Setting up my Sherbourn SR-120

[teaman]

Okay, I have seen plenty of people with issues setting up this receiver. I had to wait until my room was tiled to attempt, as it was not worth setting it up, tearing it down and setting it up again.

I have a HD cable box and Panasonic Bluray player set up with my Panasonic S-60 plasma. I used the receiver only for audio in and out at this point since the plasma is wall hung and I really struggle with accessing the back panel. Since the bluray has all the same decoders as the SR-120 with True HD and so on I figured until I have the time to change out the HDMI's and toslink etc. I can just run the audio through the receiver. Via toslink I have sound, and very good sound might I add. Way more powerful and crisper than my Yamaha RX-v2500.

What I need to find out is how to change the settings on the receiver to match my labeled input on the receiver. I can manually scan and find the optical 1 input which is my cable, and optical 2 which is my bluray so the sound comes through just fine. I keep confusing myself with the arrow keys ( <, > ) on both the remote and the front panel itself. Each time I go into inputs in the menu page and try to adjust the settings with the arrow keys I get lost in it all, and cannot figure out the proper way to access these controls.

Also, I have not yet calibrated with the microphone or anything, in fact I have not even go to the point of how to adjust for large full range speakers and such. At this point I am just happy I have great sound.

Any info and help on a straight forward way to adjust these setting is helpful and appreciated. The online manual I printed seems rather vague and confusing.

Thanks!

[moovtune]

I think, for even better sound, you should at least consider using the HDMI cable for audio to the receiver. Using toslink won't allow you to use the high resolution lossless formats like Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master... you're restricted to lossy Dolby Digital and DTS. You could leave the video directly into the Plasma if you don't mind having to switch the TV input and the receiver input evey time you switch between cable and Blu-ray. But if you plug the cable and blu-ray into the receiver and run from the receiver to a plasma input, the video and audio will switch together when you change inputs. As far as setup, go with the remote buttons and forget the ones on the front panel to help keep it simpler. Generally the up/down buttons affect the up/down choices on the screen and left/right affect the choices left/right on the screen.

[teaman]

Thanks mmovtune. I will have to set up the HDMI cables then. I forgot they pass the True HD etc...

That is probably the easiest and the best route to hook everything up I suppose. Running an HDMI into the receiver from each of the Bluray and Cable box and one HDMI out from the receiver to the TV. Correct?

[moovtune]

Yes, I think that's the way that'll be easier for switching and best for audio quality (at least from the blu-ray).

[teaman]

Okay, all set up through HDMI. Only issue now is that I cannot get audio to pass to the tv for regular viewing. I have to have the receiver on constantly...which is resulting in one hot amp section...

Is it possible to use the system and get pass through audio video without the receiver turned on?

[teaman]

Nevermind, I called the service line and found out that it is not possible to run via HDMI with the receiver off.

[teaman]

This receiver sounds fantastic. Sure wish I would have bought a couple more...

[teaman]

After a few months of use I have noticed a signal reboot in the midst of cable broadcasts. Is this normal? Basically the sound cuts out and comes back on in about five seconds. It is more annoying than troublesome but is there an update or something to get past this....admin, feel free to chime in.

1.) When watching television and the broadcast changes from a Dolby encoded surround tv show (3/2/LFE) is interrupted by a two channel decoded commercial that the signal must reboot and the receiver signal is also interrupted losing momentary sound. Unfortunately this happens during long uninterrupted parts of shows and movies as well and it becomes annoying.

2.) When switching channels sometimes the receiver displays no signal for 30 seconds or more and I am forced to change the channel and then back again to get the signal rectified. The receiver will then promptly acknowledge the proper sound mode and sound once again begins.

I have even tried to change out my HDMI cables and toslink cables to see if that would make a difference.... nothing...

Back to my initial question, is there an update or something that can help eliminate this from happening?

[teaman]

I have come to the conclusion that this must be normal. I noticed this drop off mainly happens when switching from Standard def broadcasts to High def broadcasts or visa versa. Probably just the receiver reconfiguring the sampling rate from 3/2/LFE to 2/0. No worries I love this receiver!

[teaman]

Okay, here is an update long in the making. I just swapped out my HD DVR boxes from Comcast for their new X-1 platform multi room DVR and the glitches are completely gone. Same cables, same everything and there is no longer an issue with the sound dropping of when changing channels. I have to see if my 2nd tv and SR-120 also lost this glitch. Sure is nice to know it was not something with this receiver after all this time of living with it like this. Friggin Comcast, I tell you...