Caution: don't assign the HDMI output from the DVD player to the AUX2 input. It will cause possible problems / conflict with the AUX2's fixed Optical input and some signals from the DVD player (notably bitstreamed "higher end" Dolby and DTS signals) will simply not work. (PCM stereo and multichnanel will work however). This is NOT covered in the Outlaw Guide - yet - and is very poorly covered in the Onkyo manual.

This is really curious, Jeff, as I've used AUX2 on the 885 with bitstreamed TrueHD/DTS-HD MA tracks from a Blu-ray player without issue. I wonder what they changed in the 886?

This is one benefit to the 886 Guide's electronic nature - they can update it at will as they learn more or as firmware changes happen.

Gonk,

I've got the time to expand on this a little further. Here's what I've already relayed to the Outlaws.

Because I’m chock-a-block with components in my main HT, even the 886 runs very close to not having enough inputs. I bought my first Blu-ray player a couple of months ago and decided I’d connect it to the 886 using only its HDMI cable. Up until now I’ve only used that player for CDs, DVDs, and one Blu-ray disc (just to see what the picture looked like.) It was only a week or so ago that I popped a Blu-ray disc in and sat down to enjoy a DTS Master Audio experience that a problem arose.

As suggested in the Outlaw Guide (and what I figured out myself when I first hooked up the Blue-ray player) I connected the HDMI cable to HDMI1 and assigned it to AUX2. CDs and DVDs played great. But when I tried to play the DTS Master Audio version of a Blu-ray disc all I got was a digital “ticking.” I checked the settings on the player and it has a setting where you can specify either “bitstream” output for Dolby True HD / DTS Master Audio (in which case you are expecting the pre/pro to do the decoding) or “PCM” (in which case the player does the decoding). With bitstream selected all I got was the digital ticking. With PCM the 886 immediately identified it as multi-channel PCM and played it perfectly. I checked every setting on the player and the 886 that I could think of – but nothing corrected the problem with a bitstream DTS Master signal over HDMI.

The next morning I pulled out the 886’s owner’s manual. It took a while, but on page 53 I found some somewhat cryptic notes that clued me into the problem. It turns on that the AUX2 input is fixed to its front panel Optical input. (See the “Default assignment” column of the table on page 53: “FRONT (fixed)”) You can assign an HDMI input to it and everything will be great with the audio and video for that input EXCEPT that it will not pick up a bistream signal through HDMI! (Onkyo’s manual, page 53, item 4, 2nd bullet says: “ ‘AUX2’ is used only for the digital input from the front panel terminals. When HDMI IN is assigned to ‘AUX2’ in the ‘HDMI Input Setup’ on page 50, the same HDMI IN can be selected.” Not exactly a clear warning or explanation!)

When I assigned that HDMI input to any of the other inputs everything worked great. The bitstream signal left the player, entered the 886, and was beautifully processed into room-filling DTS Master Audio sound.

Bottom line: at least in my case the advice on page 48 of the Outlaw Guide is incomplete and potentially misleading in the case of an attempt to assign an HDMI input to AUX2. This tip/trick should not be tried with HDMI connections, for the reason shown above.

Maybe this is just a quirk of my Blu-ray player (Panasonic BD60) / 886 combo. But my guess is that it will be an issue for others as well.

That's weird, especially since HDMI multichannel PCM works fine. It sounds like bitstreaming DD and DTS also works fine over HDMI. I'm going to have to try this again with my OPPO Blu-ray tonight, and may even try to slip the BD30 out of the bedroom to try it.

The quote on page 53 of the Onkyo manual ("‘AUX2’ is used only for the digital input from the front panel terminals. When HDMI IN is assigned to ‘AUX2’ in the ‘HDMI Input Setup’ on page 50, the same HDMI IN can be selected.”) doesn't seem to define any limitation on using the HDMI input. It has to be an HDMI input that is already being used for video on AUX2 (the HDMI Input Setup reference), but that's true of any source - audio must follow video's lead in that regard.

Trust me Gonk. It's a real head scratcher! Spent a few hours pondering it - and a fitful night's sleep.

At least I'm now intimately familiar with almost every menu, sub-menu and sub-sub menu on both the BD60 and 886!

The real clue was the "FRONT (fixed)" that I noted below - which led me to try assigning the BD60's HDMI output to another 886 input.

I haven't tried using my BD30 yet, but I've confirmed that I can get TrueHD bitstreams into the 885's AUX2 input via HDMI. Weird that the 886 is having trouble with it.

I've been exchanging emails with someone from Onkyo about firmware upgrades etc. on the off chance that this is a known problem that they've already addressed. Will post what I find out.

Jeff, check out this post at AVS . It appears that the 886 is supposed to match the 885 in this regard - AUX2 should work with HDMI inputs.

Thanks Gonk.

Amongst answers to some other questions, here's what the Onkyo "Help" rep said on the topic: "Also AUX2 DIGITAL OUT is fixed at the FRONT DIGITAL or ANALOG outputs there is no way to change that."

They still have not provided ANY information as to what problems various firmware upgrades are supposed to solve - or features that it might add.

I keep plugging... but wouldn't it be nice if a future version of the Outlaw's 886 Guide addressed the topic of firmware upgrades (what they are and how to do them safely at home).

I love answers that I can disprove. They give me so much faith in all other information that I get...
Good luck on your endeavor. I haven't looked yet to see if the 886 has a firmware update thread at AVS like the 885 did. It was not a straightforward process on the 885 - made the 990 seem simple.