onkyo hts 3300

[Rockfella]

I had a home theatre in 2004 which i sold after buying a desktop computer in 2007 as i stopped using the HT for whatsoever reason. If u ask me buying DVDs then playing them in the HT, storing them, getting the DVD player's lens replaced every now and then is a PITA and i will never buy a dedicated DVD/BLU-Ray player ever in my life. Will always make use of my PC for watching movies/music. HTPC
This is what i wish to know:
Will i get same/better sound quality if i connect the 3300 with my PC using a good sound card as compared to audio/video source being played from a dedicated blu-ray player?
What is better? Investing in a soundcard OR a blu-ray player?
Thanks

What is it that you wish to know?

You need either onboard digital output OR a soundcard with digital output OR an external soundcard with digital output for DTS/DD and like. If you have any such outputs then connect optical OUT from desktop to optical IN of HT-S3300, similarly for coaxial OUT.

For just stereo (& virtual 5.1) the headphone out of the desktop could be used with, for example the "TV/CD" analog input of HT-S3300.

 

[mathan]

How do I connect Onkyo 3300 to the blu-ray player and to the LCD TV using HDMI cables. Do I require two HDMI cables to connect through that is one from Blu-ray player to AVR and the output from AVR to LCD? WD Live is also connected through a HDMI cable using the HDMI out in the AVR. The earlier connections were done by the Onkyo guy. Any link to thread on this would also be appreciated very much.

 

[ontherocks]

How do I connect Onkyo 3300 to the blu-ray player and to the LCD TV using HDMI cables. Do I require two HDMI cables to connect through that is one from Blu-ray player to AVR and the output from AVR to LCD? WD Live is also connected through a HDMI cable using the HDMI out in the AVR. The earlier connections were done by the Onkyo guy. Any link to thread on this would also be appreciated very much.

You didn't care to read the manual.....did you?

If all your external devices have HDMI output then you can connect them to HT-S3300 as shown in page 16 of the manual

 

[mathan]

Thanks for the info ontherocks. I did read the manual but it was Greek and Latin to me. Let me try it out.

 

[greentree]

This is what i wish to know:
Will i get same/better sound quality if i connect the 3300 with my PC using a good sound card as compared to audio/video source being played from a dedicated blu-ray player?
What is better? Investing in a soundcard OR a blu-ray player?
Thanks

Hi,
Dude am also thinking of doing the same thing.. I hope its all about the source and when the source is good the output you get also will be good.. directly proprtional.. May be experts shd be able to help us better..
I dont think of anything that a HTPC cant do which a bluray can do...

cheers
Nag

 

[Crook]

Installed the HT Yesterday, Yet to check the Blu ray performance butdid check out some music videos.All I can say is Wow! The bass is super amazing Watta Thump! Will update about the movie performance later on

 

[chanduwala]

Hi guys, I am interested in HTS 3300, where can I get the system from Hyderabad,India.

In hyderabad, you can get it in TMC or you can go directly and buy near onkyo showroom. It's in ameerpet VIP Luggage showroom lane..

 

[harikomma]

Hi,

I have brought Onkyo HTS 3300(B) a month or so back, just after Diwali from Bajaj electronics near Central at Punjagutta, Hyderabad. The deal was for 23.5K without any freebies.
Installed it myself by seeing at the diagram sheet which is easy to under stand.

After few days of going through the manual to understand the settings and when it was properly tweeked it really produces near to theater like sound effect.

At the moment I am watching only DVD's and am listening to some original soundtrack CD's. FM output via this this HTiB is quite impressive.

Has anybody experimented watching an horror movie like grudge by keeping the rear surround speakers just behind your back parallel to your ears. It gave me goose bumps literally!!

 

[sameer]

^ i got free hdmi cable from there with 3300 and price was 23k, 40 days back and yes many lucky draw coupons (which is always waste)

 

[Android]

Guys those HDMI cable are not 1.4 version when u connect those cables the data transfer speed will be less its better to buy V1.4 HDMI cables

 

[infrisk]

Its available in 23k in bangalore, without any goodies. just PM me if you need more info...

