Has anyone bought this system from Walmart yet? Any reviews? At 400-watts, this sounds like a decent system for around $150.
Anonymous
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I bought this system for my parents about 2 months ago. For the money, I don't think there is a better system. Even against the Sony system for $199 this one has about 4 times the inputs. I also bought the RCA black DVD player that goes with this for around $69 at Walmart for them. Again, for the price, nothing comes close.
RTR Beat Brand X! <><
Anonymous
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Well thats good to know im geting it for my birthday.
Raduque
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I have one of these. I couldn't find too awful much info on it online, but at the price point, I think it's the win. I really like it, but if you plan on upgrading the speakers later, be warned the sats are 6ohm, and the center is 3ohm. It has a dedicated line-level subwoofer out for a powered sub though.
Yes, it's true 5.1 DD with both optical and Coax digital inputs.. I can't remember if it's supposed to do DTS, but everytime I try to send it a DTS stream, I get no sound.
Ethan
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i was wondering if i could hook up my niles ds6.3 speakers but the ohm setting on the speakers are 8ohm or 4ohm which shoiuld i use if at all? can u help me out someone.Another question the speakers work with 10 - 100 watts will they work?
Ethan
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Do the origonal speakers that come with it sound good, i mean does th subwoofer sound good?
RSully
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I cranked up the volume in Walmart. original speakers sound real nice, better than a Sony model for $199.
asp9185
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I bought this unit a couple of months ago. It sounds great and does a fine job *most of the time*. I've noticed that it's a bit slower than some other receivers I've had in sensing the presence of a digital input. It also seems to have a bit more latency when decoding the Dolby Digital bitstream from my DVD player.
I have a concern about the rt2380. Every dvd I've played through this system has at least one or two places (random) where the sound completely cuts out for about 2 secs. Then the sound comes back completely in sync. There is no pause in the video at all. Tried different dvd player and same thing happened. Using coaxing cable. Seems only to happen with DD5.1 Haven't noticed this in ProLogicII. Any Ideas? (And this has happened on EVERY DVD I have played)
I have the exact same problem, with the same exact system. I thought i fixed it by turning off dynamic compression via the DVD player. But tonight i was watching and it started to happen again. Im thinking of returning the product.
I also had the exact problem with a Sherwood receiver. Everything was fine, (I mean DTS, DTS ES, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Pro/Pro II, stereo were all working wonderfully as they should be) but when I played any Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD on my 3 different DVD players connected to the receiver's coaxial input, the sound randomly went off for a sec or two. I tried to tweak every settings available on the receiver with no success so I just returned it and bought a Pioneer instead.
I thought at first the 'sound cut out' problem was the dvd players fault so I tired another dvd player...same problem.It seems to happen about an hour or so into every movie... BUT, if I just FF the movie about an hour, the sound doesn't cut out where it normally would... it cuts out about an hour LATER! So here's my thought... a possible buffer problem in the 2380??? Since it happened on both my Phillips and JVC dvd players, I've ruled out the digital buffer problem with them. So now I'm thinking a digital buffer problem with the 2380. Also, try switching to Dolby ProLogicII when you start a movie... I get no sound cut-out with PLII... just the DD5.1 That's another reason I'm thinking a buffer problem. Anyone else have any ideas on this? BTW, I called RCA about this problem and let me tell ya.... those people are pretty much clueless. One lady told me to change the 'wire' on the back of the 2380. Which wire????? There are a dozen back there! Then she said the wire that connects the 2380 to the dvd.... OH, you mean the COAX cable....already did that AND tried the optical connection(which I told her at the beginning of our conversation). My 2380 is 1 week old... her solution- send the unit in for repair! If I can't figure this out I'm going to swap for a new one... BUT, what happens if I set the new one up and it happens again? That's why I'm trying to figure out if the 2380 has some kind of buffer problem (not just the unit I have). If so, I'll just return it and get another brand.
I would return it and get another brand. I also contacted Sherwood customer service techs and they advised me the same thing: Sending it to them for checking and repairing. Since I just had the receiver for a couple of weeks, I decided to returned it and got another brand. Didn't want to go with the repair route on a new purchase . Anyway, I also thought the problem was from my 1st DVD player so I tried with 2 other players and the same thing still happened.
Yeah i plan on going to walmart today and returning the thing. I just wish this wasnt the case. The receiver is great in terms of inputs and features when they work. I guess you get what you pay for. Any reommondations for a similarly priced HT in box?
