Audio output from HD-DVD - which to use?

[ascender]

Sorry for the n00b question, but my HD-DVD player has HDMI (obviously) and a digital output for audio. To get the best quality audio, should I use a digital co-ax lead or just rely on the audio via HDMI?

Thanks!

[sj33]

Both will be the same quality, as you won't be using HD audio, so they'll be downconverted to DD/DTS. This will be the same over both coaxial and HDMI. So use whichever is convenient.

Are you just using your TV for sound?

[ascender]

No, its going in to the Onkyo amp, so I've got the choice of what to use.

Before I was just using my 360 add-on which had the toslink cable anyway.

[sj33]

Well, the HDMI has the capability to carry HD audio (DD+/TrueHD/DTS-HD), but only if your amp is capable of this.

Otherwise, HDMI will just carry the traditional DD/DTS, and there will be no quality difference between HDMI, Optical and Coaxial for this.

[ascender]

Thanks Shakey. That's what I wasn't sure about, if HDMI had the ability to carry all the formats as the amp was coming up a format on its display I hadn't recognised before. Time to get the manual out I think!

[RLench]

Your HD-DVD player will convert DD+ and DD TrueHD to PCM, and your amp will recognise this as PCM. This will be a massive improvement over regular DD/DTS via coaxial

Set your player to output PCM audio and you'll get the uncompressed soundtracks in their full glory

[ascender]

Thanks guys, I'll check this out on the amp tomorrow.