PDA

View Full Version : 4K UHD Movies



mannjon
8th July 2017, 04:18 AM
Does anyone else here have a decent setup? I'm curious what I might can do to enhance, or if I have a good setup as is.

TV - 4K 60Hz port with 120Hz *actual* refresh rate, with ARC
Receiver - ARC capable receiver with 4 HDMI inputs, 5.1 capable *also has a 30Hz HDMI pass-through*
UHD Player - XBox One S
Speakers - 70's Vintage front left/right Pioneers (wired in a better high-range to replace the ribbon tweeters), center small, left/right wireless rear (connected to the receiver that sends a signal to a smaller wireless receiver to power rear speakers)

So my current setup is that I have a high-speed HDMI connected directly from the Xbox One S to the 60Hz 4K TV slot. I then have the ARC enabled which connects from the TV out to the Receiver out (2 way HDMI cable to make the ARC work). I am currently using the Xbox's Bitrate audio mode because that is the only option that seems to be available, and the 4K video option enabled.

It is kind of wonky in that I would prefer to just use one HDMI cable from the TV but the pass-through channel is only 30Hz, which disallows the 4K option for the Xbox.

The video quality is as you might guess, amazing. I stayed up late watching all those nature 4K videos and counted hairs on sloths and stuff. I just watched Deadpool in UHD, and was impressed with the visuals. The audio is the question mark. It isn't bad quality 5.1 surround, but I was wondering if there was a better way to do this given my current setup. The receiver is pretty powerful, but it is going back through the ARC which I'm guessing might diminish the quality some? But there is no way to wire the HDMI out from the Xbox to the receiver and have it work in 4K video I'm aware of.

Any suggestions? Has anyone experimented around with this new fangled tech?

blackwiggle
8th July 2017, 10:56 AM
Run the Xbox HDMI direct to the TV, then get a SPDIF cable and run that from the Xbox into the surround amp, then in the Xbox's options, select to run audio through the SPDIF, that will get around the video limitations of your HT amp.

I re wired my whole HT system around Xmas.
I've got a Sony 3D TV, and a Sony projector.
Yamaha 7.1 channel HT amp, with PS4, PS3,PS2, PSTV, PVR, and a laptop all connected up.

On both the PS4 & PS3 & PS2 I also run optical SPDIF cables into the amp, as well as HDMI, reason for the PS2 is because it a big leap in sound quality from RCA audio cables, and on the PS4 and PS3 it's to stop the lag from the guitar interface when playing Rocksmith ...I can just opt to use that or HDMI in the PS's audio settings, easy peasy.
Main speakers are Harbeth SHL5's, and B&W floorstanders for rear, and B&W bookshelf surrounds, I've taken out the center speaker and powered subwoofer as it was just overkill.

I'm looking to replace the Sony PJ with a 4K JVC one when funds permit, but that also will mean getting a new 4K Bluray player and a new HT amp that does 4K, but since my current equipment isn't that old, and there is still problem with getting 4K gear to work properly together due to a lot of it not having the needed HDMI V2.2 , I'll happily wait till that mess is sorted [It was only ratified by all manufacturers in Jan 2017], pointless spending around Aus $15k if it's likely to be obsolete in a matter of a year.

Some shots below, the last one is of 2048 played via the PSTV hack and upscaled by the HT amp....nowhere even close to the Omega Pack, but at the time it was the Bee's Knee's, as it was the only way to play 2048 with a controller.
Not too shabby for a screen 2.2m wide.

108681086910870

mannjon
11th July 2017, 03:39 AM
Thanks for the SPDIF cable tip. That helped. Also by porting through the arc I can now have 8 HDMI inputs.

So now to recap if anyone is interested, the new cable handles the audio for stuff plugged into the TV through the audio return channel and everything else is just output directly from the receiver.