MC-1

[leewilli]

Sept 26, 2023 21:55:54 GMT -5 frederick said:

Hi,

A couple of questions about the MC1 as of today.

1 - Does it do 7.2.6
2 - Does it have an OSD

Thanks.

7.2.6...Yes
OSD...Yes, as long as you're viewing via one of the MC1 inputs.  i.e.  When watching Firestick or Zidoo using the MC1 HDMI ports, OSD always displays.  However, when watching TV, any of the TV apps, or anything using a TV HDMI port you will not get the OSD.

 

[leewilli]

Oct 10, 2023 11:27:33 GMT -5 buckaboo said:

Hello, 

I just ordered an MC-1  on the spooky trade in event.   (I haven't received it yet.)  However I am hearing about random bugs such as pops, HDMI switching issues, latency etc.  Does any of these affect the MC-1 directly?   I don't game so I could care less about HDMI 2.1.  Are any of these glitches attributed to CEC or eARC?  I don't use either of these functionalities because I run everything through my AVR.   I'm currently using a Denon AVR-X3300W which has been flawless.  I'm using a TASCAM 4K blu-ray player, an Apple TV 4K 2nd gen, and a Sony 55 inch 90 series 4K 120hz tv.   I would have loved to have DIRAC but the XMC series was out of my budget.   I'm hoping these bugs are not big bugs as I'm hoping for that next level audio quality.  

Thanks,
David

Great unit and I definitely noticed a significant difference in quality between it and my Denon x3700H before and after applying EMO-Q.
I had really bad pops when switching inputs and while using eARC while my TV was configured for eARC and any of following selections: Auto/Passthrough/DD/DD+.  When switching TV to PCM and leaving TV set to eARC or ARC, coupled with a newer firmware from Support, pops only occur rarely.  I didn't have pops with the Denon but I had a wealth of eARC issues.  I strongly believe 99% of the issues using the Denon and MC1 are from the crappy TV eARC.

I'd buy the MC1 again in a heartbeat.  I hope you enjoy it. 

[dlawmont]

My MC1 shipped January 2022 so I am coming up on 2 years of operation. Contrary to a lot of the posts on this thread it has performed perfectly with the exception of a few "lock-ups" which were resolved with a simple reboot. I do not use eARC. I have the MC1 configured for 7.1.6 and use EmoQ for calibration but adjust my sub manually. Audio performance is very impressive. I am using 5 of the 6 HDMI ports and have no issues with switching. I run the original version of firmware that came installed in 1/2022 and have not checked for any update since. Enjoy!

[cofford]

Count me in as another extremely satisfied MC1 user. I run mine with A2 and A7 amplifiers in 5.2.4. Atmos content is amazing! I use the RS232 port with a wifi ESP32 controller for remote control.

With regard to eARC, I've found that setting my TV (Samsung) to ARC/auto, instead of eARC, results in no pops and is trouble-free. ARC supports DD+, which is as good as streaming services get. Atmos content from Netflix and the like works great over ARC. Anything with TrueHD goes straight to the MC1 inputs. I think the eARC issues are due to the implementation in the TV and not the MC1, as the pops occur mainly when the TV changes audio modes (menu sounds vs content, etc).

Best,
Casey

[emotimmo]

Oct 12, 2023 16:25:15 GMT -5 cofford said:

Count me in as another extremely satisfied MC1 user. I run mine with A2 and A7 amplifiers in 5.2.4. Atmos content is amazing! I use the RS232 port with a wifi ESP32 controller for remote control.

With regard to eARC, I've found that setting my TV (Samsung) to ARC/auto, instead of eARC, results in no pops and is trouble-free. ARC supports DD+, which is as good as streaming services get. Atmos content from Netflix and the like works great over ARC. Anything with TrueHD goes straight to the MC1 inputs. I think the eARC issues are due to the implementation in the TV and not the MC1, as the pops occur mainly when the TV changes audio modes (menu sounds vs content, etc).

Best,
Casey

It sounds like you are setting your TV to do the decoding which pipes DD+ full time(?), negating the pops due to format changes/decoding happening on the MC1. ie Your stereo material is being encoded to DD+ from the TV or do see format changes at the MC1?

[cofford]

No decoding on the TV...MC1 changes modes depending on content as normal, just as it does with eARC.  It just doesn't support anything above DD+.

