Hey cats. Question about optimizing audio on the Oppo DV-980H: It seems my Samsung TV doesn't have an HDMI input, but it does have a DVI connection port. I've been reading that HDMI can be converted to DVI with a converter/adapter, but that still requires analog connections. What I'm wondering is if the analog connections cancel out the sound enhancements of straight HDMI. If that's the case, I'll just go the component route and not waste my time on a converter/adapter. Any insights? Thanx again.

-tru blu

For DVD, just use optical or coaxial. There is no difference in audio quality relative to HDMI.

For DVD-Audio and SACD, you will need to use the analog output. My BDP-83 review has a link to some setup guides that can be a good go-by for the 980H

All of the above relates to using a surround processor. If you are going straight to the TV, you probably need to use analog either way. In that case, I'd still use the HDMI output rather than the component output.

Interesting…thanx, gonk. So HDMI still provides a bit of sound enhancement, even through analog connections? I don't have a surround processor. It's just straight to TV. Thanx again.

-tru blu

HDMI provides no better sound quality than coaxial or optical when watching DVD's - they all pass the same Dolby Digital or DTS bitstream. It can provide a digital audio connection for DVD-Audio and SACD (multichannel PCM or even DSD in some cases), which is not possible via coaxial and optical, but if you are talking about using the speakers in a TV that's basically irrelevant.

If you are talking about using a TV for the audio reproduction, delivering analog audio, coaxial audio, optical audio, or HDMI audio will represent very minimal differences in sound quality. I'd use whichever was most convenient. If your TV has DVI, it probably only has analog audio inputs, so use those. I'd still use HDMI-to-DVI for video, though. Just get an adapter and use the cable that came with the 980H for your video.

Thanx again, gonk. As of last night, the new Oppo is in the mix. Wish I'd seen the HDMI-to-DVI adapter you suggested before I found one of my own, but I only paid a couple more dollars for it and since shipping was free it almost evened out. Whatever. Nifty little machine this 980H. Thanx again.

Glad you like it. I had mine on just this morning, running through the RR2150 in the living room. (Hadn't heard The Eric Gales Band in more than 15 years, really enjoyed it for the couple minutes I was able to listen...)

OK, so you wanna hear kray-zy? The wife and I are watching a movie last night, kinda marveling at the HDMI picture quality of the DV-980H, when suddenly—and I mean, like, totally out-of-nowhere—she suggests that maybe we should add some speakers to the setup. (Cue sound of the gulp from an aborted spit-take.) Now, you gunslingers have gotta understand that our TV is in the bedroom of our 1-bedroom apartment, so I'm not even sure I think that's a good idea. I just let it pass, inwardly laughing about what a good decision purchasing the Oppo was, and how bizarre it is when audio roles are reversed.