Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I know just enough about Audio to be dangerous but I'm not a true audiophile (or whatever they're called). So I don't know how an average person would figure this out when it took me an hour and a half on the phone with Sony support before THEY figured it out.
Now this is my second Sony receiver and I purchased this one specifically to go along with my brand new Sony BDP-S360 Blu Ray player. I used brand new HDMI category 2 cables into the receiver and then out to my Sony HDTV. This is suppossed to be the BEST way to get true no-loss sound decoding and picture. Well I was shocked when my receiver was NOT decoding DTS audio. All Dolby Digital tracks were playing in perfect 5.1 surround sound...the DTS tracks played back in Linear PCM stereo. So after I read the manuals, updated the firmware and set everything right then trying a few DVDs and Blu Ray discs I contacted Sony Support via email. Several exchanges later they asked me to call in to better troubleshoot my issue. First I talked to the blu ray guy (since I wasn't sure which device was causing the issue) and after resetting the player and checking all the setting I was transfered to the Audio department. Once again we reset the machine to factory setting, checked all the set ups and still nothing changed (Did I mention that I had to unhook and reconnect several cables and I even had an optical cable running to my old Sony Reciever?). Then 1 1/2 hours into the phone call he asked if I was getting audio through the TV speakers which I was and he said "oh its set to TV + Amp". So we changed that setting to just "Amp" and bingo...DTS surround sound!! I said "but that's the factory default setting". He told me where the info was in the manual but I checked an NOWHERE in the manual does it say that when using the receiver as a passthrough via HDMI inorder to decode a DTS signal the receiver must be set to "Amp" only and not the default setting of "TV + Amp". What the...??
So now the receiver works great even decoding the new DTS-HD Master Audio off my "Watchmen" Blu Ray disc. But be warned that if you use the HDMI inputs to decode your surround sound be sure to change the system to "Amp" instead of the default "TV + Amp" unless you enjoy stereo sound from your suround sound system. This may be the case for other Sony receivers so be aware when buying that factory default setting may not allow for optimum performance and the Sony guys might not be aware of this little fact if you call them.

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The STR-DH800 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver delivers the Full HD 1080 experience to a home theater system. This newly designed 1080p A/V Receiver features 7 HD inputs including 4 HDMI inputs with "Active Intelligence" that allow the desire for more HD content to grow. In addition, the STR-DH800 is compatible with 24p True Cinema technology video signals and decodes uncompressed audio formats (Dolby TrueHD/dts Master Audio/LPCM via HDMI) making it compatible with Blu-ray DiscPlayers , the PlayStation 3 Technology and other HD sources. Simply plug in the optional S-Air transmitter and turn on the AirStation client (sold separately) and listen to your favorite music in another room or in multiple rooms.

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Sony DAV-HDX500/i BRAVIA Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)Very pleased so far. Sounds great, plenty of power to rock your media room, and was easy to set up. There's an on-screen setup feature that lets you easily customize the setup for your particular room configuration. An included microphone lets you do a push-button fine-tuning of the sound relative to speaker placement. It's cool to see the system report exactly how far all the speakers are away from the microphone.
I also purchased the wireless surround kit from Sony. Setup for this was also pretty simple, and was supported by the HDX500 system.
Remote is typical Sony - lots of buttons. But fairly intuitive thus far.
The digital media port works well with the different generations of iPods we have in the house. On-screen graphics are very rudimentary, however, which is a big departure from the iPod interface.
There are a bunch of different sound fields that could be better described in the on-screen system or in the manual.

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As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Theater Sync Technology to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a selected number of BRAVIA LCD televisions and other Sony audio and video products, control functions will be transmitted via the HDMI cable. With One Touch Play operations, several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on, then the BRAVIA television will turn on and switch to the correct video input. Simple...Easy...BRAVIA Home Theater System.

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RCA Lyra Wireless Transmitter Review

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(More customer reviews)Hello All, Probably like some of you, I waffled for quite some time over whether to buy the RCA Lyra Wireless or not. Finally I plopped the dollars down and now I'm here to tell you that RCA Lyra does exactly what they say. And now, the particulars.
The setup was simple and straightforward, most of my time was spent moving my huge entertainment center from the wall so I could get to the back of my Sony receiver. I plugged the receiver into the MD/DAT slot, plugged it to a power source and every light on the signal indicator glowed green with joy. If only 802.?? were this simple. Ran the software to install the remote and musicmatch (not necessary, but I like it), checked all the audio settings per the manual and WIN XP had everything ready to go.