[dlawmont]

I cannot find any documentation or video explanation for the parameter "Audio Priority".  Does anyone know what this does?  Here is the exact path:

Setup > Option > HDMI Option > HDMI Format > Audio Priority (OFF/ON)

Thanks!

[buckaboo]

I just received my MC-1 yesterday.  One of the things I have noticed is that I can't figure out is the MC-1 OSD doesn't seem to work unless I have an HDMI device powered on such as a video game system, Blu-Ray player, or apple tv etc.  Is this a bug or was this done by design?   I have an HD tuner plugged in to Optical 2.  I set the sources to output HDMI 3 to Optical 2 so that I could see the OSD of the MC-1 to adjust volume etc.   HDMI 3 is also my XBOX S.  The MC-1 OSD doesn't show unless the Xbox is turned on.  

Thanks,
David

[emotimmo]

Oct 20, 2023 17:02:46 GMT -5 buckaboo said:

I just received my MC-1 yesterday.  One of the things I have noticed is that I can't figure out is the MC-1 OSD doesn't seem to work unless I have an HDMI device powered on such as a video game system, Blu-Ray player, or apple tv etc.  Is this a bug or was this done by design?   I have an HD tuner plugged in to Optical 2.  I set the sources to output HDMI 3 to Optical 2 so that I could see the OSD of the MC-1 to adjust volume etc.   HDMI 3 is also my XBOX S.  The MC-1 OSD doesn't show unless the Xbox is turned on.  

Thanks,
David

Try setting it to an unused HDMI input. 

[hesster]

I installed my MC1 in my "Barndominum" with 7.1.4 to start, and after messing endlessly with the settings, it sounds incredible.  Just ordered (2) more Height speakers to make it 7.1.6. 
Some tips - I was forever trying to get my LG Oled C3 TV to play nice with the MC1 with EARC/CEC, sometimes it would not  connect, and when it did it was like down 20 Db in volume when watching Live TV, BR, or Firestick.  So I had to crank the volume to hear anything, and knew something was not right.
The tutorials in the Forum Blog by Brent are excellent for working your way through to get the settings right, and debugging the maddening CEC, EARC/ARC HDMI connection issues.  

A tip - after sorting out all of the connections and settings, I have the EARC/CEC working properly, and found the fix for the very low volume was in the SETUP > Volume Mode Setting.  Here you can switch away from the "Independent" default, or the "Unified" selection, and go to the "Additional" selection where you can set it anywhere from -20 Db to +20 Db.  
THAT was what I used to set individual Db levels for Live TV via EARC (+20 Db), Firestick via HDMI 1 (+10 Db), Sony BR HDMI 2 (+10 Db), and left Bluetooth/IPod on independent since that always seemed to be Ok volume wise. 

This solved the crazy low volume issue for Live TV and the Firestick/BR Player, and avoids blowing the speakers out when switching away from TV to Bluetooth to play music and forgetting to turn the volume down from 50 before I found this adjustment!

[trent]

Hi All! I have had an MC1 for a couple months now. I upgraded from the UMC-200. Unit sounds great and am looking forward to learning how to use it better. I have a couple question about the IR input on the back.

1. If I use the IR plug in the back, the front sensor no longer works. Is this correct?
2. I actually have not been able to control the unit from the rear IR port. I have Roomie Remote and a global cache wifi2ir box. It worked great with the UMC200. I have tried several configurations but am not figuring out why I cannot get the unit to respond using the same method (with updated ir codes of course). If I use a blaster through the global cache box on the front panel I can control the unit, but when I use the same output (with correct cable) and plug into the rear port I get nothing.  Any suggestions?
3. I am successfully using the serial port to control the MC1, but it doesn't have all the 'buttons' available. i.e. the surround trim commands. Could these be added in a later firmware?

[davidl]

Dec 13, 2023 16:21:53 GMT -5 trent said:

Hi All! I have had an MC1 for a couple months now. I upgraded from the UMC-200. Unit sounds great and am looking forward to learning how to use it better. I have a couple question about the IR input on the back.

