Ntrain42's UMC-1 first impressions and review...

[lewers]

Mar 4, 2010 20:42:09 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Mar 4, 2010 20:02:58 GMT -5 lewers said:

I'm not hearing anything like that so lemme make sure I'm doin' what you are:

Set zones one and two to different inputs.
• Zone one on CD input. Analog to the UMC-1. ERC-1 on but stopped. Stereo mode.
• Zone two to Directv playing music from sonic tap. HDMI to the UMC-1.

Zone one volume 10 - Zone two 30
• Nothing from zone one. Ear to the tweeter, hiss that can only be heard within a foot of the tweeter.
• Volume at 50 for both zones. No change.

[Update]
Reverse inputs - One has the Directv and two is on the CD input.
Same results. No evidence of anything in zone two.
There was no volume up to 50 for zone one as that would drown out anything that I'd be able to hear in zone two. Though you'd mentioned that the issue was independent of volume settings so this may not be needed.

Set them to the same input, but turn main zone down to 0..........see if your getting anything doing that even........

Wow! I bet the neighbors loved that! Lady Gaga - Bad Romance playing at 50 in zone two. (read omg loud)

Nothing at the L250s. Just the above mentioned hiss.
(I also tried with Directv for a digital source, same result)

[BillBauman]

It really is sounding like NTrain might have a bad unit.

[ntrain42]

Yeah Im starting to wonder that myself now.......(bad unit)..........COuld someone else with both a UMC-1 and UPA 5 or 7 try this:

Set zone 2 to cd analog input, set zone one to play the same input(cd), keep zone one turned all the way down, zone 2 at whatever level see what you get. I am getting channel bleed without question when using the UMC-1. When I use any of the Onkyo units by themselves or in combination with a UPA amp, Im not getting any channel bleed. But when I use the UMC-1's analog input and set both zones to the same input(or any analog input, but NOT digital) with one zone turned down to 0 there is very noticeable bleed..............

[RSavage]

Mar 5, 2010 9:01:21 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Set zone 2 to cd analog input, set zone one to play the same input(cd), keep zone one turned all the way down, zone 2 at whatever level see what you get. I am getting channel bleed without question when using the UMC-1. When I use any of the Onkyo units by themselves or in combination with a UPA amp, Im not getting any channel bleed. But when I use the UMC-1's analog input and set both zones to the same input(or any analog input, but NOT digital) with one zone turned down to 0 there is very noticeable bleed..............

Just tossing out a question......you have both zones getting the same source....are you sure it's 'bleed', or could it be that zero on zone 1 isn't quite zero? When you input different sources on zones 1 and 2, do you get the zone 2 material in zone 1?

Just curious

R

[ntrain42]

OK, anyway here is the update on the channel bleed. It has definetly been zeroed in on the UMC-1 being the culprit.

What specifically happens is that when using zone 2, there is channel bleed going into all 5 channels of zone 1 regardless of what zone 1 input Im using, be it analog or digital. Also, when I turn up zone 2's volume, the channel bleed gets louder, so its directly related to the zone 2 volume control, so when I have zone 2's volume turned all the way down, the channel bleed gets very quiet to nonexistant. When I crank up the volume on zone 2, the channel bleed becomes very audible through all the speakers in zone 1.

I called up Emotiva today, Dan is going to try and reproduce it I guess on one of their rigs, but he said there is the possibility of a compromised ground I guess on the UMC-1, thats what he stated. I hope this is the case, because Im actually liking the unit alot for my needs.

[ntrain42]

Update on some other aspects of the UMC-1.

I am very happy to state that the HDMI switcher on mine works just fine. I have HDMI set to pass thru, and it passes a 1080p/24 signal with no issues on all my HDTV's including my Samsung 58B650, VIewsonic Pro8100 projector, Panasonic PT4000 projector and my 60" Pioneer KRP-600M ELite plasma monitor. So for me the HDMI switcher works just fine passing through any video signal be it 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. Very happy about this, as it seemed to be an issue with some other people possibly.