 

[mathan]

I have a SPDIF output in my cable setop box. I do not see this SPDIF in the 3300 AVR. Does 3300 support SPDIF cable? If it supports can someone please point me to the cable or give a link to the pic of the cable. Would there be any difference in the audio output if the connection is through the SPDIF in the 3300.

 

[CANDUU]

in the pic u can see where to connect the optical cable in 3300....

u can buy it for 200rs in local electronic shops,
there will be much difference in clarity ,details,loudness ,
rca cable is analog,SPDIF or optical cable is digital.........
connect it,so that u feel the difference....



eBay India: Fibre Optical Cable Toslink to Toslink 3Meter (item 390275095518 end time 01-Jan-2011 14:50:00 IST)


i have pm u check it

 

[ontherocks]

I have a SPDIF output in my cable setop box. I do not see this SPDIF in the 3300 AVR. Does 3300 support SPDIF cable? If it supports can someone please point me to the cable or give a link to the pic of the cable. Would there be any difference in the audio output if the connection is through the SPDIF in the 3300.

I guess you are not aware what S/PDIF is. Read it here first S/PDIF - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If it seems to technical for you....
Basically its a type of connection (output or input) through which you can send digital audio. Its also used to send compressed encoded multichannel digital audio (DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, etc).
It comes in two types. Ones is called an optical connector and the other called coaxial connector.
Optical connectors are connected using optical fiber cable which is also called TOSLINK cable. It sends the audio signal using light.
Coaxial connectors are connected using coaxial cable. It send audio signal using electric current.
This is how S/PDIF connectors look.

The same type of inputs are present in HT-S3300. Look at the back of HT-S3300, you will see as shown in the picture. See also page no 8 or 17 of the manual. The connectors in box no 2 are the S/PDIF inputs. As you can see it has two optical and one coaxial input.

Now mostly you would have a coaxial output in your cable set top box. You will need to buy a coaxial cable to connect it to the coaxial input in box no 2 in the above picture. "Coaxial" is a generic term. So when you go to buy it, you will have to tell that you want coaxial audio cable or s/pdif coaxial cable.
Since you have a cable set top box with a coaxial output, this means its a HD set top box. Which means that for HD channels you will get 5.1 channel audio, and you can get true 5.1 channel audio only if you connect your set top box to Ht-S3300 using the S/PDIF (coaxial) connector.
S/PDIF will send raw unprocessed audio (you can also say pure audio) to HT-S3300, hence it will have better quality.

 

[mathan]

I guess you are not aware what S/PDIF is. Read it here first S/PDIF - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If it seems to technical for you....
Basically its a type of connection (output or input) through which you can send digital audio. Its also used to send compressed encoded multichannel digital audio (DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, etc).
It comes in two types. Ones is called an optical connector and the other called coaxial connector.
Optical connectors are connected using optical fiber cable which is also called TOSLINK cable. It sends the audio signal using light.
Coaxial connectors are connected using coaxial cable. It send audio signal using electric current.
This is how S/PDIF connectors look.

The same type of inputs are present in HT-S3300. Look at the back of HT-S3300, you will see as shown in the picture. See also page no 8 or 17 of the manual. The connectors in box no 2 are the S/PDIF inputs. As you can see it has two optical and one coaxial input.

Now mostly you would have a coaxial output in your cable set top box. You will need to buy a coaxial cable to connect it to the coaxial input in box no 2 in the above picture. "Coaxial" is a generic term. So when you go to buy it, you will have to tell that you want coaxial audio cable or s/pdif coaxial cable.
Since you have a cable set top box with a coaxial output, this means its a HD set top box. Which means that for HD channels you will get 5.1 channel audio, and you can get true 5.1 channel audio only if you connect your set top box to Ht-S3300 using the S/PDIF (coaxial) connector.
S/PDIF will send raw unprocessed audio (you can also say pure audio) to HT-S3300, hence it will have better quality.

