990 and Dolby Digital EX

I have noticed that since performing the upgrade on my 990 that it frequently decodes movies played on my cable box in Dolby Digital EX. Prior to the upgrade I cannot recall one instance where the 990 auto selected EX. Has anyone else noticed this new behavior?

I still haven't done the firmware update, but I can offer a theory... The 990 remembers user-selected preferences for decoding and processing, but when you did the firmware update you reset the unit and all those remembered preferences were wiped out. That's likely why you are seeing different behavior.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that prior to the upgrade, while scrolling through the surround modes,Dolby Digital EX was not even available as an option on most program sources. Obviously I'm not complaining but rather making an observation.

I've also updated the firmware and I've noticed a perhaps related behavior. When watching Comcast OnDemand HD music videos, even though I have the 990 set at Dolby Digital, when a new video starts, it will switch to PL II Movie -, which is not a good match for music. I then manually switch back to Dolby Digital.

I've looked in the Video1 setup and it had surround mode set to SV Wide.

Is there something in the HD video content that causes the 990 to detect something and switch modes?

I'm running without a center channel because my mains produce a very strong phantom center. Is it possible that having center=off with the 990 is affecting the mode detection/switching behavior?

Dolby EX will only be an option if you have surround back speakers enabled. Even when you do have surround back speaker(s), EX can only be used with a Dolby 5.1 source - something that you're only going to get from a DVD or some HD broadcasts.

Those stations are probably broadcasting in Dolby 2.0 (the same as many of the digital cable channels) so if you've selected PLII-Movie for TV shows it will treat the music stations in the same way. You'll end up having to toggle surround mode back and forth.

There is a work-around, one that I've used for a long time with CD's played from a DVD player. If you assign the same digital audio input to both Video 1 and Aux, you can set the Aux input to use Dolby Digital for Dolby 2.0 sources - then you just need to switch from Video 1 to Aux when listening to music. Since Aux is an audio-only input, the video switching will stay with the Video 1 input.

Edit: One other thing that I forgot to mention. The setup menu screen that shows surround mode is dependent on the current input signal. To really see what is happening in this regard, it's best to have the input in question active and playing a source that you are interested in.
I don't know of any reason for this to be the case.

Gonk, can you elaborate on what you mean by this?

Thanks,
-Mark

Most of the channels are going to be using Dolby Digital 2.0, so if you use Pro Logic II with those, you will also get it with the music channels (in the 990's mind, they are the exact same thing). Change to Dolby Digital for the music channels so you are in straight stereo, and you'll end up with straight stereo on TV shows too.

Gonk, what has me confused is that I never select Pro Logic II. I always set Dolby Digital. In the course of navigating different content on the cable box, the 990 switches to Pro Logic II on its own.

Yeah, I have had the same issue, even with the old firmware. Two things were involved in my situation.

1. My DVR box had hand-shake issues with the 990. For some reason, it just wouldn't always lock the Dolby Digital signal, even when truly a Dolby Digital signal was being sent. I would then subsequently select "Dolby Modes" and the 990 would then allow me to choose "Dolby Digital". Due to other reasons, the cable company switched out my DVR box to a completely different model and the 990 no longer exhibits this behavior.

2. On page 25 of the 990's manual, there is the following listed...
NOTE: The Model 990 defaults to Dolby Pro Logic II(x) Movie mode with any source device supplying Dolby Digital 2.0 or PCM sources
This is an annoyance to me because no matter what setting I have selected for a program (like Dolby VS 5-SP WIDE), if the program that I am watching goes to commercial which is Dolby Digital 2.0, it switches to Prolic II Movie. Then when the show returns to what I was watching, I have to flip it back to "Dolby VS 5-SP WIDE" manually. That gets annoying every commercial.

My issues may be similar to yours, or might not be related at all. I just thought I'd mention them.

I guess I have learned to deal with it.

jrlouie, You have described my situation exactly!

In my case, the "commercial" is the Comcast on-demand menus when one music video ends, and I go to select the next.

I get bounced out of Dolby Digital to Pro Logic II Movie and have to switch back manually.

It is indeed quite annoying.

Thinking about this some more, I wonder if all AV processors have to pick some arbitrary mode when dropping into Dolby 2.0?

I can see how others would prefer a different default if using the 990 mostly for movies.

If that is the case, then the feature we'd be looking for is the ability to choose the default mode for Dolby 2.0 input from the configuration menus.

What would be the appropriate settings for the 990 when listening to Satellite(Directv) music channels vice watching movies from the same source. I currently have it set to PLll movie for both but I think PL ii music sounds better with music.

For DVDs, does the DVD player or the 990 "sense" what the encoding is or do I set it manually based on the box it came in?

Xenon, I can tell you that on movies that give you audio setup choices between Dolby vs DTS, the 990 selects matching modes depending on which setup you've picked on the DVD. I've tried it.

I agree that PL ii music sounds better with music. I like Dolby Digital VS - Wide even better. I just wish I could make the 990 remember and stay with my last setting when Dolby Digital 2.0 content intervenes.

In the end, I think what matters most is what sounds best to you with your equipment in your room.