Ian Rose, what kind of dvd do you have connected? I'm in the process of trying something here. I have my JVC hooked up and I switched the audio on the dvd player from Dolby Digital/PCm to Stream/PCM. So far the sound is literally identical. Just waiting to see if there is a sound cut out. However, I noticed that with this selected on the dvd player the 2380 recognizes the signal as PLII(even though you have to select stream/pcm to connect to a receiver with DD/DTS or MPEG multichannel. I'll let ya know if the sound cuts out.
I have a samsung dvd player and some cheap cyberhome dvd player that is the closet that I tried using thinking like everyone else that it was the DVD player. the samsung dvd player you can switch between DD and PCM. when i tried PCM no sound.
Oh well, bad news... even with the dvd settings to stream/pcm and the 2380 recognizing it as PLII, I just got a 2 sec sound cut out about 1hr7min into the movie. gonna take it apart and take it back to WMart for another. I hope the second one works.. these things are a pain to set up in my room(took me 4 hours for this first one..running wires and all). If the second one has the 'cut out' I'll have to look around for a different brand but I like the way that the 2380 kind of integrates itself with my RCA TV. Oh well.... Ian Rose, if you take yours back let me know what happens with your new HT or if you get a different brand let me know how that one works and I'll keep you posted on my end as well
cool, my guess is that since we are having the identical problem. If we were to return it for the same thing the same problem will occur. this is my little consipiracy theory behind the lag sound of the DD, is that the 150 dollars price is because of the DD problem. RCA knows and walmart knows. They are hopping that the people who buy the HTIB will only hook up analog and have no clue on digital. So people (the ones who know about coax and optical) return a couple products walmart sells in such huge volume that they still get away with the profit. Pretty hooky but hell i hate walmart but they are so cheap I cant help myself. The face that the RCA reciever acts as a pure reciever is the only reason Im having second thoughts on returning it for the same brand. if you look at the sony one its only has two audio ins and no s-video/out/in.
I was looking at the Sony and you're right about the lack of inputs. very stingy on Sonys part. Also, the RCA speakers have mounting holes in the back for wall mounting(that's how I have the sattelite speakers.. hanging on the walls, but the sony are either bookshelf or you have to buy mounting brackets for them(bummer). Also, I've been reading the reviews on the Sony system and it seems that most people aren't exactly pleased with the sound from it(hell, 420watts are enuff for me!) But I'm probably gonna take it back for another RCA and hope that the new one works. I really like the looks, layout and INPUTS on the RCA! I just hope the new one works. Let me know how your new system works for you.
ok man good luck, i hightly doubt the new RCA will be fixed. to me is sounds like RCA needs to do recall. But if it does work for you tell me! I would really really want to like the RCA.
I just saw this system in the new Wal-Mart ad. Will this unit handle or decode DTS? If it doesn't is it a big thing, in other words will I notice it during playback of DVD's? This sound cut off problem, is it present with every unit or just an isolated case thing? Also my DVD player only has a Coaxial digital audio out and not an Optical does this matter. My TV has an Optical audio output though. I'm new to Home Theater sorry for all the questions. Grateful11
This system does not do DTS. Which like you said isnt the biggest deal, since every DVD is encoded in dobly digital. The sound cut off problem IDK if it is isolated or not. Since there have been three different people myself included that has had this sound cut off problem my guess that is common. The system does both coax or optical so your fine in that regard. My advice save up for a better system and save yourself the hassale of an exchange.
If the receiver doesn't support DTS, you won't be able to play DVDs with DTS stream encoded. As all DVDs that offer DTS stream, a 2.0 stereo stream is also included on the discs for those receivers that can't handle DTS. Some may also have both DTS and DD 5.1 streams for folks that can't play DTS on their systems.
For the compact Home Theater in a Box systems such as the RCA RT2380BK, the difference b/w Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 may not be remarkable if you use the included speakers and subwoofer. However, if you use a decent speaker system and a good subwoofer with it, or if you have a good AV system, DTS would sound so much better than DD. DTS will give you bass with more authority, excellent separation from main/surround speakers and much more clarity in dialogue from the center speaker. That's why 99% of the people prefer DTS and they wouldn't mind paying more money to get the DTS version of the movie on DVD.
I've seen some on-line stores carry optical-to-coaxial converters and vice versa, FYI.
