236 of 242 people found the following review helpful:
Great Receiver but one Important thing to be aware of...
I know just enough about Audio to be dangerous but I'm not a true audiophile (or whatever they're called). So I don't know how an average person would figure this out when it took me an hour and a half on the phone with Sony support before THEY figured it out.
Now this is my second Sony receiver and I purchased this one specifically to go along with my brand...
85 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
Nice but no upconversion...
Don't be fooled by the manual or by descriptions on other AV retailer websites... This model does NOT include analog->digital upconversion. If you have a mixture of new and older devices this will not allow you to use a single HDMI cable to your display. It provides input switching, but if you provide a composite or component video input, then you must use the...
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I know just enough about Audio to be dangerous but I'm not a true audiophile (or whatever they're called). So I don't know how an average person would figure this out when it took me an hour and a half on the phone with Sony support before THEY figured it out.
Now this is my second Sony receiver and I purchased this one specifically to go along with my brand new Sony BDP-S360 Blu Ray player. I used brand new HDMI category 2 cables into the receiver and then out to my Sony HDTV. This is suppossed to be the BEST way to get true no-loss sound decoding and picture. Well I was shocked when my receiver was NOT decoding DTS audio. All Dolby Digital tracks were playing in perfect 5.1 surround sound...the DTS tracks played back in Linear PCM stereo. So after I read the manuals, updated the firmware and set everything right then trying a few DVDs and Blu Ray discs I contacted Sony Support via email. Several exchanges later they asked me to call in to better troubleshoot my issue. First I talked to the blu ray guy (since I wasn't sure which device was causing the issue) and after resetting the player and checking all the setting I was transfered to the Audio department. Once again we reset the machine to factory setting, checked all the set ups and still nothing changed (Did I mention that I had to unhook and reconnect several cables and I even had an optical cable running to my old Sony Reciever?). Then 1 1/2 hours into the phone call he asked if I was getting audio through the TV speakers which I was and he said "oh its set to TV + Amp". So we changed that setting to just "Amp" and bingo...DTS surround sound!! I said "but that's the factory default setting". He told me where the info was in the manual but I checked an NOWHERE in the manual does it say that when using the receiver as a passthrough via HDMI inorder to decode a DTS signal the receiver must be set to "Amp" only and not the default setting of "TV + Amp". What the...??
So now the receiver works great even decoding the new DTS-HD Master Audio off my "Watchmen" Blu Ray disc. But be warned that if you use the HDMI inputs to decode your surround sound be sure to change the system to "Amp" instead of the default "TV + Amp" unless you enjoy stereo sound from your suround sound system. This may be the case for other Sony receivers so be aware when buying that factory default setting may not allow for optimum performance and the Sony guys might not be aware of this little fact if you call them.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
Don't be fooled by the manual or by descriptions on other AV retailer websites... This model does NOT include analog->digital upconversion. If you have a mixture of new and older devices this will not allow you to use a single HDMI cable to your display. It provides input switching, but if you provide a composite or component video input, then you must use the corresponding output to view that source. Only HDMI inputs are routed to the HDMI output. The manual suggests that you do not need to connect all of the outputs. In a sense I suppose that is true, but but only if you don't connect to all of the various types of inputs!
As long as you understand the specs, this seems like a nice receiver.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I set up my new receiver yesterday, and it took over an hour, given Sony's propensity for screw-in type speaker connections. The first surprise was not being able to control the PS3 and my Satellite DVR with the remote's control buttons. I had to use their HDMI locations, i.e. HDMI 4 for the Satellite and HDMI 3 for the PS3. Keep in mind that the BEST sound is reproduced through the HDMI 3 location, so ignore the picture in the manual that has you putting your BD at HDMI 1. If you read the manual fine print you will see that they tell you to use HDMI 3 connection for the best sound reproduction.
It is a given that Sony's product manuals are written by persons from other planets so you just have to stumble through when it comes to issues such as the PS3 BD Player putting out EVERYTHING in Linear PCM, including THX, DTS HD and etc. I did everything I could think of to change that. I confirmed the HDMI control was set to ON in both the 800 and the PS3, I confirmed that the AUTOMATIC sound control was set in the PS3 and still no DTS-HD being produced on TAKEN, a movie with that attribute.
So, I called SONY. The first person I spoke with was clueless, and had little mastery of the English language. He said I should turn off my receiver for an hour and do the setup all over again. Foolishly I did that. Nothing changed. The PS3 Blu Ray component was still putting out Linear PCM exclusively.
