The End of Analog

Q Over the years, I’ve discovered that sound and vision are two distinct camps in the home theater realm, and it’s best to keep them separated due to constantly changing video formats.

- AL GRIFFIN

That’s why I’ve held off from upgrading to an A/V receiver with HDMI, choosing instead to retain my 15-yearold Yamaha RX-V659 for audio duty and let a disc player handle video. For example, connecting my current Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player via its 7.1-channel analog output to the Yamaha AVR’s multichannel analog input lets me hear lossless soundtracks on Blu-ray, while an HDMI connection made directly from the player to my TV handles high-def video.

To continue this trend (A/V separation) in the 4K era, I am planning an upgrade to Panasonic’s DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. My thought is that it will bring me completely up to date with all current A/V formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio, and 4K/HDR video. Here’s my question: Can I can connect the DP-UB9000’s 7.1 analog output to the Yamaha AVR (just like I currently do with my Oppo player) and hear Atmos/DTS:X? I know the player’s coaxial and optical digital ports only support output of compressed 5.1 soundtracks, so I doubt they would help here, right? RICK POAGE / FAIRFAX, VA