My wife and I were in Aldi's this evening and they still have a few of the Pioneer HTD-540DV systems for $250. I guess I'm going to lean more towards one of those. It seems to have about everything I'm looking for. Thanks for the help, Grateful11
Well I went to walmart and returned it. I was looking at the philips and the sony. Well I just couldnt get myself to get em. So I did some homework and I decided for 39 more dollars I could get the onkyo HT-S570 from radio shack. OMG does it sound sooooooo much better then the RCA system. Which I mean I paid more money but not to much more. The onkyo is a full fledge receiver minus the s-video in/outs. Compare this to the sony's two inputs this is can do many more things. The sub on the onkyo is insane compared to the RCAs. The fronts and surrounds and very similar. Also the onkyo has DTS while the RCA only had DD. On top of that the onkyo is 600watts compared to the 400watt. It really does get alot louder in volume compared to other two systems. So far my only complant is that the system is already really warm to the touch and Ive only watched half a movie. As long as it doesnt fry itself and/or start a fire its cool with me. Tell me how that RCA works out im really curious wether its an isolated problem or vice versa. Good luck.
DDBlues
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The problem with the RCA RT2380BK is not isolated. I have this system and it suffers from the same random audio dropouts and latencies from a Dolby Digital signal. It's a shame for RCA because it would have been a best value HTiB if not for the faulty DD processor. I hope to find a similar system (without a built in DVD player) that runs as cool as this one before my 90 day return period runs out in March. I have the Pioneer DV-270 DVD player that plays all DVD's flawlessly. Any ideas on a similar HTiB?
Gratefull11, my advise is to spend $270 and get the Onkyo HTS-570 HTIB. You will not regret this purchase.
Anonymous
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Very interesting. Have anyone tried this and compared it to a THX certified home theater system?? how about comparing it to the durabrand? Are they the same or better? I own the Logitech 5500 speaker system and its really huge and pricey and seems less of a deal compared to walmarts cheap stuff.
Raduque
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RE: sound cutting out: I have the same problem with mine. I had thought maybe it was my DVD player (Apex AD1200), because it doesn't do it when I have the Xbox or PS2 connected through Optical (the Apex only has Coax digital out). So, I'm guessing it's a flaw in the reciever itself. It really doesn't bother me TOO awful much, in fact, it doesn't bother me at all, I watch movies with subtitles/captions. I am however, going to step up to an Onkyo HT-S770 and give this one to my parents, simply because I've been bit by the "Bigger, Better, Faster!!!" bug. =D
RE: Durabrand HTIB w/dvd player, Anonymouse: I tried one of these, as well. The RCA system blows it away in every aspect, except the one where you need a seperate DVD player. Oh and the sound drop thing. Other then that, it's great.
RE The sound cutting out, I agree that it only happens with my DVD player via a coaxial connection. I have a DirectDVR attached via optical and have noticed no such problems (although I rarely watch DD5.1 through my DVR, and they get paused every 30 mins, never goes a full hour!)
The one thing that I don't like is it takes about 2-3 seconds to detect DD5.1. So if I pause something, I need to rewind it about 5 seconds to catch the 3 seconds I miss when it's still detecting...
DDBlues
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As everyone else has reported, the audio drops out for 2 seconds on the RCA RT2380BK only when playing a movie from my DVD player hooked up via Coaxial playing the Dolby Digital track. This happens once or twice per movie and I can remember only one time the sound did not dropout out of about 20 movies. Also, just about everytime I watch a movie, the audio becomes latent to the video. When I press pause on the DVD player, the audio "catches back up" to the video. Funny that this HTiB takes 2 seconds to detect DD5.1 as soon as a DVD starts to play and the audio dropouts during playback is the same 2 seconds. I think the problems with this receiver is annoying especially since I like to enjoy a lot of DVD movies in true DD5.1. It might be fine for someone else who just wants to listen to sources in Pro Logic II, but since this receiver doesn't even decode DTS, the least the could've done was give it a decent DD5.1 decoder.
I was wondering if all home theater receivers experience any kind of delay time, audio dropouts, or latencies when playing a DVD hooked up via coax?
I'm also curious as to what Margo did about her RCA RT2380BK.
I was considering trying out the Pioneer VSX-D514 home theater receiver. Anyone have this?