I called Sony again and spoke to Manuel, who was anything but clueless. He told me to go into my PS3 Video settings and click on BD/DVD AUDIO OUTPUT. Lo and behold it was set to Linear PCM. I clicked on the only other option, BITSTREAM, and clicked OK. I then put TAKEN (my test BRDVD) into the player and voila everything worked. The encoded DTS-HD was now being sent to my receiver and reproducing amazing sound, and when I say amazing I mean every syllable. I presently have a 5.1 system setup but tomorrow I am going to configure for 7.1. It is unfortunate that this unit will only run ONE sub-woofer. I like to use two, but I will live with it.
So, I will figure out how to control my systems using the proprietary (BD-SAT) buttons on the remote, but for right now, everything is working fine, thanks to Manuel from Sony support.
In conclusion I recommend this product not necessarily for its ease of use but for its ability to reproduce amazing sound at a reasonable price once you get it setup. The fifth star was deducted because of the poorly written manual and the first Sony [clueless] technician.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
The DH800 wasn't yet available when I started shopping for a new receiver a couple of months back. Even though the 700 was being heavily discounted at the time, the 800 had enough next-generation features (DTS-HD decoding, Dolby Digital + and a couple THX modes) to prompt me to hold off a while. And it was worth it. This is an incredible value for a mid-range receiver. After going through the manual, the setup (tuning it for a room) looked unbelievably complex. You had the ability to electronically position each speaker (forget balance controls!). Then, I found the section that explained what the little microphone was for. Wire everything up. Power it on. Put the mic where your ears will be and press the "go" button. Your system sounds like an Atari video game for about 20 seconds and you're done. Remarkable.
Part of my motivation for staying with Sony is that it plays so well with Sony-brand components via Bravia Sync. My DH800 is plugged into an XBR screen and will be joined by a BDP-S560 Blu Ray when it ships this summer. Yes, I tend to be Sony-biased. I've worked in TV production on and off for a lot of years and now spend a fair amount of time in Oregon's first (and still best, IMHO) HDTV studio. On cameras, switchers and displays, the Sony nameplate figures prominently. As with DH800 and XBR screen, has proven it still excels in convenience, consistence and logical interface design.
The rest of the system is a bit of a hybrid (I'm not a huge fan of Sony speakers). My primary front speakers are old and venerable (Canoga Park-era) Infinity 2500's, B&W VM-1 surrounds, HTM-61 center and a truly fabulous Hsu Research VTF-1 subwoofer. However, the auto-calibration has this menagerie blending together seamlessly.
The only down-side I've found so far is that the back panel (particularly the large cluster of speaker terminals) is pretty crowded and the speaker lugs tend to be a bit sticky and troublesome. Sony seems to have skimped a bit on the connectors they chose. Beyond that, it's a beautifully designed and executed component that will really shine when attached to Sony's next-gen Blu-Ray.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I searched for several months before pulling the trigger & buying the STR-DH800. Despite Sony bashing by many, I am very satisfied with my purchase. All of my other toys are HDMI equipped & up conversion was not a consideration. It has a decent amount of power & plenty of connections for virtually any device the average consumer will own. My suggestion would be to invest in banana plugs & save yourself a headache when connecting speaker wires, they saved me quite a bit of time. [....] has them pretty cheap.
The auto cal. does a great job at setting up speaker levels & distances. Night mode is also nice. The manual & menu may not be friendly to a newbie. An onscreen menu function would have been nice. If your seat is more than 10 ft. away, as mine is, you will end up standing or straining your eyes to make small adjustments. The receiver is relatively tall, but it is not very deep. It has a nice & simple layout. The buttons & knobs have smooth action & the display is not distracting while watching movies. It does not generate very much heat.
It has been a long time since I purchased home theater equipment & I am very satisfied with my purchase. My system includes: a Sony STR-DH800, Samsung BD-P1600, Sony DVPNS710H, Xbox 360 Elite (Resident Evil LE), Dayton HTS 1200 surrounds, Sony bookshelves, Logitech Harmony 550 remote, Dayton SUB-80, & Vizio 47XVT. Been busy since Christmas.
At it's current price, this receiver is definitely worth a look. I am sure you will not be disappointed. It has helped me save over [...] based on the HTIB I was considering.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
First off, this thing rocks. Sound quality is excellent, plenty of inputs/outputs, rock solid performance. Don't use a weak powered sub, or you'll get some serious popping action. If you want some cheap/decent speakers to go with this system, the Insignia 5.1 speakers from Best Buy (despite being a questionable brand) put out some serious highs and lows, emitting a decent high-end twinkle and a nice bass breeze from the sub's general direction. Score one for hit or miss Insignias! But I digress...