Went to the radio in Musicmatch and wow, the sound is outstanding, no hiss, just pure clean music. The manual stated that the Lyra could receive interference from cordless phones and recommended using position number four on both transmitter and receiver. I tried the others, turned on my cordless phone and no interference.
I subscribe to Rhapsody and Realone also. So naturally I tried each and they worked, matter of fact any and every sound that my computer makes come through the stereo. I do recommend you download the latest RCA Lyra software, it allows you to switch between players, currently Rhapsody and Musicmatch. But, like I said all the other players work as well, Media Player, MSN Radio Plus, Spinner, MoonTaxi, LaunchCast and more.
The remote control is awesome too, it does just as RCA states, I was surprised to learn that it closes whichever player you're listening to and it works through walls with no hesitation. If you're a Rhapsody user, you know that you can skip to the next song, the remote does that and more. It operates all other electronics as well, I haven't set it up for that yet, probably want, I have a nice Sony all you can control remote.
Well, I'm sure I may have missed something, but I've hit what's important to us all and that's the sound and the ease of setting it up.....PERFECTO. I'm very satisfied, actually it has exceeded my expectations. Lastly, it works, now go order yours!

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RCA LYRA RD900W Wireless Transmitter & Receiver

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Antennas Direct DB8 Multidirectional HDTV Antenna Review

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(More customer reviews)Buying an antenna for your digital TV receiver? It can be difficult, eh? If you live in the city near the transmitters, it's fairly easy -- any small, truly omni-directional antenna will do fine (perhaps the Antennas Direct DB2). If, like me, you live 50+ miles from the TV transmitters and they're in different directions, it becomes a challenge. Here's some tips:
- No antenna is totally "omni-directional" (receives from all directions) no matter what the ad says. Every antenna receives better in one direction than another, and the high-gain antennas are the most picky. Your TV's rabbit ears antenna might do better than a fancy high-gain antenna if it's pointed in the wrong direction. If you buy a "uni-directional" or high-gain antenna, be prepared to spend a lot of time tweaking the direction.
- Don't believe the high-gain ratings, they're mostly marketing hype. There are independent web sites by antenna nerds that rate antennas fairly, so do some research. What you'll find is that every antenna receives some channels better than others -- for instance, it may have great reception ("gain") for channels 30-60 but be terrible for channels 1-20. Ideally, buy an antenna that has has good gain for the channel(s) you're most interested in... if you know what those are.
- Antennas are highly sensitive to position, direction, and things nearby that might interfere with the signals (trees, houses, traffic, the family dog, etc). So what works for me or your neighbor might not work for you. Even a slightly different location may have a huge effect on your reception.
I have a Channelmaster 4221 and an AntennasDirect DB8, one pointed at distant Seattle and the other pointed at Canada, and both connected to an RCA A/B antenna switch. Both antennas are excellent; the DB8 is slightly more sensitive but extremely hard to point. I would rate it 5-stars except it didn't come assembled and the assembly instructions are a bit puzzling. Construction and materials are good. The Channelmaster 4221 is somewhat easier to point but still highly directional; it came mostly assembled. Gain is good in my location. I'm only rating it four stars because the construction is less solid. If you're looking at these same two antennas but unsure of what to buy, I'd start with the 4221: it's much cheaper and more forgiving about the pointing direction. If you find yourself needing better reception, perhaps buy a preamp to go with it; if that still doesn't work, maybe move up to the DB8 or a higher mounting location.
Good luck!


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Intended for people at great distances from the transmitters, the DB8 is our most powerful multi-directional HD antenna. In fact, its 15.8 dB gain make it one of the most powerful multi-directional antennas available.The bow tie design of the DB8 uses triangular elements instead of rods to greatly increase the bandwidth allowing it to cover the entire UHF band. Additionally, the mesh reflector of the bowtie is more efficient than a rod reflector, is lower in weight, and provides less wind resistance for greater performance and durability.This DB8 is the ideal antenna for use in locations that can pull long range signals from various directions and offers an attractive alternative to using a directional antenna mounted on a rotator.

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