THe audio on the HDMI seems to be fine too, but I am experiencing that 2-3 second drop out of the audio signal that some people report from their PS3 when letting it stay idle for a few seconds. In other words, if they let the PS3 sit idle, then start moving the cursor around screen it takes a few seconds before you start to hear the audible clicking when moving from icon to icon.............not a big deal for me, if they fix it through a firmware update great, if not no big deal on my end.

[ntrain42]

ANother update: Seems like the UMC-1 is fine afterall. THe crosstalk channel bleed is in fact coming from the UPA-7.................I updated my review in the amp section. Hopefully its a fault that developed from possibly a bad ground in the amp and that a simple swap will solve the issue.

[SticknStones]

Very constructive reporting!

[cgolf]

Mar 5, 2010 9:53:58 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Update on some other aspects of the UMC-1.

I am very happy to state that the HDMI switcher on mine works just fine. I have HDMI set to pass thru, and it passes a 1080p/24 signal with no issues on all my HDTV's including my Samsung 58B650, VIewsonic Pro8100 projector, Panasonic PT4000 projector and my 60" Pioneer KRP-600M ELite plasma monitor. So for me the HDMI switcher works just fine passing through any video signal be it 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. Very happy about this, as it seemed to be an issue with some other people possibly.

THe audio on the HDMI seems to be fine too, but I am experiencing that 2-3 second drop out of the audio signal that some people report from their PS3 when letting it stay idle for a few seconds. In other words, if they let the PS3 sit idle, then start moving the cursor around screen it takes a few seconds before you start to hear the audible clicking when moving from icon to icon.............not a big deal for me, if they fix it through a firmware update great, if not no big deal on my end.

I'm not sure that I'm asking the right question so bear with me here. You stated that you're getting a 1080p/24 signal out of your Samsung TV. I have the same TV (except mine is a 58A) and my signal is always a 1080i/60 coming out of my cable box. It's 1080p/60 from the OPPO blu ray but never a 1080p/24. How do you get that from yours? Is there an adjustment somewhere?

[bootman]

Mar 5, 2010 13:54:59 GMT -5 cgolf said:

Mar 5, 2010 9:53:58 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Update on some other aspects of the UMC-1.

I am very happy to state that the HDMI switcher on mine works just fine. I have HDMI set to pass thru, and it passes a 1080p/24 signal with no issues on all my HDTV's including my Samsung 58B650, VIewsonic Pro8100 projector, Panasonic PT4000 projector and my 60" Pioneer KRP-600M ELite plasma monitor. So for me the HDMI switcher works just fine passing through any video signal be it 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. Very happy about this, as it seemed to be an issue with some other people possibly.

THe audio on the HDMI seems to be fine too, but I am experiencing that 2-3 second drop out of the audio signal that some people report from their PS3 when letting it stay idle for a few seconds. In other words, if they let the PS3 sit idle, then start moving the cursor around screen it takes a few seconds before you start to hear the audible clicking when moving from icon to icon.............not a big deal for me, if they fix it through a firmware update great, if not no big deal on my end.

I'm not sure that I'm asking the right question so bear with me here. You stated that you're getting a 1080p/24 signal out of your Samsung TV. I have the same TV (except mine is a 58A) and my signal is always a 1080i/60 coming out of my cable box. It's 1080p/60 from the OPPO blu ray but never a 1080p/24. How do you get that from yours? Is there an adjustment somewhere?

1080p/24 will have to come from the Oppo.
There should be a setting to output that when present on the disk.
All other sources will not output 24p since broadcast is not transmitted that way.

[cgolf]

Thanks. I actually now remember that being a setting on the OPPO but seems that it was grayed out. Maybe not. I need to go back and check tonight. ;D

[ntrain42]

Mar 5, 2010 13:54:59 GMT -5 cgolf said:

Mar 5, 2010 9:53:58 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Update on some other aspects of the UMC-1.

