Hitachi 42HDS52A use with JVC RX-D401S

[usaf64]

Thank goodness I found this post! Like many of the contributers to this thread, I was looking for an amp that had HDMI inputs and outputs. The JVC seems to be priced fairly and does get mixed, but good reviews here.

My Hitachi Plasma had two HDMI v1.1 inputs and one optical out. I've connected the optical out of the Hitachi to the optical in on my older 5.1 DD amp. Unfortunately, the optical connection will only pass DD Prologic to my amp and not 5.1 DD when viewing HD TV Channels (i.e., from a DirecTV H-20 receiver).

With what I've read so far on this thread, if I purchased the JVC and did the HDMI input and output connection, the JVC WOULD pass thru those DD 5.1 HD channels. Is this true or has anyone out there with my 42HDS52A and this amp sucessfully get DD 5.1 passed thru??

I know there is a way to "fool" the JVC as I also have a CD player that would be connected to the JVC.

Finally, I would connect a Progressive Scan DVD Player (Panasonic DVD S-77) that is one of those upconverting units and has a HDMI output.

If anyone has any experience with connecting this type of Plasma HDTV via, HDMI, to this amp and get DD 5.1` to process/decode correctly, I would not hesitate to purchase the JVC. Thanking you in advance!

[Joe_M]

Have you tried running the optical cable from your HD receiver directly to the A/V receiver?

[usaf64]

Thanks JOE_M. If I were to connect as you suggested, there would be a "lipsync" problem as the audio output would not match the video.

For example currently, if I hook up a HDMI Panny DVD-S77 to the back of the hitachi via a HDMI to HDMI connection and then the optical out from the Hitachi to my 5.1 DD amp, only "Prologic" and not DD 5.1, DTS , will pass thru.

However if I connect like above and BUT use the optical out ON the DVD player, to my amp (bypassing my Hitachi Plasma), I get DD 5.1, DTS, etc just fine--but there is a lipsync problem. This problem can be corrected as the DVD player, in its setup menu has a "Video Delay" setting that, if used, corrects the delay.

So, in a long, round-a-bout way, using the optical out from my HD STB to my amp would also create a lipsync problem. This problem is documented on the AVS Forum titled, "Official Hitachi...). Because my amp doesn't have a delay feature, the optical connection is not desired. However, if my DirecTV H-20 HDTV STB was connected to the JVC RXD401S via HDMI, and then outputted to my Hitachi (via HDMI), I should be able to enjoy all DD formats and no lipsync issues.

Good golly, its challenging to try and wordsmith this problem, so sorry for the long reply. Thats why I have asked if anyone has the same Hitachi Plasma HDTV and the JVC RXD401S (and DirecTV H-20 STB) connected--and does it work.