• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

AV Receivers, HDMI & PS4 Pro 4k / HDR

I've been happily using a Sony STR-DN1000 AV Receiver for the last 6ish years.

There are lots of things i like about this AV Receiver. I pass through all my current gen consoles (Wii U, XB1 and PS4) via HDMI and then connect the HDMI out to my TV.

This has always seemed the easiest way of connecting up multiple video / sound sources. I only change the HDMI channel on the Receiver and it does everything else.

So, to my question:

The HDMI ports on this Receiver do not support 4k or HDR. I see the PS4 Pro has an optical out. Is there any reason why i couldn't just connect the PS4 Pro to a 4K TV (don't have one yet) directly, and the optical out to the Receiver? I've never done it this way, but i've seen a lot of chatter here from people stating they will need to buy a new Receiver due to 4k.

Second Question::

If a new Receiver is necessary, what is the latest version of the one i have that is suitable?

Pics below for clarification:

str-dn1000.jpg

sonyrec2.jpg
 
I have the Onkyo TX-NR646. It is 4k and HDR compatible and it supports HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2. It also has Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support. I really like Onkyo, they make really good receivers.
 

shanafan

Member
I know there is some criticism that optical is a dying technology (I don't see it as being), but this is my setup. I have my devices hooked up to a matrix, and then to my HDTV. From the HDTV, I have a optical cable to my soundbar.

It is a fantastic setup because I never need to switch the input for audio. Any audio that goes through my HDTV, goes to my soundbar. It's pretty convenient (and sounds great).
 
I have the Onkyo TX-NR646. It is 4k and HDR compatible and it supports HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2. It also has Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support. I really like Onkyo, they make really good receivers.

Seems reasonably priced at less than £400.

A big expense on top of a new TV and PS4 Pro though, which is why i was wondering about using my existing Receiver with an optical cable.
 

MCD

Junior Member
I know there is some criticism that optical is a dying technology (I don't see it as being), but this is my setup. I have my devices hooked up to a matrix, and then to my HDTV. From the HDTV, I have a optical cable to my soundbar.

It is a fantastic setup because I never need to switch the input for audio. Any audio that goes through my HDTV, goes to my soundbar. It's pretty convenient (and sounds great).

I am now using optical with Samsung KS8500 and Harman Kardon AVR170. Just don't have the money to upgrade my AVR and quite honestly I love how it sounds.
 

Pastry

Banned
Yeah I'm going to need to buy a new receiver at some point soon :(

The order of my purchase will probably go:

1) Receiver and 4K TV
2) PS4 Pro

I just can't justify doing those purchases all at once lol
 

Kill3r7

Member
Here's a list of receivers that will have you covered. Personally I am partial to the Marantz SR7008 which serves me just fine at 1080p/4K but will need to be upgraded for HDCP2.2 support.

You can certainly get away with something cheaper but if you are splurging on a TV and console you might as well get a top of the line receiver.
 

Ashtrax

Member
I've been happily using a Sony STR-DN1000 AV Receiver for the last 6ish years.

Second Question::

If a new Receiver is necessary, what is the latest version of the one i have that is suitable?

Great series of Receivers the DN10xx are. I have had the 1010 and 1040, and for my 4K HDR passthrough, was going to pickup the 1070. However at the same price, I decided to go for the Pioneer VSX-1131 for future proofing as it also offered Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which Sony did not opt for.
 
Yeah I'm going to need to buy a new receiver at some point soon :(

The order of my purchase will probably go:

1) Receiver and 4K TV
2) PS4 Pro

I just can't justify doing those purchases all at once lol

That horrible feeling when buying a new console means a new TV and new receiver when you already have good kit.
 
Here's a list of receivers that will have you covered. Personally I am partial to the Marantz SR7008.

You can certainly get away with something cheaper but if you are splurging on a TV and console you might as well get a top of the line receiver.

That Marantz receiver is gorgeous. It has such a 2001 kubrick feel to it. In a very very good way
 
Great series of Receivers the DN10xx are. I have had the 1010 and 1040, and for my 4K HDR passthrough, was going to pickup the 1070. However at the same price, I decided to go for the Pioneer VSX-1131 for future proofing as it also offered Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which Sony did not opt for.

None of the new Sony Receivers have this?
 

NewDust

Member
If you have a 4k tv, most likely it has an HDMI ARC (audio return channel). This lets you connect the PS4 directly to the TV and route the audio back over a different hdmi to the receiver.
 