I am very happy to state that the HDMI switcher on mine works just fine. I have HDMI set to pass thru, and it passes a 1080p/24 signal with no issues on all my HDTV's including my Samsung 58B650, VIewsonic Pro8100 projector, Panasonic PT4000 projector and my 60" Pioneer KRP-600M ELite plasma monitor. So for me the HDMI switcher works just fine passing through any video signal be it 1080p/60 or 1080p/24. Very happy about this, as it seemed to be an issue with some other people possibly.

THe audio on the HDMI seems to be fine too, but I am experiencing that 2-3 second drop out of the audio signal that some people report from their PS3 when letting it stay idle for a few seconds. In other words, if they let the PS3 sit idle, then start moving the cursor around screen it takes a few seconds before you start to hear the audible clicking when moving from icon to icon.............not a big deal for me, if they fix it through a firmware update great, if not no big deal on my end.

I'm not sure that I'm asking the right question so bear with me here. You stated that you're getting a 1080p/24 signal out of your Samsung TV. I have the same TV (except mine is a 58A) and my signal is always a 1080i/60 coming out of my cable box. It's 1080p/60 from the OPPO blu ray but never a 1080p/24. How do you get that from yours? Is there an adjustment somewhere?

The A650 does not support 24p(96hz) processing. it converts to 60p via 3:2 pulldown.

BLu ray movies are 24p encoded, regular tv or HDtv is 60i/60p I believe.

[bootman]

HD NTSC OTA broadcasts are either 1080i/60 (NBC/CBS/PBS) or 720p/60(ABC/FOX).

[ntrain42]

Mar 5, 2010 15:37:08 GMT -5 bootman said:

HD NTSC OTA broadcasts are either 1080i/60 (NBC/CBS/PBS) or 720p/60(ABC/FOX).

Yep, so 60hz regardless if its interlaced or progressive. Your TV doesnt do 24hz or multiples of it like the new B series Samsung plasmas do(96hz).

[bootman]

Mar 5, 2010 14:18:20 GMT -5 cgolf said:

Thanks. I actually now remember that being a setting on the OPPO but seems that it was grayed out. Maybe not. I need to go back and check tonight. ;D

If its grayed out then the downstream components are telling it that this not an acceptable format. (ie your display)
You may be able to force it and it may still work but again it will come down to your display's capabilities.

[Animo]

Mar 5, 2010 16:45:21 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Mar 5, 2010 15:37:08 GMT -5 bootman said:

HD NTSC OTA broadcasts are either 1080i/60 (NBC/CBS/PBS) or 720p/60(ABC/FOX).

Yep, so 60hz regardless if its interlaced or progressive. Your TV doesnt do 24hz or multiples of it like the new B series Samsung plasmas do(96hz).

Damn, now you're saying I need to replace my LN52A650?

[ntrain42]

Mar 5, 2010 19:13:14 GMT -5 Animo said:

Mar 5, 2010 16:45:21 GMT -5 ntrain42 said:

Yep, so 60hz regardless if its interlaced or progressive. Your TV doesnt do 24hz or multiples of it like the new B series Samsung plasmas do(96hz).

Damn, now you're saying I need to replace my LN52A650?

Not sure if the older A series LCD displays support and display 24p content without conversion..............if not, its a great reason to get a new display that supports it, plus you can now correct the mistake of buying an LCD display to begin with.

[Deleted]

ntrain, you're boring me...give me some meat and potatoes.. ;D

[ntrain42]

Mar 5, 2010 20:13:45 GMT -5 neekos said:

ntrain, you're boring me...give me some meat and potatoes.. ;D

Hehe, Im getting to it, Im giving this thing a thorough workout right now.................trying to pick up all the current bugs, and where it excells, expect another update tonight after the C's game. ;D

[Deleted]

thanks, I really want to know how it compares with the Onkyo 886....

Get to it man !