1. If I use the IR plug in the back, the front sensor no longer works. Is this correct?
2. I actually have not been able to control the unit from the rear IR port. I have Roomie Remote and a global cache wifi2ir box. It worked great with the UMC200. I have tried several configurations but am not figuring out why I cannot get the unit to respond using the same method (with updated ir codes of course). If I use a blaster through the global cache box on the front panel I can control the unit, but when I use the same output (with correct cable) and plug into the rear port I get nothing.  Any suggestions?
3. I am successfully using the serial port to control the MC1, but it doesn't have all the 'buttons' available. i.e. the surround trim commands. Could these be added in a later firmware?

Hi Trent.

I have the same issue and asked the same question a long time ago but never got an answer, Hope you have better luck in getting an answer! 

Dave

[ttocs]

Dec 13, 2023 16:21:53 GMT -5 trent said:

Hi All! I have had an MC1 for a couple months now. I upgraded from the UMC-200. Unit sounds great and am looking forward to learning how to use it better. I have a couple question about the IR input on the back.

1. If I use the IR plug in the back, the front sensor no longer works. Is this correct?
2. I actually have not been able to control the unit from the rear IR port. I have Roomie Remote and a global cache wifi2ir box. It worked great with the UMC200. I have tried several configurations but am not figuring out why I cannot get the unit to respond using the same method (with updated ir codes of course). If I use a blaster through the global cache box on the front panel I can control the unit, but when I use the same output (with correct cable) and plug into the rear port I get nothing.  Any suggestions?
3. I am successfully using the serial port to control the MC1, but it doesn't have all the 'buttons' available. i.e. the surround trim commands. Could these be added in a later firmware?

I don't have a MC-1, so I can't look in the Menu to see if some options might be available, so I'll ask.

On a XMC-2/RMC-1 there are some IR options that can be disabled so as not to interfere when using the rear Wired IR Port. These are named FRONT IR IN, and FRONT IR BLASTER. I uncheck the menu boxes to disable these options so they don't pickup any IR commands which can confuse the processor and can result in commands being ignored or doubled.

[davidl]

Thanks TTOCS. Yes, I know those options exist on other processors but they don't seem to exist as options in the MC-1 setup configuration. 

Dave

[trent]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.  New issue with Atmos.  I am guessing it is user error!  I have a lot to learn and catch up on.

I have been saving for an amp so I can run Atmos speakers.  Until then, I figured out I could cobble together an Atmos setup with an ancient avr I have in the garage we use to listen to games while working on cars etc.    I added some old speakers in the ceiling, open joists in my case so made it easy, and used the avr to power them- Middle heights out to the cd in and I am in business..  Quick and dirty 5.1.2 setup.  I love it!  can't wait to get 'good' speakers (and more!) and an amp.

The issue- I cannot get Atmos unless I have my Lumagen video processor in the chain.  The lumagen can only handle up to 1080p, though.   My only Atmos source is an appletv at the moment.  So AppleTV to MC1.  I then use the two outputs of the MC1 in this way, (I do not have them on at the same time). 1 goes to the lumagen then projector, 2 goes straight to the projector.  The projector is an Epson 5050b.   Going straight from MC1 to the projector, the AppleTV only gives me the Auto option on the sound.  With the Lumagen plugged in, I get Auto, Atmos available, and the MC1 indicates it is playing Atmos.

I have tried swapping the 1 and 2 outputs, thinking the ARC may have something to do with it.  No difference.  I am stumped.   I have looked at the projector manual for anything related to this, nothing.   Guessing the display shouldn't matter?

[davidl]

Jan 20, 2024 8:30:06 GMT -5 trent said:

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.  New issue with Atmos.  I am guessing it is user error!  I have a lot to learn and catch up on.

I have been saving for an amp so I can run Atmos speakers.  Until then, I figured out I could cobble together an Atmos setup with an ancient avr I have in the garage we use to listen to games while working on cars etc.    I added some old speakers in the ceiling, open joists in my case so made it easy, and used the avr to power them- Middle heights out to the cd in and I am in business..  Quick and dirty 5.1.2 setup.  I love it!  can't wait to get 'good' speakers (and more!) and an amp.

The issue- I cannot get Atmos unless I have my Lumagen video processor in the chain.  The lumagen can only handle up to 1080p, though.   My only Atmos source is an appletv at the moment.  So AppleTV to MC1.  I then use the two outputs of the MC1 in this way, (I do not have them on at the same time). 1 goes to the lumagen then projector, 2 goes straight to the projector.  The projector is an Epson 5050b.   Going straight from MC1 to the projector, the AppleTV only gives me the Auto option on the sound.  With the Lumagen plugged in, I get Auto, Atmos available, and the MC1 indicates it is playing Atmos.

