bmoc's Gameroom Project: Remix

[bmoc]

We installed the baseboard this past weekend and I started moving things back in. The "entertainment center" is temporary until the new one is built. I went out and bought some cheapo poster frames from Walmart. I'm excited to get those Zelda posters up that I got from Club Nintendo before it went defunct. They've been sitting in the tube they were shipped in since I got them.

One thing I learned about my HDTV is that it will only output stereo audio via the optical out when the input is HDMI. Apparently this is pretty common in HDTVs with an optical out. They assume most people are going to use it with a soundbar I suppose. I'm going to have to get an HDMI switch that also has an optical out in order to get Dolby Digital/DTS working on all my HDMI devices. I'm leaning towards this one:

Currently I have nowhere to put my games and they are just stacked up on the floor. I'm thinking about getting one of these: Other than those items, I'm looking at getting a really big surge protector. Probably this one:

[isiolia]

One thing I learned about my HDTV is that it will only output stereo audio via the optical out when the input is HDMI. Apparently this is pretty common in HDTVs with an optical out. They assume most people are going to use it with a soundbar I suppose. I'm going to have to get an HDMI switch that also has an optical out in order to get Dolby Digital/DTS working on all my HDMI devices. I'm leaning towards this one:

Far as I know, it's not so much an assumed use case as it is compliance with HDCP/etc. Optical isn't part of the protected media path, so it's only authorized to send a lower quality signal over it. It was the case years ago with the first HDTV I had, so not really anything new. Really, the modern thing for a receiver/soundbar/etc would probably be to use HDMI ARC for things that are going directly into the TV (or just integrated streaming apps/etc).

[bmoc]

After researching it a bit more, it looks like there are a fair amount of TVs that can passthrough 5.1 surround via optical. This website documents many different brands and models that can do it - many of which are still being produced. https://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/inputs/ ... assthrough. It seems to be something that varies from TV to TV. If this really is an HDCP thing, why are so many TVs supporting 5.1 passthrough? On a side note, I think it is really interesting that there are some HDMI ARC enabled TVs that only passthrough DD or DTS but not both. That is baffling.

I just find it weird that my Toshiba TV can't do it when they literally invented the TOSLINK standard. In any case, it won't be a hard fix.

[isiolia]

It'd still be an HDCP thing. In the case of audio, the "full quality" would be the lossless codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS:HD MA) or related things like Atmos. Basic Dolby Digital or DTS are lossy, DVD level codecs that can be the downgrade (as mentioned in that rtings article about passing the lossless codecs). They also do suggest using HDMI for PCM or even Dolby Digital streams as well. Just in general, if you want to get the best out of modern devices, you need to use them through a protected media path, which basically means HDMI for living room stuff.

[bmoc]

It'd still be an HDCP thing. In the case of audio, the "full quality" would be the lossless codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS:HD MA) or related things like Atmos. Basic Dolby Digital or DTS are lossy, DVD level codecs that can be the downgrade (as mentioned in that rtings article about passing the lossless codecs). They also do suggest using HDMI for PCM or even Dolby Digital streams as well. Just in general, if you want to get the best out of modern devices, you need to use them through a protected media path, which basically means HDMI for living room stuff.

Cool. Unfortunately my TV doesn't do HDMI ARC and my receiver is pre-HDMI level ancient. And to be honest, a lot of the games that I am playing are older and the majority will only do Stereo/Pro Logic II/Dolby Digital at best. I'm still probably going to get that HDMI switch with the optical out rather than shell out for a newer receiver for now.

[bmoc]

I edited the first post to better summarize the high points, added a few new pictures, and linked to most of the things that I purchased. I also migrated the first few pictures off photobucket because they add watermarks now.

[Xeogred]

Love the WIP pic updates hehe. Looks great now.

[samsonlonghair]

Lookin' great, bmoc. Just remember: it's never really complete.

[bmoc]

^ Thanks guys!

I added three more pictures off stuff I've done in the past two days to the first post. That is probably going to be the last of them until the new entertainment center is built.

[samsonlonghair]

More to come as the room is completed....

Hey, I like that arcade stick. Is that a custom job?