[ted_b]

Bruce,
In your seminal post on Nov 25th you advise to use "Digital" (as in Dolby Digital) for 51. movie sources.  I am using the SP2 (60% for hirez 5.1 bypass use, 40% for movies) after living for many years with a lesser sounding (but much better documented) Lexicon 7.1 surround processor (first the Cp1 then various flavors till I ended up with an MC-1) using Logic 7 and later Logic 7.1.  I then went to a Denon 4806 with PLIIx 7 channel steering.  Anyway....my point is that I have used a 7.1 setup (sides and rears) for many years (since 1987 actually), but can't for the fricking life of me get the SP2 to create a 7.1 soundfield out of a digital 5.1 soundtrack.  "Digital" seems to leave my rear surrounds off, sending all surround/effectsfoley/etc to the sides, as if I've told it I have only a 5.1 setup.  What do I want to use for the typical Dolby Digital (2/3.1) movie when I want steering/surround info to my sides and rears for a 7/1 presentation?  Could I have possibly not set up  the SP2 to tell it I had sides and rears?

Edit: well, PLiiXMovie7 works.  Maybe I'll just keep it there.  We're watching Raiders of the Lost Ark here in Christmas Eve and the bar fight-while it burns down scene is pretty well done in 7.1.  I may replay it in DIGITAL over the next few days and see if the back speakers engage.  Seems they didn't earlier.  Man the manual sucks.   

Net/net though is that the Sp2 is the best sounding 5.1 hirez (DVD-A , SACD) bypass preamp I've yet heard.  It beats my old vaunted straight-wire-with-gain Sony TA-P9000ES by a wide margin.  Now maybe I'll like it's movie modes as much as the Lexicon.  That will be a home run!

Thx
Ted

[James Tanner]

Ted,

Do you have the latest software - Aug 27th 06.
You will seethe date on the LCDdisplay when you first power up the SP2.

james

[brucek]

"Digital" seems to leave my rear surrounds off, sending all surround/effectsfoley/etc to the sides, as if I've told it I have only a 5.1 setup.

The previous firmware dated August 4th didn't allow you to force DIGITAL EX (6.1 or 7.1) from DIGITAL (5.1) mode when the source material was 5.1 without the EX flag. With that version of firmware you were only able to get the 6.1 or 7.1 by using THX mode and forcing the mode to THX Surround EX.

With the newest August 27th firmware, the force feature is allowed from DIGITAL to DIGITAL EX if you have the back channels enabled (and you push the mode button) when 5.1 source material is present.

brucek

[ted_b]

I have Aug 4th fw (downloaded Aug 27th but haven't applied it yet).  Raiders must have the EX flag enabled cuz it allowed me to choose Digital EX.  I chose PLIIxMovie7 instead, but whatever. 

I am going to install the newest fw, then recalibrate my system on each of the sources I use (I may have only calibrated on my DVD source; didn't realize they were different for each source, which is good news and bad)), and then I'll evaluate the 7.1 surround steering that DIg EX does over PLIIxMovie 7 and decide which one I want as default.  Which e er one works more like Logic7.1 is what I'll settle on (which is likely the PLIIxMovie7, but only a hunch) as default for most movies.   

BTW, the Aug 4th fw is problematic regarding powering up.  The system sometimes freezes on the fw date or the clock info, or shows error code.  A restart always fixes it, but it's something that bothers me cuz my older kids use it when they're home and they don't know how to troubleshoot.  Also, the system will occassionally not accept remote commands and require a restart too.  Hope Aug27 fw fixes some of this. 

Thx again,


Ted

[brucek]

Also, the system will occassionally not accept remote commands and require a restart too.  Hope Aug27 fw fixes some of this.

The Aug 27th firmware did indeed fix this pesky problem for me. Funny, I thought I was the only one who had that fault. I was surprised when it went away after the new firmware.

brucek

[redsierra]

James how is the new manual coming?

[James Tanner]

James how is the new manual coming?

Sadly not making much progress there - my apology I have just been overwhelmed with new prodjects.

james

[redsierra]

James, old thread, but has the manual ever been updated for the SP2?

Thanks,

Dwight

[James Tanner]

James, old thread, but has the manual ever been updated for the SP2?

Thanks,

Dwight

Hi Dwight,

No I am sorry we have not tackled that yet.  With all the activity on the new HD formats all our resources have been directed at that.

james