Asked in another thread but no seems to know. Will the Pro require you connect to an HDMI 2.0a 2.2 port for the 4k/HDR gaming stuff? iknow it's needed for uhd movies etc but unsure about games
I have a Sony STR DN860 and love it but the down side is it has only 1 of the above ports
 

CyberChulo

Member
If you have a 4k tv, most likely it has an HDMI ARC (audio return channel). This lets you connect the PS4 directly to the TV and route the audio back over a different hdmi to the receiver.

I was thinking of doing this. I didn't feel like updating my Onkyo 709 receiver cause it still works. But I've always heard of handshake/syncing issues when using ARC. And the constant turning off and on of components to get it working again. I rather not have to go through this. Has anyone used this method with success most of the time?
 
If the receiver was released this year, then it most likely has HDR passthrough support. I bought a Yamaha RX-V381 for $280.
 

Gitaroo

Member
I am using a marantz NR 1606, should be cheap now since the 2016 model is out. The difference bettwen the new one is very minor. Only bad thing about it is that it only upscale 4K30p, does pass through of course on all ports for 4K60p +HDR. It has 8 hdmi inputs, all support hdmi 2.0a.
 

Rodin

Member
If the receiver was released this year, then it most likely has HDR passthrough support. I bought a Yamaha RX-V381 for $280.
I need a receiver for the B&W 685 S2, but i want to be able to add more speakers and build a 5.1 in the future. Is the V381 good enough for this? I really don't want to spend too much.
 

darthkarki

Member
For people who plug everything into the receiver and then pass through to the TV, how do you deal with the TV latency? TVs take time to process the picture, especially when using dejudder and other features. When the TV is routing the sound, it automatically compensates for this. But if you're plugging into a receiver, that's going to handle the sound separately, resulting in the video lagging behind the sound.
 

Pyrrhus

Member
I'm sure this is old news to anybody really into AV equipment, but for anybody relatively inexperienced like myself, here's a warning. Whatever you buy, make absolutely certain it supports HDCP 2.2. That's a DRM encryption scheme that your TV, your receiver, and the connected device (in this case PS4 Pro) must all support in order to get resolutions above 1080p at refresh rates higher than 30hz. In other words, if you want 4K 60fps gaming, everything in your chain needs to support HDCP 2.2.

There are receivers out there, including those from Sony, that will support 4K video but do not have HDCP 2.2 as the adoption of standards for Ultra HD has been a big clusterfuck. What that means for you as the player is that you won't be able to play any theoretical 4K, 60fps games on the PS4 Pro or, more likely, the Scorpio or next gen systems, at that full 60fps.

I speak from experience here. I've got a Sony DTR-1050 receiver, a mid-range model that is just a couple of years old. I bought it last November trying to get ready for 4K as it advertises the ability to handle that content. Fast forward to this May when I finally got a new 4K display. I was ready to play some older titles in glorious 4K on my PC. So, I hooked my PC up to the receiver, which was in turn hooked up to my TV. The TV I've got is a 120hz model, just for reference. But I could only output 4K resolution at 30hz and my nVidia utility complained about being connected to a repeater, by which it meant my receiver.

Plugging the video connection directly into the back of the TV I can get a nice 4K, 60hz output because both my GTX 970 and my TV both have HDCP 2.2 support. But that means I only get sound from the TV's comically bad built-in speakers. Adding insult to injury, basically. A bit of research and a lot of buyer's remorse later I learned that the missing secret ingredient is that new DRM scheme, HDCP 2.2. So, fool that I am, I'll probably end up buy my third receiver in four years when the holiday deals start happening in a couple of months.

Don't be like me, folks. Make sure you buy a receiver with HDCP 2.2 the first time.
 
I just recently picked up the Onkyo TX-NR555 receiver. Absolutely phenomenal receiver. Great audio, great features/options, DTS:X support, 4K Upscaling @ 60, HDCP 2.2, etc. the works!
 
Bought a YHT-1910 last year, it supports 4k passthrough but no HDCP 2.2 unfortunately.
I'll buy a better receiver in the next 2 year and maybe keep my current speakers, they're not high end but they sounds good enough to me.
 
I'm sure this is old news to anybody really into AV equipment, but for anybody relatively inexperienced like myself, here's a warning. Whatever you buy, make absolutely certain it supports HDCP 2.2. That's a DRM encryption scheme that your TV, your receiver, and the connected device (in this case PS4 Pro) must all support in order to get resolutions above 1080p at refresh rates higher than 30hz. In other words, if you want 4K 60fps gaming, everything in your chain needs to support HDCP 2.2.

