Currently i have Sky HD connected to my Yamaha RX-V363 amp its connected by HMDI and optical. I use the HMDI out slot which goes to the back of my TV. When i want to use the PS3 i plug it in to the spare HMDI socket on the TV. My question is i have a DVD HMDI socket left on my amp will i get better sound through the PS3 if i either plug it straight into the DVD HMDI socket or even DVB/CBL socket on the amp. Or should i just continue to use the TV HMDI. Im assuming the PS3 has to be directly connected to the TV. Hope this makes sense.

Hi dazb,

Looking at the Yamaha RX-V363, it seems it only has HDMI Video pass through and no audio decoding as HDMI can carry a Digital Audio stream.

If you connected your PS3 to the DVD HDMI Socket on the amp you would effectivley have an HDMI switch and only one cable going to your TV for both your sources.

So SKY HD and PS3 will be on HDMI 1; for example.

The sudio will have to be connected via optical as I understand it is already?

Regards,
DNZ

A far as I know the Yamaha doesn't pass the audio via HDMI, it will only do video switching.

If the TV allows you to connect Sky/PS3 directly to the the TV then personally I would connect this way and just use the amp for the audio.

PS3 HDMI -> TV HDMI
PS3 Optical -> Amp Optical
Sky HD HDMI -> TV HDMI
Sky Optical -> Amp Optical

I only use the amp for switching when the TV runs out of connections.

I thought as much. Previously i use to connect the SkyHD Box to my TV via HMDI, it never occured to me that you could connecte it to the amp. As a result i have not got normal levels of sound on al HD Channels what a difference it makes. All i did was connect the HMDI from Sky HD to DTV/CBL also by optical to. Then from my amp out to TV which controls all the channels.

Regardless of whether you connect Sky directly to the TV or to the amp by HDMI this won't make any difference to the sound, the Yamaha only processes the video signal when you connect via HDMI, the audio is sent through optical, this will the same for both cases.

Presumably, as you're using the A/V amp as a video passthrough, you'll be using it for audio processing.

The reason it doesn't forward the audio to the TV via HDMI is because IT is processing the audio.

Of course this means you can't run the TV without running the A/V amp, but you have to turn on the AV amp anyway if you want to use it as a video switch.

If the sky box outputs audio via hdmi, then your AV amp is where it is processed - not on the TV. Using an independant digital connection - say optical or coax - isn't (or at least should be) necessary.

A quick check on Yamaha's website, confirms this.

However, if you connect the HDMI direct to the TV, you could then use the Optical/Coax outputs to the AV amp. But this isn't necessary, unless you find the AV amp degrades the image significantly, or you run out of HDMI inputs (there are only two available) on the amp. What would be the point of owning an AV amp otherwise?