Question: I notice that both Onkyo and Pioneer have introduced new receiver models that claim support for 3D. Is this ready for prime time, or should I wait for successor models to iron out the bugs?

Pete Kimball,
Fremont, Calif.

A: The 3D support you speak of is HDMI 1.4 capability, and it is indeed ready for prime time. We may be waiting for more stuff to watch in 3D, but HDMI 1.4 is ready to go.

Most receivers sold last year supported HDMI 1.3, which allows you to send high definition audio sent directly from a Blu-ray player to an audio receiver. This is called "bitstreaming," and many home theater enthusiasts feel it provides the best possible sound quality.

HDMI 1.4 builds upon HDMI 1.3 and establishes protocols for additional features such as carrying Ethernet signals and 3D support. This may have ramifications for you if you plan on adopting 3D, or have an HDMI 1.3 receiver you plan on using in a 3D system. To show what it all means, I will briefly discuss HDMI connections in a typical home theater.

The best way to use an HDMI receiver is by connecting the cable/satellite box and Blu-ray player directly to the receiver with HDMI cables, then run a single HDMI cable from the receiver to the HDTV. This way, when you select a source on the receiver, the sound plays from the speakers and the proper video signal is sent to the television for display. It also provides the best sound quality and does not require changing inputs on the television when you change from cable to Blu-ray and back.

If your receiver has video processing capabilities, you can set your TV to produce the best possible picture on a single input, then fine-tune the picture of each source using the receiver's picture settings. For example, you may prefer the satellite box's picture with a little extra brightness dialed in, but prefer the Blu-ray player's image with no additional adjustments.

As you may have guessed already, if the receiver has HDMI 1.3 inputs, it will not work properly with the HDMI 1.4 output from a 3D Blu-ray player. This is where HDMI 1.4 compatibility comes in. With an HDMI 1.4 receiver you can connect the components in sequence from Blu-ray to the receiver to the 3D HDTV and all will work perfectly together. If you want to use an HDMI 1.3 receiver, there are still ways to do so. For example, Panasonic 3D Blu-ray players have two active HDMI outputs, one that is HDMI 1.3 and one that is HDMI 1.4. You simply connect the HDMI 1.3 output to the receiver and the HDMI 1.4 output to the television. It is not as elegant of a solution as having all HDMI 1.4 components, but in the end the results are the same. For now cable and satellite companies will use existing equipment for 3D by lowering the resolution, so HDMI 1.3 will work fine there.

While we are on the subject of HDMI, it bears repeating that you should not pay outrageous prices for any audio/video cables. Even $25 each is far too much, let alone the scandalously priced cables stores try to force down your throat. You can get excellent quality HDMI cables from monoprice.com and amazon.com for less than $5 each. The savings will get you closer to 3D nirvana!

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