I have tried swapping the 1 and 2 outputs, thinking the ARC may have something to do with it.  No difference.  I am stumped.   I have looked at the projector manual for anything related to this, nothing.   Guessing the display shouldn't matter?

Hi Trent. 

I feel your pain! There are so many things in the signal chain, it's hard to know where Atmos and other display problems like these lie. I have been having similar issues in my 9.4.2 system. Let me explain mine so you can see how they're related to yours and maybe we can figure this out. On the source side, the relevant sources I have are an AppleTV 4K, Fire TC, Playstation 4 and BluRay player. These sources connect directly via HDMI to the MC-1 inputs. The MC-1 then is connected via HDMI to an Epson 1080p projector (Home Cinema 3000). So I have Atmos capability and HD capability but not 4K/HDR/UHD.

Playing Atmos encoded Blu-ray Discs from the Playstation and BluRay player work 100% of the time. Works perfectly and with the lack of compression that other sources have, Atmos is spectacular and complete heaven (other than the MC-1 getting out of sync from time to time as described below)! When streaming from the  AppleTV 4K, some apps do give me Atmos, some do not. The setup in my Apple TV shows Auto, Atmos available all the time except one time after a power failure I noticed it only had PCM out but a power cycle of the Apple TV fixed it and it went back to Auto, Atmos available.

Not all apps on Apple TV support Atmos. I have Apple TV+, Disney, Netflix and Prime Video. Streaming shows from Apple TV+ and Disney+ that are encoded with Atmos (most of the shows on these platforms do support Atmos) works very reliably. The MC-1 however, particularly when pausing/rewind/fast forward Atmos encoded content, often loses sync or something and while the MC-1 still shows it's playing Atmos, sometimes there's no sound from the center channel, the surround channels get echo-ey and robot like sound. I've talked about this previously in this forum and enquired about firmware/DSP updates but no responses from users or Emotive support. To get back in sync, I sometimes have to pause again or back/forward 10 seconds and it usually comes back although sometimes I have to restart the movie. Very annoying and this is purely an MC-1 issue as the Denon receiver the MC-1 replaced does not have this issue at all. 

Prime Video from Amazon states that they support 4K and Atmos. That is true however there is a caveat that Amazon for some reason won't own up to. Myself and others have posted in Amazon's forum and they refuse to answer. The caveat is that Amazon Prime Video only provides Atmos audio with 4K video, they do not provide Atmos audio with 1080p video so folks like me with Atmos audio support but only a 1080p display are screwed and cannot get Atmos, we only get 5.1, unless we change our projectors/displays to 4K. I've verified this by swapping out the projector for a 4K TV and bang, Atmos audio comes through! Very sleazy on Amazon's part, especially as they won't admit it.

Now on to Netflix and the current issue I have. Netflix has 3 plans, a low cost one with commercials every 5 minutes, a middle tier with no commercials but only 1080p and 5.1 support, no 4K or Atmos support, and a top tier with both 4K support and Atmos support. I didn't know this till a week ago when I discovered this and upgraded my membership to the top tier, leading to my current problem which I have not isolated yet. Prior to upgrading to the top tier, audio was indeed limited to 5.1 but the 1080p video was perfect. Since upgrading to the top tier, I now get Atmos for those shows that have Atmos however my image quality is now poor with pixelization type issues. I've power cycled everything and no joy. I suspect this is a Netflix app issue although I have not proven that out yet. I plan on testing this by swapping out my 1080p projector with a 4K display and see if the image problems go away. I haven't done that yet.

Going back to your issue, HDMI performs a "handshake" from source to destination. It negotiates Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) for things like video resolution identification and High Definition Copyright Protection (HDCP) to make sure the equipment your using has the proper keys (i.e. Hollywood doesn't like their content playing on devices that have no HDCP) and you get the best resolution possible in your signal chain. I'm getting over my head but I don't believe there is any audio negotiation involved with this handshake, I believe there is a different negotiation that occurs so the source can figure out what type of audio the sink supports. I don't know if the Lumagen mucks with that negotiation. On the HDMI side however, if you have the MC-1  outputting to both HDMI outputs, I believe it limits itself to the capabilities of the lower display. For example, if you have a both a 4K on one output and a 1080p on the other, it only supports 1080p to both devices. I would definitely turn off eARC, CEC and any of the other HDMI options. Also, even though you have the MC-1 configured to output only to A or B, you may want to physically disconnect and see if that makes any difference.