I've read these posts and must be one of the few people that hasn't had the same problem with my 2380BK. About 4months old. The problem that I have had is that it has "froze up" on me twice. The second time was lastnight. Once I power it on, the display light is VERY dim and the buttons completely stop working. Can someone help? Thanks...
Ross 01
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I'm having the same two-second sound "cut out" on my RCA RT2380BK with DD 5.1 and coax input from the DVD player. Has anyone with this problem ever exchanged the receiver for a new RT2380BK and had the problem go away?
One other thing that I've noticed is that the sound, regardless of the input source, has a split second delay from the source. For example, an "echo effect" occurs when I have both the TV speakers on and the receiver playing the TV audio at the same time. Since I also hook up my digital piano to this receiver, it's a bit annoying and distracting when the sound occurs a split second after pressing a key on the digital piano. Is this delay typical of all home theater systems?
Nope, a properly designed receiver shouldn't give you any sound delay which may give you serious AV sync problem.
From reading the posts above, I believe you'll likely have the same sound cut-out problem with another RT2380.
Xathar
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I bought the RT2380BK and have the audio cutout problem. I totally agree that RCA should recall these units. For now, I will return it to Wall Mart for a refund and look for something better.
I have recently bought this system at wal-mart. I haven't noticed any lag with the dd decoding, but I have my ps2 hooked up to and it sounds great. There is one complaint that I have, I opened up the box and noticed that there is a heat sink with a fan on the end and when you play at 20 on the volume it is very hot to hot to touch which is very bad. Limited life. So I went to radio shack and bought a few cooling fans and placed them around the heat sink and it took care of the problem.
DDBlues
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I took the RCA RT2380BK back to wal-mart and I'm glad I did.
I tried the Pioneer VSX-D514 which is a good home theater reciever. No delays, latencies, or dropouts and has plenty of inputs for an entry level HT receiver. The unit ran slightly warm, but comparitively cool for a full fledged HT receiver. Seemed like a pretty good deal at Circuit City for $150 so I had to try it out. Of course, it's just the receiver so everything else had to be supplied seperately -- speakers, wires, DVD player, ect. The worst part about this receiver was that the remote was poorly designed. Even so, I would recommend this unit.
I would have kept this unit if not for another post in here about the Pioneer HTD-540. I was incredibly lucky to get one at ALDI. This system has a 5 disc carousel, plays all formats including SACDs. This is the coldest running HT unit I have ever tried. No vents on the top of the receiver. It has a small fan in the back of the unit which I can barely detect any heat coming out of. This is the extreme oppisite from the ONKYO receiver I tried that came in the 777 package, which doubles as a nice space heater. NO exaggeration!!! An important feature that the Pioneer HTD 540 has, is the coaxial input on the back of the receiver. Therefore, if one of the many drive motors fail on the main unit, all I have to do is hook up another DVD player that has coax out and I can still enjoy DD5.1 without having to buy another whole new system.
I am not a sound system guru. I am experiencing a problem with my RCA RT2380BK system. Please help. The sound is great on all components (DVD, CD, Tuner, and VCR) but the sound is "barrel like" with the TV. What have I done wrong? The hookup directions are a bit vague when it comes to the coax/TV connection. I have normal cable coax (not Digital) and there is no such connection on the back of the RCA HT system. Therefore I have the coax hooked (in the standard fashion) to the VCR and then to the TV. I also have the necessary audio and video cables running from the TV to the RCA HT unit. The TV speakers must remain on (at least at a low level) for the RCA system (running near it top end)to get what is barely a descent sound. What am I doing wrong?
Yep, you need to connect the RCA audio out from your TV or VCR to the RCA audio input on the RT2380. If the audio out on the TV is a variable (adjustable) output, you'll also need to turn the volume control on the TV up a bit then use the volume control on the RCA to adjust the loudness. Check the TV manual on how to mute the TV speaker when the variable output is being used. Also, try to enable Dolby Prologic II for the TV sound to see if it helps.
i have my RT2380BK hooked up right now and I have had no Problems with my dvd player cutting out and yes I have the sound Through a coaxial cable. But my Problem is that I get no picture from my vcr, I get sound but thats it. I also tried hooking my Xbox through the vcr ports and it does the same thing, What the hell am i doing wrong?
DDBlues
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timmy,
Have you tried turning you TV to channel four or whichever channel your VCR is set to output AND selecting the line input on your VCR? There is also a TV/VCR switch on most VCRs.
