Denon AVR owners...troubleshooting question

[corwin]

So I just hooked up my brand new AVR-891 and haven't had a chance to read the telephone book sized manual yet so thought I would ask any resident experts...I plugged in my HDMI HTPC to an input on the receiver and the video is passed through to the TV just fine but the receiver isn't putting out any audio? I've tested both cables directly from the HTPC to the TV and audio and video come through perfectly, just nothing from the receiver when it's in the loop, and I've tried 2 different inputs...I figured it would pretty much be plug and play from that standpoint but am I missing some setting on the receiver to get it to play back the audio? I will have my blu-ray player delivered tonight that I can also hook up to test but wanted to see if anyone knew what was up...thanks in advance.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Does the receiver work with any other inputs? (Like does the radio work? Just want to make sure the receiver works and speakers/sub are hooked up right before trying to figure out if it's an HDMI-specific problem)

 

[corwin]

Does the receiver work with any other inputs? (Like does the radio work? Just want to make sure the receiver works and speakers/sub are hooked up right before trying to figure out if it's an HDMI-specific problem)

Oops...meant to include that the tuner works, and sounds, awesome...so far I only have the HTPC to test the HDMI inputs with, will have BD player later tonight though

 

[queequeg99]

I would ask your question over on the receiver/amp subforum at avsforum.com. There's a guy over their (batpig) who I swear knows more about Denon receivers than any ten Denon engineers combined.

 

[corwin]

I would ask your question over on the receiver/amp subforum at avsforum.com. There's a guy over their (batpig) who I swear knows more about Denon receivers than any ten Denon engineers combined.

Thanks, I'll be picking up my BD player from UPS in about an hour and will be trying it tonight, if it gives me the same issues I'll definitely look him up...or maybe try to sort through the manual...I hate manuals

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I have an Onkyo, not a Denon, but I'll take a stab

My first suggestion is:

The HDMI inputs you're connecting to may have a different audio signal set up by default.
Looks like on page 46 of your manual:

DVD is set up for COAX 1 for audio
TV is OPT 1
SAT/CBL is COAX 2
DVR is OPT2
etc.

BD might be a good HDMI connection to try. It looks like by default it's not assigned a digital audio setting (so I'm assuming it's set up to take audio off the HDMI signal)

The BD input is the one farthest to the left (closest to the digital optical audio connections)

 

[corwin]

I have an Onkyo, not a Denon, but I'll take a stab

My first suggestion is:

The HDMI inputs you're connecting to may have a different audio signal set up by default.
Looks like on page 46 of your manual:

DVD is set up for COAX 1 for audio
TV is OPT 1
SAT/CBL is COAX 2
DVR is OPT2
etc.

BD might be a good HDMI connection to try. It looks like by default it's not assigned a digital audio setting (so I'm assuming it's set up to take audio off the HDMI signal)

The BD input is the one farthest to the left (closest to the digital optical audio connections)

well now that sounds "logical"...and by that I mean why the hell would HDMI inputs default to anything but HDMI audio? I'm betting that's going to be the issue but for the life of me it doesn't make any sense...thanks and I'll be checking it shortly.

 

[corwin]

Well I'll be a mother...I'm guessing that was the issue, using the BD input I get audio just fine, why the hell would an hdmi input not be defaulted to include audio? Been an incredibly long time since I bought a new avr so looks like I'm going to have to read the damn manual to figure out how to configure all the inputs correctly...pita...thanks for the assistance all

 

[CubanlB]

I know on older Denons, like mine, if you assign an physical HDMI input to a logical input (like dvd) it automatically assigns the audio for that logical input to the HDMI that you just set.

I have no idea why they wouldn't keep that as a feature.

 

[Aikouka]

On my Denon receivers (1610, 1910, 2112), if you assign a specific task (DVD, SAT, ANT, etc) to a HDMI input, it will use the HDMI's audio by default. They also work just fine with my HTPC.

 

[corwin]

my Denon receivers (1610, 1910, 2112), if you assign a specific task (DVD, SAT, ANT, etc) to a HDMI input, it will use the HDMI's audio by default. They also work just fine with my HTPC.