With I was more directly helpful but things to think about. Also make sure your cables are good although that's more of video thing than audio. 

[KeithL]

Interesting info about Amazon Prime Video and Atmos and 1080p... I hadn't heard that before.

Yes the information about what audio modes the sink supports is included in the EDID (at least some of it and usually).

Generally any device in the signal chain WILL modify the EDID "as it passes it on" if necessary.
So, for example, our processor takes the EDID from the TV or projector, adds or modifies it with our limitations, and passes on the result.
(SO, for example, if your TV supports some weird video mode, which we do not, we would delete that mode from the list in the EDID.)

I can see how this could cause problems if either the Lumagen fails to do this OR if it does it incorrectly...
I don't have any specific details about the Lumagen... and what it does or does not do...

However, the information used to apply "automatic lip synch delay" is supplied by the TV in its EDID.
(This is intended to tell the processor to "delay the audio to stay in step with the delay in video processing inside the TV".)
From what our engineers tell us, most modern TVs actually add very little delay, and report a lip-synch delay of 0.
It would definitely be a problem if the Lumagen adds significant delay and fails to "report" it by modifying the EDID.
(I had always assumed that this number would vary depending on things like upscaling or other processing in the TV... but apparently not.)

Jan 21, 2024 16:31:01 GMT -5 davidl said:

Jan 20, 2024 8:30:06 GMT -5 trent said:

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.  New issue with Atmos.  I am guessing it is user error!  I have a lot to learn and catch up on.

I have been saving for an amp so I can run Atmos speakers.  Until then, I figured out I could cobble together an Atmos setup with an ancient avr I have in the garage we use to listen to games while working on cars etc.    I added some old speakers in the ceiling, open joists in my case so made it easy, and used the avr to power them- Middle heights out to the cd in and I am in business..  Quick and dirty 5.1.2 setup.  I love it!  can't wait to get 'good' speakers (and more!) and an amp.

The issue- I cannot get Atmos unless I have my Lumagen video processor in the chain.  The lumagen can only handle up to 1080p, though.   My only Atmos source is an appletv at the moment.  So AppleTV to MC1.  I then use the two outputs of the MC1 in this way, (I do not have them on at the same time). 1 goes to the lumagen then projector, 2 goes straight to the projector.  The projector is an Epson 5050b.   Going straight from MC1 to the projector, the AppleTV only gives me the Auto option on the sound.  With the Lumagen plugged in, I get Auto, Atmos available, and the MC1 indicates it is playing Atmos.

I have tried swapping the 1 and 2 outputs, thinking the ARC may have something to do with it.  No difference.  I am stumped.   I have looked at the projector manual for anything related to this, nothing.   Guessing the display shouldn't matter?

Hi Trent. 

I feel your pain! There are so many things in the signal chain, it's hard to know where Atmos and other display problems like these lie. I have been having similar issues in my 9.4.2 system. Let me explain mine so you can see how they're related to yours and maybe we can figure this out. On the source side, the relevant sources I have are an AppleTV 4K, Fire TC, Playstation 4 and BluRay player. These sources connect directly via HDMI to the MC-1 inputs. The MC-1 then is connected via HDMI to an Epson 1080p projector (Home Cinema 3000). So I have Atmos capability and HD capability but not 4K/HDR/UHD.

Playing Atmos encoded Blu-ray Discs from the Playstation and BluRay player work 100% of the time. Works perfectly and with the lack of compression that other sources have, Atmos is spectacular and complete heaven (other than the MC-1 getting out of sync from time to time as described below)! When streaming from the  AppleTV 4K, some apps do give me Atmos, some do not. The setup in my Apple TV shows Auto, Atmos available all the time except one time after a power failure I noticed it only had PCM out but a power cycle of the Apple TV fixed it and it went back to Auto, Atmos available.