Anyway, the real reason for this review is the learning curve, and also people's general lack of knowledge regarding audio receivers and PS3s. Audio receivers are generally difficult to use, but if you're not the type to research how receivers work, then you're probably not the type who would appreciate the quality difference, anyway. Spare yourself the headache and get a BD all-in-one home theater system and a powered sub; that's all you'll really need. If you want something more, however, please realize that the manual will not answer all your questions; the receiver is only one component and is dependent on other equipment.
So, to begin: if you have a PS3, this WILL work with TrueHD and DTS-MA HD. But you don't need this particular receiver (or any receiver that can decode TrueHD or DTS-MA) to get beautiful, uncompressed, lossless audio. Any 7.1 receiver with a HDMI input will do.
If you've already gotten this receiver and have no intention of returning it (like I did), then here's your lesson: If your piece of equipment can decode TrueHD or DTS-MA natively (such as your PS3), then it will likely decode the codec FIRST, and THEN send it to the receiver as Linear PCM. The process is fully lossless and there is essentially no degradation, and all relevant speakers will perfectly reproduce the right sounds. If you don't believe me, press Select on your PS3 controller (or Display on the BD Remote). The top right corner should either say TrueHD or DTS-MA, along with some crazy bitrate usually above 3 or 4 Mbps, sometimes up to 20 Mbps (Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround cap out at 1.5 on a good day). The display on the STR-DH800 will also show you that all 5.1 speakers are lit up and in action. It will also, however, display "Linear PCM" instead of "TrueHD" or "DTS-MA," something that scares the uninformed and at least one person who reviewed this receiver on Amazon. As a result, they scurry off and change their BD audio settings to "Bitstream," which, depending on your PS3 model, could be the WRONG THING TO DO.
Older PS3s (see: the fat ones) do not pass TrueHD or DTS-MA via Bitstream. They will automatically demote the audio to plain Dolby Digital or DTS, which will cause the receiver to display a nice "Dolby Digital" or "DTS" running marquee, but ultimately result in lower quality lossy audio. One thing for sure; it'll sound louder. That's because the dynamic range (the difference between loud and quiet sounds) is smaller with the older digital codecs. In any case, Bitstreaming from an older PS3 to the STR-DH800 will result in lower quality audio and a misleading Dolby Digital or DTS message on your display.
Newer, Slim PS3s, however, can now bitstream TrueHD and DTS-MA straight to the receiver and allow the receiver to do the decoding. It's all really unnecessary, since there is no discernible difference between PS3's LPCM and bitstream audio. Some audiophiles might cry otherwise, but their numbers are few, and their arguments are, as one wise man said "theoretical/pedantic." But hey, you'll get to have the TrueHD and DTS-MA logos flash across your receiver's display! Huzzah!
That's cute and all, but you actually lose something with bitstreaming: the PS3's system sounds. Since only the untouched audio is passing through to the receiver, the PS3's system audio gets left behind. Maybe it's a small price to pay to get the TrueHD logo up.
To make things worse, if you pick up a receiver that DOESN'T have TrueHD or DTS-MA capabilities, then bitstreaming will result in audio downgraded to DD 5.1 or DTS Surround flavors. However, if you did the smart thing and stuck with Linear PCM, you'll let the PS3 do the decoding and pass an uncompressed Linear PCM signal to your receiver, which it is almost guaranteed to process and output properly.
Rule of Thumb: Linear PCM is your best bet for PS3 audio bliss, regardless of the model.
All this is really pointless if you primarily use a PS3 for Blu-Ray. The STR-DH700 is a similar, but cheaper, receiver that has all the HDMI ins and outs you need without native TrueHD/DTS-MA decoding. The PS3 already does the decoding, and any decent receiver will accept Linear PCM, so as long as the receiver has HDMI input, you're good to go. Enjoy!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I've purchased this unit because i needed the 4 hdmi and 3 optical inputs and it was on sale at fry's for 250 bucks. MY sony STR-50ES started to die a slow death and I figured it was time to move on to a budget unit with hdmi switching. I'm overall satisfied with the unit. It runs very cool in comparason to the 50ES-it also weights about 1/3. but this isn't an ES quality unit so what can I say. The transformers inside look like toy and the tiny heatsinks are bent metal slightly thicker then aluminum cans. :)
First the good - plenty of hdmi and digital inputs. Runs Cool. Tons of the support for the newer higher quality audio format via hdmi. The microphone calibration is nice- you don't have to do measurements of your speakers for the delays and stuff.
Each source can be 'named' so if you have a PS3 connected to HDMI3, you can rename hdmi 3 to "ps 3".. a very useful feature found in many sony recievers dating back 15 years. :)
the BAD - The manual is horrible. for instance it for Bluray it says to use the component and toslink connection. WTF? why not say use HDMI? So Dumb.