Hope this helps.
zxcvbnm
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I would suggest the Koss KS-5192 from Sears. For $200 you'll get 1000 watts of power, an integrated DVD player, Pro Logic II, and both Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES decoding. It also runs cold (with two fans) and looks awesome while turned on in a dark.
It seems like I might be having the same problem as lib33 with the rca rt2380, after a couple of months only the two front speakers are working, and sometimes the buttons on the face are unresponsive, but I dont think that its the connections, any sugestions? thank you!
Anonymous
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I just bought the rt2380 and have my playstation2 hooked up to the optical input so I haven't noticed any problems with dvd audio. I have had problems with the video passthrough to my TV though. I have a vcr with rca outputs connected to the rca vcr in on my rt2380. The rca tv outs on the rt2380 are then connected to the rca ins on my tv. The problem is, occasionally when there is a lot of white on the screen the picture jumps up and down a bit. I am pretty sure the problem lies in the rt2380 because when I bypass it and run the video straight from my vcr to the tv I don't see this effect. Has anyone else out there in webland experienced the same issue? I can't seem to find any info on this problem and the rca website hasn't helped much.
Got one of these units that appears to have failed after 2 months. Same issue with the thing locking up as others have reported, unplug it and it would come back, but now when it is plugged in, get the red standby light, but press any key and the light goes off and it does nothing. Did get what looked to be an error code of "106" that would scroll across it. Bad part is this was a Christmas gift, less than 3 months old, and not certain RCA will warranty it without a receipt.
Jasnik
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Just got a second one from Walmart and both had the sound cut out problem (optical conection) and both eventually died with the red light to0 dim lights at the front .
They took the first one back even though it was after 3 months.
Think this is a generic problem with these RCA boxes its a shame as it was just what I wanted.
trunkx
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I was thinking of getting that rca from walmart and line my sound card out digital to that reciver for sourround for my computer room. was any body having probs with the digital input?
I bought one of these last year, and it died after 2 months. Couldn't locate the receipt, so I called the 800 number for RCA. After a bit of a switch-around, they finally sent me a letter authorizing repair under warranty. Only problem it's been 3 months and still no repair. The shop says the front panel overheated, and they need additional authorization from RCA. So here we sit. I'm gonna look for something else, and give up on this thing.
Update- RCA has decided that the front panel overheated due to a surge, and therefore is not covered by the warranty. This in spite of the fact that none of the other components hooked up in my house has any problem. And all electronic items are hooked up via surge protectors. Apparently, this was a very specific surge that bypassed all the other items and went only into the RCA unit. I'm not giving up yet. Will keep this updated as it goes along.
artd1
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Just bought one of these yesterday from Walmart for $110.00. It warks just great. I have no cutout problems from my DVD Player, but I am not using an optical cable.
Anonymous
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Help! I have a RCA Home Theater System(RT2380BK( and a (RTDVD1)MY questions is How do we get the TV,Satellite,DVD PLayer to have surround sound. ON either systems.We've tried both of them. Please help!!
ASSUMPTION: Heat...The RT2380 is horrible at cooling itself.
PROBLEM: My parent's RT2380BK died on them after about 2 months. It was acting wierd before it went out, though. It would "freeze," like a computer, with the L and R speaker indicators flashing along with non-responsive buttons. I couldn't even turn it off! It had to unplug it, and plug it back in for it to work. It did this 4 times. Everytime time it did this, it was on the DVD input. They use the optical input for audio. It would keep doing this until, eventually it wouldn't come on. The LCD panel is very dim, and it seems like there is nothing being displayed on it. I think that the sound cutout problem is a bit more serious than what was once thought.
ATTEMPTS: I'm no electrician, but I know my way around the innards of a computer pretty well. I'm only 16, and I've been working with them since I was 5. Anyway, I can tell of a fuse is blown, or a board is fried, but I can't see any physical damage inside the unit. It is still responsive to intensity, so i know somthing is still working on the inside. I connected the speaker-output of another reciever to the sub-woofer-output on the RT2380BK. When I turned up the volume on the second reciever, the fan in the RT2380BK would speed up. I think I might be getting somewhere, but I'm at a dead end. I need some advice as of what to do next.