Thanks for the detailed info. I have this digital cable set top box and it does not have any HDMI connections. The brand is known has COSHIP. It has only the S/PDIF output for audio and I think analog audio outputs. I was also able to find a link to this set top box.

http://www.tbcintegration.com/coship_pdfs/cdvbc5120ac.pdf

If I need to buy the audio cable should I buy toslink to toslink audio cable or should I ask that as a coaxial audio cable.

 

[mathan]

in the pic u can see where to connect the optical cable in 3300....

u can buy it for 200rs in local electronic shops,
there will be much difference in clarity ,details,loudness ,
rca cable is analog,SPDIF or optical cable is digital.........
connect it,so that u feel the difference....



eBay India: Fibre Optical Cable Toslink to Toslink 3Meter (item 390275095518 end time 01-Jan-2011 14:50:00 IST)


i have pm u check it

Thanks for the info CANDUU. I have this Coship SCV Digital settop box.

 

[sweetsound]

Hey Guys , This is my first post. Wishing everybody happy new year. Since Iong I was reading this forum to have a good sounding system for music and movies. I was having a Sonodyne Uranus II stereo system since my college and I was enjoying for last 15 years. But after hearing lot about multichannel system I dared to enter into it and bought Onkyo 3300. Why onkyo 3300? Because it is a VFM system with all the latest features with excellent movie playback. Regarding music I was not sure so I left the option of separate stereo amp with my existing sonodyne bookshelf.
As on date I am using the system both for movie and music. For movies I am using the speakers of the system. For music I have connected Bookshelf speakers to Zone2 amp. The beauty of Zone 2 is that it doesnt have surround processing and has only 2 modes stereo and direct. In stereo only tone control is there and direct doesnt has even that. Also no subwoofer in zone2 so no problems related with that. In fact if u connect good BS or FS speaker to zone 2 it works like a stereo amp. This aspect appears to be overlooked while discussing music capability of this system. Now I am in doubt if I should invest in separate stereo amp or invest in CD Player ( using DVD Player LG388 at present via HDMI) or a new pair of speakers. Any suggestion from forum members.

 

[ontherocks]

Thanks for the detailed info. I have this digital cable set top box and it does not have any HDMI connections. The brand is known has COSHIP. It has only the S/PDIF output for audio and I think analog audio outputs. I was also able to find a link to this set top box.

http://www.tbcintegration.com/coship_pdfs/cdvbc5120ac.pdf

If I need to buy the audio cable should I buy toslink to toslink audio cable or should I ask that as a coaxial audio cable.

Now that you have seen clearly in the first image how does a optical connector look like and how does a coaxial connector look like, you should have seen at the back of your cable box and figure out just by looking what type of S/PDIF connector it is. Why are you asking now whether you need a optical cable or coaxial cable?

I can tell you what cable you need by looking at the image of your cable box in the pdf link that you have provided, but I would suggest you to look at the back of the cable box and decide it for yourself first.....if you still fail then ask further.

 

[jsanand]

Well, my HTIB is all but fully installed.

Had placed the sats in the room, got some free time today (more as a small break from work) and was able to hang the sats on the wall.

The speaker wire shipped with the system sufficed for all speakers but one - that is the Right Surround Speaker. A quick question - can I cut the extra wire from my center speaker and join it with the right surround speaker wire in the end (the wire is just short by 2-3 feet)

Suggestions please!

 

[mathan]

Now that you have seen clearly in the first image how does a optical connector look like and how does a coaxial connector look like, you should have seen at the back of your cable box and figure out just by looking what type of S/PDIF connector it is. Why are you asking now whether you need a optical cable or coaxial cable?

I can tell you what cable you need by looking at the image of your cable box in the pdf link that you have provided, but I would suggest you to look at the back of the cable box and decide it for yourself first.....if you still fail then ask further.

I did look at the back of the box and that is where I noted down the model number. Correct me if I am wrong, it should be a coaxial cable.