There are receivers out there, including those from Sony, that will support 4K video but do not have HDCP 2.2 as the adoption of standards for Ultra HD has been a big clusterfuck. What that means for you as the player is that you won't be able to play any theoretical 4K, 60fps games on the PS4 Pro or, more likely, the Scorpio or next gen systems, at that full 60fps.

I speak from experience here. I've got a Sony DTR-1050 receiver, a mid-range model that is just a couple of years old. I bought it last November trying to get ready for 4K as it advertises the ability to handle that content. Fast forward to this May when I finally got a new 4K display. I was ready to play some older titles in glorious 4K on my PC. So, I hooked my PC up to the receiver, which was in turn hooked up to my TV. The TV I've got is a 120hz model, just for reference. But I could only output 4K resolution at 30hz and my nVidia utility complained about being connected to a repeater, by which it meant my receiver.

Plugging the video connection directly into the back of the TV I can get a nice 4K, 60hz output because both my GTX 970 and my TV both have HDCP 2.2 support. But that means I only get sound from the TV's comically bad built-in speakers. Adding insult to injury, basically. A bit of research and a lot of buyer's remorse later I learned that the missing secret ingredient is that new DRM scheme, HDCP 2.2. So, fool that I am, I'll probably end up buy my third receiver in four years when the holiday deals start happening in a couple of months.

Don't be like me, folks. Make sure you buy a receiver with HDCP 2.2 the first time.

I didn't know this. Thanks for sharing. Very helpful to peeps like me who aren't up on the latest standards.
 
I need a receiver for the B&W 685 S2, but i want to be able to add more speakers and build a 5.1 in the future. Is the V381 good enough for this? I really don't want to spend too much.

Yes. It's 5.1 max though, so if eventually you want a 7.1 or Atmos speakers it won't work for you. I had an older 5.1 receiver prior to it and just changing the receiver made my speakers sound better.
 

SEGAvangelist

Gold Member
I have the Onkyo TX-NR646. It is 4k and HDR compatible and it supports HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2. It also has Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support. I really like Onkyo, they make really good receivers.

I second this Onkyo love. I use the TX-NR555 with my XB1 S and it works great. It also allows for firmware updates unlike my previous Sony receiver, so it should be future-proofed at least for a short while.
 

faer0n

Member
I was thinking of doing this. I didn't feel like updating my Onkyo 709 receiver cause it still works. But I've always heard of handshake/syncing issues when using ARC. And the constant turning off and on of components to get it working again. I rather not have to go through this. Has anyone used this method with success most of the time?
I use this with my s and an Onkyo Receiver
 
Yamaha RX-V465 owner here (also only 1080p and loving it). I used to have a similar issue, but with 3D and PS3. A native 3D picture would not go through it and Had to connect the PS3 directly to the TV to play the ICO / Shadow of the Colossus remaster, with audio going out through optical. not the best solution, but enough to do those games.

I've been looking already at its 4K replacement, but it's going to piss me off, as there's nothing bad with this one. So I will be holding to it as much as I can.
 
For people who plug everything into the receiver and then pass through to the TV, how do you deal with the TV latency? TVs take time to process the picture, especially when using dejudder and other features. When the TV is routing the sound, it automatically compensates for this. But if you're plugging into a receiver, that's going to handle the sound separately, resulting in the video lagging behind the sound.

I've not had any audio sync issues. Not sure what the difference would be in terms of latency between attaching the console to the TV or the receiver to the TV. They are both HDMI connections. The receiver usually has settings to compensate for audio delay though.
 

wowzors

Member
One shitty thing about HDR and 4K is that its gonna fuck up my speaker setup. Denon 4520 so it doesn't support hdcp 2.2 and can only do 4k passthrough.

Only option is to buy another receiver (most of the new ones suck audio quality wise) or plug everything into the tv and only do audio to the receiver which will do Dolby digital max.
 

Kill3r7

Member
I'm sure this is old news to anybody really into AV equipment, but for anybody relatively inexperienced like myself, here's a warning. Whatever you buy, make absolutely certain it supports HDCP 2.2. That's a DRM encryption scheme that your TV, your receiver, and the connected device (in this case PS4 Pro) must all support in order to get resolutions above 1080p at refresh rates higher than 30hz. In other words, if you want 4K 60fps gaming, everything in your chain needs to support HDCP 2.2.

There are receivers out there, including those from Sony, that will support 4K video but do not have HDCP 2.2 as the adoption of standards for Ultra HD has been a big clusterfuck. What that means for you as the player is that you won't be able to play any theoretical 4K, 60fps games on the PS4 Pro or, more likely, the Scorpio or next gen systems, at that full 60fps.