85checkmate
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We have had two of these since January. Basically the same issues as above. the first one would "freeze" so had to unplug it to unfreeze. The second system started out the same way. But now it will not even turn on. Sounds like it will (Relay pulls in?), but dead!! Good luck to all of us!! Bought at WalMart.
dude1394
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I'm trying to hook up wireless headphones to this unit but the sound doesn't seem to be replicated out the vcr or tape outputs. So I have to either hook up to the headphone outputs or the component. This is not what I wanted.
PissedOffPaul
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Yup, mine won't turn on anymore either. I think I'm going to drop it from a high building to see what happens when it hits the ground.
ktulu
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hey mine just died on me about a week ago...if i unplug it and plug it back in, the standby light will come on, and when i try to turn the unit on, i get nothing, everything goes black...POS!!
Anonymous
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My system has also fell victim to "freezing" up which could only be fixed by unplugging the unit. Now it won't turn on any more and it's only seven months old-- still under warranty. I have contacted RCA several times and keep getting the run around as have many other people. Sounds like grounds for a class action lawsuit!
Unfortunately, these are just more reasons not to buy RCA.
They have never made a television, DVD player, audio equipment of any kind, and so on that's worthwhile. Most of the time, they fail within or just after the warranty period. - Reinhart
I seem to be having simalar probs as some of you other guys with the sound cutting out for a few secs., but I have had my rt2380bk for a yead now and it's now starting this thing where when I watch dvd's or play xbox in DD, the rear speakers do nothing but make a faint humming sound. when I switch it over to PL2 mode, it sounds fine. what could be the prob? The way it sounds, I'm lucky to have had my system work as long as it has!
My guess would be that the system uses electronic switching in the preamp section and that went on the blink. Or, the decoder set has a problem in Dolby Digital but works in DPL II.
In any case, it may be a hint to replace it before more problems start to pop up. - Reinhart
mine freezes up too, and now won't work. i can't find the receipt and its been about 10 months. The sound worked great though, never had a lag or problem with it goung out. i figure they won't fix it. in another forum someone said they had the same problem and the repair man said it was the display IC. I'm trying to find the part number so could pic one up at radio shack, but not really sure where it is. any help would be appreciated.
The part in question will likely not be available at RadioShack as it will most likely be a multifunction LSI IC in a surface mount package on a multi-layer board; ICs from RadioShack are usually single function industry standard parts for through-board mount assembly.
One possibility could be that something is overheating. Try using the player in an open space with the top cover off and see what happens.
Another possibility: a bad optical pickup. - Reinhart
i already tried using it with the cover off, and no change. first it started locking up, then when i went to power it on the display was really dim, so i unplugged it waited 5 min then plugged back in. same thing happened. so i tried again, this time when i powered it back on there was nothing on the display. i've already opened the thing to look inside, no fuses look blown, and nothing looks fried. nothing smells either. it powers up, and the internal fan powers up, but nothing on the screen. and it seems that it won't work unless the screen works. i don't use any of the optical inputs either.
I'd probably say "screw it" and get a new one. It sounds like it's just developing more and more trouble.
It's not worth the effort or expense to repair it since the value of that component tends to be very low.
For a replacement HTIB, do consider spending a little more on something from a better brand. Even Wal-Mart stocks stuff from Sony, Panasonic, and Pioneer that are worth consideration.
But, if you want to have a better selection, at least go to a Best Buy or a Circuit City. In this case, definitely consider the purchase of an Onkyo HTIB set. It will cost a bit more than the RCA you've got, but it's performance will be lightyears ahead of what RCA has to offer, not to mention that it will be more reliable and will last you longer as an investment instead of a throwaway.
In short, a higher quality set will offer you more bang for your buck immediately and in the long run. - Reinhart
Jake124
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I've read all the replies here and I'd just like to second what everyone has said about the sound delay with with the coax, and the freezing problems. I, too, was under the impression it was my DVD player causing the delay problem up until tonight when I found this thread!
I'm going to replace this peice of junk and have a couple questions to ask...
The main reason I bought this reciever months back was because it was loaded with inputs, and since it was for use in a smaller bedroom, 400-Watt was perfect for what I needed. Could anyone recommend a DD 5.1 reciever with the same amount power / inputs? I definitely do not need a 1,000-Watt system, and DTS isn't important to me...
I've had no problems with the speakers that came with the rt2380, so if I was to purchase a stand alone reciever, would these speakers work okay with a different system? Might sound like a silly question, but I figured I should ask anyway.