Not all apps on Apple TV support Atmos. I have Apple TV+, Disney, Netflix and Prime Video. Streaming shows from Apple TV+ and Disney+ that are encoded with Atmos (most of the shows on these platforms do support Atmos) works very reliably. The MC-1 however, particularly when pausing/rewind/fast forward Atmos encoded content, often loses sync or something and while the MC-1 still shows it's playing Atmos, sometimes there's no sound from the center channel, the surround channels get echo-ey and robot like sound. I've talked about this previously in this forum and enquired about firmware/DSP updates but no responses from users or Emotive support. To get back in sync, I sometimes have to pause again or back/forward 10 seconds and it usually comes back although sometimes I have to restart the movie. Very annoying and this is purely an MC-1 issue as the Denon receiver the MC-1 replaced does not have this issue at all. 

Prime Video from Amazon states that they support 4K and Atmos. That is true however there is a caveat that Amazon for some reason won't own up to. Myself and others have posted in Amazon's forum and they refuse to answer. The caveat is that Amazon Prime Video only provides Atmos audio with 4K video, they do not provide Atmos audio with 1080p video so folks like me with Atmos audio support but only a 1080p display are screwed and cannot get Atmos, we only get 5.1, unless we change our projectors/displays to 4K. I've verified this by swapping out the projector for a 4K TV and bang, Atmos audio comes through! Very sleazy on Amazon's part, especially as they won't admit it.

Now on to Netflix and the current issue I have. Netflix has 3 plans, a low cost one with commercials every 5 minutes, a middle tier with no commercials but only 1080p and 5.1 support, no 4K or Atmos support, and a top tier with both 4K support and Atmos support. I didn't know this till a week ago when I discovered this and upgraded my membership to the top tier, leading to my current problem which I have not isolated yet. Prior to upgrading to the top tier, audio was indeed limited to 5.1 but the 1080p video was perfect. Since upgrading to the top tier, I now get Atmos for those shows that have Atmos however my image quality is now poor with pixelization type issues. I've power cycled everything and no joy. I suspect this is a Netflix app issue although I have not proven that out yet. I plan on testing this by swapping out my 1080p projector with a 4K display and see if the image problems go away. I haven't done that yet.

Going back to your issue, HDMI performs a "handshake" from source to destination. It negotiates Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) for things like video resolution identification and High Definition Copyright Protection (HDCP) to make sure the equipment your using has the proper keys (i.e. Hollywood doesn't like their content playing on devices that have no HDCP) and you get the best resolution possible in your signal chain. I'm getting over my head but I don't believe there is any audio negotiation involved with this handshake, I believe there is a different negotiation that occurs so the source can figure out what type of audio the sink supports. I don't know if the Lumagen mucks with that negotiation. On the HDMI side however, if you have the MC-1  outputting to both HDMI outputs, I believe it limits itself to the capabilities of the lower display. For example, if you have a both a 4K on one output and a 1080p on the other, it only supports 1080p to both devices. I would definitely turn off eARC, CEC and any of the other HDMI options. Also, even though you have the MC-1 configured to output only to A or B, you may want to physically disconnect and see if that makes any difference.

With I was more directly helpful but things to think about. Also make sure your cables are good although that's more of video thing than audio. 

[trent]

davidl, Keith

Thank you for your responses.  Turns out I was correct.  User Error!  Seriously, though, thank you for your detailed responses.  I knew bits and pieces of that info but c certainly have a better grasp of it now.  All of it was needed to get to the root of my problem.

I kept going back to, 'why is the projector making a difference in the audio configuration?'  It took me a while, but I found it.  First step, I hooked up a Samsung tv instead of the projector.  Grasping at straws at this point, but started to gather more info.  Well, I was able to get Atmos Available.  I then plugged back in the pj and changed the EDID on the projector from enhanced, which is needed for it to sync to a 4k source,  to standard and got Atmos Available.   hmmmm.   

Last evening I had a few minutes to play around with it all and went back through the menus on the MC1.  I found this- Setup/ Option/ HDMI Option/ HDMI Format/ Audio Priority-OFF.   I am not sure what Audio Priority controls, but in my mind it would mean that the MC1 should be calling the shots on the audio portion of the EDID?  I switched it to ON.  Eureka!  I was able to have 4k and Atmos Available.