I speak from experience here. I've got a Sony DTR-1050 receiver, a mid-range model that is just a couple of years old. I bought it last November trying to get ready for 4K as it advertises the ability to handle that content. Fast forward to this May when I finally got a new 4K display. I was ready to play some older titles in glorious 4K on my PC. So, I hooked my PC up to the receiver, which was in turn hooked up to my TV. The TV I've got is a 120hz model, just for reference. But I could only output 4K resolution at 30hz and my nVidia utility complained about being connected to a repeater, by which it meant my receiver.

Plugging the video connection directly into the back of the TV I can get a nice 4K, 60hz output because both my GTX 970 and my TV both have HDCP 2.2 support. But that means I only get sound from the TV's comically bad built-in speakers. Adding insult to injury, basically. A bit of research and a lot of buyer's remorse later I learned that the missing secret ingredient is that new DRM scheme, HDCP 2.2. So, fool that I am, I'll probably end up buy my third receiver in four years when the holiday deals start happening in a couple of months.

Don't be like me, folks. Make sure you buy a receiver with HDCP 2.2 the first time.

Depending when you bought a A/V receiver HDCP 2.2 might not have been available or limited to a single HDMI input/output port (Onkyo/Integra). Not a problem today but this is just another examples which highlights the drastic changes that have occurred over the last 2 to 3 years. Also, HDCP 2.2 at its core is a technology designed to prevent illegal copying of 4K Ultra HD content. Every link in your video chain must support HDCP 2.2 — your TV, video source, and any component the video signal passes through. If one does not, you won't see a 4K picture. From what I understand it does nothing to improve picture quality.
 

AndyD

aka andydumi
I have the Onkyo TX-NR646. It is 4k and HDR compatible and it supports HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2. It also has Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support. I really like Onkyo, they make really good receivers.

I only have a 626 which has 4k passthru only without HDR I believe. Bah.
 
I wish that PS4 Pro had 4k Blu Ray support with direct bitstream. I am hoping the Scorpio supports direct bitstream for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. I am waiting to get a 4k blu ray player. The Xbox One S plays 4k Blu Rays but does not currently support Dolby Atmos or DTS-X for 4k Blu Ray movies.
 

CGSingularity

Neo Member
I'm running 4k through my PC to a Marantz NR-1607 hooked up to an LGEF9500 OLED. It's an expensive receiver but well worth the money. I owned a Denon AVR-S510BT and it was garbage for passing a 4k signal.

The image was washed out initially which was somewhat fixed by a manual firmware update but I had constant problems with the receiver. Anytime I would launch a game the screen would go black, sometimes the game would launch successfully and other times it would either crush the blacks or not launch at all.

The Marantz also produced a noticeably superior sound quality and seemed well balanced. I highly recommend dropping the money on a nice receiver instead of having to buy two and waste money like I did.
 

JohngPR

Member
I never have had this problem. I wonder what setups those people had to experience the issue.

I have had audio get out of sync using a receiver though.

Having a new UHD Bluray Player that supports dual HDMI ports (one to plug into the TV for 4k+HDR and the other to the receiver for lossless audio) would do it, but mostly for streaming services if you pause and hit play. All it takes to get it back in sync is rewind a second or two where Netflix/Hulu/etc would have to rebuffer to correct it.
 

ethomaz

Banned
Using optical out you will lose sound quality.

Unless you don't have any other option it is better to avoid the optical output.
 

Gitaroo

Member
I'm running 4k through my PC to a Marantz NR-1607 hooked up to an LGEF9500 OLED. It's an expensive receiver but well worth the money. I owned a Denon AVR-S510BT and it was garbage for passing a 4k signal.

The image was washed out initially which was somewhat fixed by a manual firmware update but I had constant problems with the receiver. Anytime I would launch a game the screen would go black, sometimes the game would launch successfully and other times it would either crush the blacks or not launch at all.

The Marantz also produced a noticeably superior sound quality and seemed well balanced. I highly recommend dropping the money on a nice receiver instead of having to buy two and waste money like I did.

Bought the NR1606 couple weeks ago, great stuffs indeed, only missing a couple features that I will never use but it definitely sounded better than my last denon. Only wish that there is more video processing option for upscaling. My new tv doesn't let me change rgb level for WiiU.
 

JohngPR

Member
If you use optical you will miss out on lossless audio.

This right here.

If you use your PS4 to play bluray movies then you will lose out on lossless audio (DTS HD, Dolby TrueHD and the like). If you have your PS4 set up for PCM, I think you lose that as well. Optical will still get your DTS, however.



Also as a general rule of thumb, if your receiver doesn't support HDMI 2.0a, it will not passthrough HDR.
 
Top Bottom