"The main reason I bought this reciever months back was because it was loaded with inputs, and since it was for use in a smaller bedroom, 400-Watt was perfect for what I needed. Could anyone recommend a DD 5.1 reciever with the same amount power / inputs? I definitely do not need a 1,000-Watt system, and DTS isn't important to me..."
You can try to find a Sony HTIB set that's sold at Wal-Mart which comes with the receiver and speakers for $249. They don't have this item in their website and it may have been discontinued already.
You can also check out an Onkyo HTIB at a Circuit City, which also comes with its own set of speakers.
I'd recommend not using the speakers that came with your RCA with the new receiver, especially if wattage and impedence isn't known about them. - Reinhart
I'm having a problem with my 2380, the standby button is lit when I plug the system in, then when I push the standby button to turn on the system, the standby button turns off, and nothing happens. No lights, no sound, nothing. Any suggestions?
rca sucks
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Exact same issue with the display freezing and having to pull the plug to restore operation. Then it repeats after a few hours. Took it to an rca authorized shop and he's had it for 6 weeks. I think they are outwaiting me on the warrantee. The repair guy says he's waiting for a new mainboard. Yeah whatever. Like a replacement board will act any differently after a few months. I will never buy anything with the rca name again.
RCA sucks 2
Unregistered guest
Posted on
RT2380BK Lights on nobody home. I buy until I am disappointed. No American cars. No RCA.
Anonymous
Posted on
To all posting about the pause at about an hour to the DVD movies. Mine does this too at about 1hr 5-7 minutes into a movie. It's a lower end Sanyo (don't have model number) I'm beginnng to believe this is normal and we're not being told. hmmm dvd conspiracy??;)
Anonymous
Posted on
The "cut out" on the coax is because of a power interruption. When your AC / Heater / fridge ect comes on it will cause the unit to lose the digital signal. RCA could have put a $.02 capasitor in the unit which would prevent this.
Ind1g0
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I get this RT2380BK as a gift from a friend and I thought "Lucky me!" I even insisted in pay something for that but he refused to get my money... naive... jejeje thank you anyways buddy. In my case I have it in my bedroom just to hear CDs or tuner but I really like to do it over 35 in volume and guess what?!?!? after 3 minutes it turns off (good bye included). Of course I noticed the overheating but the cover went off and it takes 5 minutes then. So I'm not buying coolers in RadioShack that cost half of the system itself (in my case was nothing) but it is really a shame to see people pissed of by RCA. We should do something about it, don't you think?
RCAneedshelp
Unregistered guest
Posted on
My reciever does the same "red standby light but nothing else". It started 2 months after I bought the darn thing from WalMart. I called RCA and they suggested I try a system reboot. To do this you have to completely unplug everything from it and then unplug it from the wall for EXACTLY 30 minutes. They had me "reboot" the remote too. To do this, take the batteries out, press down and hold the number 1 button for 60 seconds and then put the batteries back in. This sounds like someone just invited me to go hunting for a fictional animal. I am trying it though.
Same thing here. Had the system for about a year (warranty expired), and now it freezes up, and I have to unplug it and plug it back in. Recently it's gotten worse, so that when I plug it back in and turn it on, it immediately turns off. I've disconnected it, and am using my TV speakers. Piece of crap. I'm shopping for a new system, because I can't even bear the though of trying to get this thing repaired.
Tony From SC
Unregistered guest
Posted on
anyone know why this unit's volume only goes up to 41? I use this unit in a very large room and 41 is just not cutting it. I've check the manual, but this is not my sort of thing so i am clueless if it will go higher. Please help! Oh, and i've had my BK for 8 months now and not ONE problem. No audio cut-out, no lockups, nothing. I'm pleased with it except for this volume mystery. PLEASE if you know how to bypass this, please let me know!
I am having the same problem with the light coming on and :06 dancing across the screen. I took everything but the two front boards off and as well had no corrosion or short circuits. When the system clicks and the fan comes on it sounds like the click is coming from the front of the unit. I'm going to take the two front led boards off next and see what i can do there if there is anything. I'll keep you posted if I find a solution. Looks like RCA just pulled a con job on all of us!
HI, I JUST BOUGHT THE RT2390..RCA SURROUND SOUND W/STEREO..HAS NO S-VIDEO..ONLY RCA RED/BLK AND TWO OPTICAL..SAYS 500WATTS WERE IS IT? JUST WOUNDERING IF ANYONE HAS THIS AND TRADED FOR THE BLK RT2380..SOUNDS LIKE A BETTER SYSTEM LET ME KNOW THANKS
I also have been having problems with sound cutting out sometimes, and I'm getting pretty frustrated with the fan noise that has been working it's way louder and louder.