Having mixed luck myself...got it working after setting the digital input to none from optical on the DVR input, had a brief power blip last night and now no audio again even with the same settings...what you say is what I would have expected of any receiver, to use HDMI audio by default and anything else if manually assigned, I can't understand why any HDMI input would default to use anything else

Also getting a low level hum from my Polk PSW505 when connected to the LFE output...starting to think I may have gotten a bad receiver

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Having mixed luck myself...got it working after setting the digital input to none from optical on the DVR input, had a brief power blip last night and now no audio again even with the same settings...what you say is what I would have expected of any receiver, to use HDMI audio by default and anything else if manually assigned, I can't understand why any HDMI input would default to use anything else

Also getting a low level hum from my Polk PSW505 when connected to the LFE output...starting to think I may have gotten a bad receiver

So now having the PC hooked up to the BD input on the receiver (or another input with no other audio input selected) results in no sound?

Did the power blip affect the computer too? (Is it possible the computer isn't set up to send audio over HDMI now, rather than a problem on the receiver end?)

For the subwoofer hum, that might be a ground loop issue. Are the sub and receiver hooked up to the same outlet / power strip?

 

[corwin]

So now having the PC hooked up to the BD input on the receiver (or another input with no other audio input selected) results in no sound? Did the power blip affect the computer too? (Is it possible the computer isn't set up to send audio over HDMI now, rather than a problem on the receiver end?) For the subwoofer hum, that might be a ground loop issue. Are the sub and receiver hooked up to the same outlet / power strip?

To clarify the input it was connected to, and working with before the blip, isn't anymore...moved the cable to another port (DVD this time) and I have sound once more...haven't tried moving it back to the original input again though, starting to get annoyed with this thing. As for the sub I had it plugged in to a completely different outlet across the room to begin with (have in-wall wiring for it there) but my wife decided she would rather have it next to the entertainment center so I now have it plugged in to the same surge protector and getting the same low level hum...had hoped it was something in the wall cabes causing it but no such luck.

And is it normal for the OSD menus to take forever to come up? This is my first receiver in forever and first with OSD but damn is it slow...

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

To clarify the input it was connected to, and working with before the blip, isn't anymore...moved the cable to another port (DVD this time) and I have sound once more...haven't tried moving it back to the original input again though, starting to get annoyed with this thing. As for the sub I had it plugged in to a completely different outlet across the room to begin with (have in-wall wiring for it there) but my wife decided she would rather have it next to the entertainment center so I now have it plugged in to the same surge protector and getting the same low level hum...had hoped it was something in the wall cabes causing it but no such luck.

And is it normal for the OSD menus to take forever to come up? This is my first receiver in forever and first with OSD but damn is it slow...

How long is slow? A few seconds would be normal in my experience.

 

[corwin]

How long is slow? A few seconds would be normal in my experience.

I would say up to 10 seconds give or take...seems like forever sometimes.

 

[Aikouka]

I'm not sure of your model or what the OSD is like (my older Denons look like DOS, but my newer one is more of a GUI), but both of them are pretty much instantaneous.

Also, can you try a different cable for the subwoofer? I had an issue where mine was humming a bit, and it was a bad cable. :\ Even paid a bit extra just to get it from Amazon, and had to pay even more to get a quick replacement from HH Gregg.

Have you tried the factory settings reset or the microprocessor reset? I've never had anything get fuddled up, but I've heard that it can happen.

 

[corwin]

I'm not sure of your model or what the OSD is like (my older Denons look like DOS, but my newer one is more of a GUI), but both of them are pretty much instantaneous. Also, can you try a different cable for the subwoofer? I had an issue where mine was humming a bit, and it was a bad cable. Even paid a bit extra just to get it from Amazon, and had to pay even more to get a quick replacement from HH Gregg. Have you tried the factory settings reset or the microprocessor reset? I've never had anything get fuddled up, but I've heard that it can happen.

This one is a basic DOS style menu...but I'm starting to think the OSD delay is partially my plasma switching between resolutions, it's around 4 years old now and seems to take a while to do that when messing with screen sizes on my HTPC too...as for the cable that was one of my thoughts too but haven't had a chance to get another one yet, going to have to wait till the weekend now since I am about to fly out to Athens Georgia for work again, when I get back I'll definitely give those all a try though, thanks for the advice.

 

[slag]

On my Denon receivers (1610, 1910, 2112), if you assign a specific task (DVD, SAT, ANT, etc) to a HDMI input, it will use the HDMI's audio by default. They also work just fine with my HTPC.

Same here. Love my old Denon AVR 590.

 

[corwin]

I'm loving the sound on mine...when it works