[lunear]

Right now if you want to upgrade to 3D, you have to upgrade your TV and Receiver both, because normally the video/audio source connects to receiver first, then from receiver to TV.

The question is receiver only process audio(the upscale is not very useful if you watch HD movies). Why upgrade the receiver if you just want to watch 3D? If the TV has HDMI output, you may connect your BD Player, PS3, or computer to your TV first(All TVs have multiple HDMI input now), then the TV output the audio to receiver. So you only need to upgrade your TV, because the receiver is enough to process DTS-HD and Dobly Digital HD.

All TVs have opitical or coaxial digital audio output only now. It works fine with DTS and Dolby Digital, but can't support DTS-HD and Dolby Digital HD.

Hope the TV manufacturers will make some 3D TVs with HDMI output. So we don't need to spend other hundred dollars on receivers with HDMI v1.4.

 

[JamesK]

If all you're doing is passing audio to the receiver, then you can just use the digital (optical or coax) output to the receiver. However, that gets limited by the TV too and I don't think HDMI will change that.

 

[hugh]

Honestly, I don't think watching a 3D movie in 5.1 instead of lossless is the end of the world. Second, I'm not sure why manufacturers should add costs to every HDTV built in order to support a small minority.


If you wanna play then you gotta pay!

 

[Costa]

Almost every component that has HDMI out, also has either a optical or coaxial audio out, or even both. You DO NOT have to run the audio through your 3D TV. You can also get a HDMI splitter. and Yes, cables and splitter cost money, but not as much as any 1.4 HDMI receiver.

 

[Interceptor]

I don't know if the Audio Return Channel through HDMI on newer TVS is capable of sending HD audio but this has possibilities without having to have an HDMI out from the tV.

I guess this needs a 1.4 HDMI capable receiver, so it won't help the opening poster.

 

[lunear]

The optical or coaxial output only supports DTS/AC3, no DTS-HD or Dolby Digital HD. If you want to watch Blu-ray 3D movies, of course you need to pass through the DTS-HD sound signals to receiver, which optical or coaxial can't do it.
And if you use HDMI splitter, it must support HDMI 1.4 too. However, I haven't seen any splitter supports HDMI 1.4 and 3D. For the TV manufacturer, adding one HDMI output won't cost much more than the optical digital output, compared to the $2000 price of a 3D TV.

 

[amanaks]

Panasonic makes the BDT350 3d blu ray player that has two hdmi ouputs, one to send to the tv and the other to the amp.
I believe there are other models as well from other companies.

The blu ray player is expensive but it is a solution if someone does not want to change their amp.

Otherwise as mentioned above the HDMI splitter will solve the issue. (there are some 1.4 splitters out there)

 

[Maxwedge]

That is what I am doing (using the Panasonic BDT - post above) and it works great.