I remembered that upon my initial setup, I had turned off all the CEC business.  I wonder if I had turned this setting off as well?  Whichever, I am glad I kept at it and asked some questions.  Now to watch some content. .  More importantly for me, to listen to the sound!  

[xymox]

Howdy, my first post.. Be gental, hahaha..

I have some clients who have MC-1s. I do very high end rooms. A typical room is below. My experence is with Datasat RS20s and Trinnov Altitudes. With these 2 products I have not encountered HDMI issues or needs to configure the processor at all in terms of HDMI. The processors however do not do earc or CEC. Typically I hook source devices to the processor which works as a HDMI switch and this then feeds the projector. WHile of course over years I have encountered source and sink devices with issues and overall issues like HDR and cable issues.

I have a client who has a system he hooked up with a MC-1. He has it hooked up in what i would consider not the best way. However after reading a lot on threads here and looking over the recommended settings I am a bit confuzed. It is setup AppleTV 4k A2169 > 2ft HDMI > Sony A9S.. Then Sony A9S eARC to the MC-1.the MC-1 does not have anything plugged into the hDMI output ports.  It is doing odd things. I have had him swap cables and done what seems to be all the normal HDMI troubleshooting. The symptoms are,, after some period which can be days or mins he will press a button to go from a app to the menuon the AppleTV remote and he will get snow but might keep sound. Sometimes no sound but pic. I had him try tuning off all content matching. had him use 4K SDR, had him chnage to 3 different cable brands, but the issue persists. Of course it might be a Appletv, so we are swapping that, but i have never seen a Appletv really ever have a issue. From his symptoms it appears the issue occurs when the hdmi handshake occurs. BUT it also could be when CEC occurs. He reports that power cycling the AppleTV ( HDMI resync ) resolves the issue.

So after reading this thread and others and looking over the Emotiva setup for Appletv I am a bit confuzed on what the best setup is for this simple common arrangement. I really want to have the AppleTV do 4K SDR with content matching Frame Rate on / Range Off. So it will change rates and resync when going back to menu.

So... How should it be hooked up ? ATV > MC-1 > Port 2 > Sony AS9 ? Or i read there can be delays in syncing doing this and maybe it should be ATV > A9S > earc > MC-1 ?

disable CEC on AppleTV ? Just checking. Disable or change settings on MC-1 for this setup ?

He is using VERY short cables. Could this be a issue ?

I have sent him a ATV and cables i have verified is fully functional. He has it now and i am posting so i can advise the best way to hook this up as i am a bit confuzed as to what is best.

these are the rooms i do and have a lot of press coverage of. I have done this stuff for 18 years so i have some experience doing this. This is a new member post i did on another forum, easier then doing all this posting again.

www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/quad-is-awesome-i-have-some-experience-doing-it.35378/

He also watches OTA broadcast and listens thru eARC.

[xymox]

I contacted support with the questions i posted above. I wanted to sum up what i learned.

There are clear known issues with HDMI and AppleTV. I was unclear on exactly what these were on a deep tech level, but, apparently Apple did a update between when they tested the MC-1 and when it shipped. One of the feature upgrades that Apple did to the AppleTV has caused various issues including sync issues, pops and clicks and drop outs of both sound and pic as things resync. From my experience it can leave a Sony OLED displaying snow sometimes. I work with other TVs and processors and do not know of this issue with other systems, so hopefully its a firmware update. Other hardware like the Roku seem to work fine.

They are working on a firmware update to address these issues. They do not have a exact timeline but "Hopefully a month".. So a solution is a bit off yet

Their recommendation for hook up *for now* is AppleTV > Sony OLED > eARC out > MC-1

After their fix it should be possible to go back to the normal hook up of AppleTV > MC-1 > Port 2 > TV

While a 1 foot cable *should* work a 1M is a better idea for some technical reasons.

I am thinking that unhooking HDMI to the MC-1 and using a Optical cable from the TV to the MC-1 would be the most stable, but, obviously, reduces the surround formats and no Atmos.

They recommend turning off CEC and other settings on the AppleTV to minimize the issues for now, So:

settings > Remote & Device > Control TVs & Recievers > OFF  

Settings > Remotes and devices > Volume control > OFF..

Settings > Video & Audio > Match content > OFF

Settings > Video & Audio > Navigation clicks > OFF