Also the hdmi handshake/auto intelligence? what the heck is that? I have my PS3 connected to this receiver using the hdmi. on the PS3 it is set to linear audio out. and on the "audio" it was set for "automatic"... guess what it only outputs 2 channel LCM. took me forever to figure this out that automatic doesn't mean squat. Had to configure within the audio section on the PS3 to manual and click all the audio out that the receiver can support. Finally. I see all the sound channels show up. What a waste of time. This was my main grip.
This unit relies heavily on the remote control, if you look on the front panels there's no way to adjust any settings at all -lose or damage your remote and you're unit is not adjustable. -lame. they just need maybe 4 arrow buttons and two more buttons for setting. I mean how much does that cost?
The remote isn't that great. it's got some "Preprogrammed" codes but you can't really teach it remotes it doesn't already know.
Front panel waste a nice adjuster for TONE control... Why bother??? why not use that for adjustments for setting. Kind of useless. While I'm at it why can't these engineers make all the buttons LARGE. most of us who watch movies are doing so in the dark room. It would be useful if the buttons where BIGGer and maybe backlight.
One feature I found interesting is the Bi-AMP which you can use if you're speakers support this. it's a nice touch, but anyone paying 250 dollars for a receiver probably doesn't have fancy bi-amp supported speakers. Instead of bi-amp, why not let the user assign the 2 non-used channels(if you're only doing 5.1 instead of 7.1) to power a passive SUB. I have some old HSU passive subs being powered by an external power amp. it would be nice to get rid of the extra amp if I could. consolidate. :)
I wasn't expecting high build quality or anything but I was disappointed with how difficult it is to adjust any of the settings via remote. Technologies has changed greatly from my 12 year old receiver to this one, but they could have made it easier simply by adding a few more bottons to the receiver and making the process simplier by having a larger lcd or even on screen..
As far as the quality of the amplifier section, I won't judge that. I do find it good enough for home theater purpose.
Honestly not sure if I'd recommend this to anyone or not... Maybe it depends on who is buying this. I was comparing the Onkyo SR607 and was close to purchasing that, My only hesitation was that I read it ran hot. This wouldn't have worked for me because it's placement is inside a TV Stand below my 50inch Plasma. So I settled with a unit I knew ran cooler.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I bought this specifically so I would be able to access the DTS Master Audio and Dolby True HD available on many of the new Blu-Ray discs and I am not at all disappointed. It was not yet in stock at Amazon so I paid what turned out to be a 65$ premium by ordering it from Vanns (so watch out for that -I could have lasted 2 weeks for 65$- d'oh). If you have had previous STR series Sony receivers it's the same set up. Screws instead of clamps for speaker inputs are the only annoyance. There are seemingly infinite manual adjustments which can be made and it takes time to get the hang of it- but it is laid out in the manual, not exactly at "dummy" level, but it is there. Four HDMI inputs allow for multiple decks of which I'm using 3 and they switch back and forth flawlessly. The sound is extraordinary. I'm in a 500 square foot rectangular room with a 15 foot ceiling, 7 speaker set up at the corners/ back / sides and though there are more expensive units, many both from Sony and others, in my room as great as it sounds now I could not justify spending more.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I bought this receiver as an upgrade to replace my old Sony receiver which finally died. So far it's been great and does pretty much everything I want it to do for my setup. It has 4 HDMI inputs so it should be something that will be usable for many years as HDMI is basically the standard for new high definition video/audio. One feature I found especially nice is the auto calibration feature. It makes setup a snap and I have pretty much left the settings alone as it sounds great using just auto calibration.
Be aware it does not do upconversion though. I believe there was some confusion when this model first came out in regards to upconversion. Just be aware it does not do it. So what this means for example; if you hook up a source that uses component video input, you would still need to use separate component video cables to your TV/monitor. It will not switch/upconvert the signal through the HDMI output.
Overall I'm very happy for the price I paid. It's got many great features, such as iPod dock expansion, wireless speakers, etc., that I should be happy with it for many years to come. For the money you can't go wrong if you need a good basic receiver.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
If you don't want to spend an arm and a leg or can't on a high end receiver then this unit will work just fine for you. I have had great luck with Sony products over the years and this seems to be right on line with the rest. The sound is amazing when paired with a blu ray disc that spits out DTS-Master HD or Dolby True HD. Very crisp and clear. The remote is user friendly and the speaker calibration is a blessing. Best Buy had this unit for $399.99, but I got it on Amazon for $285(plus no tax and free shipping!). I hope others check out Amazon before Best Buy pulls the wool over their eyes like they have mine for so many years.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
(
Saving...
