on your AVR which will give you sound out of all channels and LFE (not as good).
Well, using it as a powerfull 5.1 amplifier might be another purpose.
I have to agree. I’m using my Denon AVR-1801 since about
1998. Together with a Sony black Trinitron and a Yamakava DVD player,
some CD-Player and Cassette Deck. Later, I added my first panasonic
Beamer. I used a Sony Commander as unifying IR Remote control - which,
you guessed it, controlled the volume logical and natural.
This setup evolved into a Living-Room-VDR connected to an LCD computer
screen via HDMI-DVI adapter. Of course, I couldn’t connect video to
my Denon any more, but the Sound is still wonderfull. And I could use my
Logitech Harmony One to control my living room TV experience as well
as my Home Cinema in the basement. I had to use an IR-RF bridge that
sent the IR commands from the basement to the AVR in the
Living-Room. It worked more or less, but it worked. Logical and
natural.
Now I bought a Vero2 instead of the VDR-PC. I attached it via SPDIF to
my AVR. Changing the volume with the AVR got less logical and natural
because:
The Denon from 1998 knows nothing about HDMI or CEC
The Vero2 has a 2.4GHz remote control that works better than any IR
remote that I ever had, even from my Home Cinema in the basement.
Can you recommend a Logitech Harmony that I can use for the IR to the
AVR and for the Vero2? Even if you could, the IR is not nearly working
as good as the Vero2-remote.
The best solution for me would be to use the Vero2 to controll the
volume, natural and logical. I’m not going to replace the Denon and/or
LCD Screen until they break.
thank you very much for your helpfull hint! By using “AC3 Transcoding”, I almost get what I want: I can contol the volume via the Vero2
Unfortunately, there are two problems:
This doesn’t for all audio settings. Stereo TV works great (don’t know the sound format), DTS or DD 5.1 not at all …
I get frequent short video freezes
I might have to live with this
Never mind, your solution is the best that I could get
I think maybe we should explain this in more detail.
For the best audio quality, you want passthrough for DTS and AC3 on. This means the audio track of the recording can be passed through, untouched, and your amp can decode it. This will give you multiple audio channel support. If you can live with adjusting volume with another remote, I recommend you do this.
This sounds worse in two ways 
Is there anything I can do about this?