We need to send a mass email to RCA, one problem though. What's their support email address, or PHONE NUMBER? Seems like there's no information on their site :S
This is refurbished, so the problem SHOULD (should) be gone, but it's not. And as an added bonus, I got fan noise.
I also am having the freeze up problem. I sent the unit to a service center in Spokane, WA ant they can't reproduce the anomaly and now they want me to pay the return shipping. Boy am I glad I fount these postings. I thought I was going crazy! I now have a Sony HT-DDW870 an d so far no problem.
I've heard many people complaining of the same thing (I was one of them) I had this system (got it as a wedding present) and it would skip randomly (usually about halfway through a dvd) Supposidly caused by some sort of buffer in the receiver being too small (or data not going to the buffer fast enough). This only happens when you are using a digital input. If you're gonna feed it with red/white analog signal it'll do fine. RCA has known about this issue for quite some time and refuses to do anything about it. If you call them and complain enough before the 30 days are up they will instruct you to return it to the retailer (Walmart) and get a new one, but it'll do the exact same thing. You could go through this process forever and thier only solution is sending back to walmart. RCA seems to support thier other products but this one is specailly made for walmart I think, and they could care less about supporting it. This receiver also has a delay problem that is impossible to get around. No matter what you use, digital or analog, there is a delay which results in a slight lipsync issue. Also, after a few months the subwoofer sounded more like a wet car speaker. I got a DLP TV later and realized that the lack of a delay setting in this receiver was the straw that broke the cammels back. Trashed it and went and got myself a yamaha system which was something like $500. The difference is like night and day. The "volume only goes to 41" issue the other guy mentioned is most likely caused by increasing the output to some of the individual speakers. If I remember correctly somewhere in the settings you could increase how much power was being sent to individual speakers but that lowers your maximum overall volume.
All in all, I would never ever ever ever buy a high dollar piece of Home theater equipment from walmart, or anything where the level of support might require more than just an exchange, for that matter.
This receiver is a piece of junk, RCA knows it, walmart is to big to notice it, and frankly, the consumer is the only one who really cares. I think Walmart's sale:return ratio isnt high enough to justify thiem looking into the issue simply because most consumers are satisfied to hook their red/white cables up to it and as long as they get sound everything is great. This reminds me of some of the people who go get a 60" wide screen TV and bring it home, hook thier analog cable broadcasting 480i and brag to all thier friends that the have high definition tv. I have seen someone actually run a single mono (not digital) rca, spit it to left and right, and run it into a very nice, very expensive surround sound system, and brag to thier friends that they have 7.1 surround sound. When in fact they have mono sound coming from 7.1 speakers. Maybe some cheezy dsp effects, but for the most part every speaker is putting out the exact same sounds.
Hopefully someone can help me out here...I have a DIRECTV DVR hooked up to my rt2380 via rca cables. I bought an 8ft MONSTER digital optical cable, hooked it up between the DVR and the 2380, disconnected the red and white connectors on the rca, and can't get any sound. Is there some setting on the 2380 that turns on the use of the digital optical? I.e. a specific source? please help me out!!
The only advice I'd offer to any owner of this system is get rid of it quick. Mine worked great for two years--I had the same 2-second hiccup with dvds and nothing else, and occasional latency, but it sounded great so I dealt with it. Two months ago, it started freezing up. Unplug and rest for 10 minutes, plug it back in and it works. Except once, and now it's totally frozen with no display. I'm gonna try to return it to wally-world tomorrow--if I can get a replacement for a two-year old unit for free, then great. if not oh well. If you own this unit, return it quick for money back and spend the extra to get something worthwhile. If it's too late, the speakers are still nice, right?
I recently found a subwoofer that was part of a RT2380BK surround system, sounds good. I just wish somebody threw out the system so I could get a good look at whats wrong, I may be only 14 but I know my way around RCA things, thats usually what I get at my repair business, If anybody in canada has one they can "donate" I might be able to "autopsy" it, heck, maybe its just bad firmware.
hey i have that same surrond sound stero rt2380bk and i got it off my friend for 30 bucks he has had it for a year and i just got in novermber 2006 and the same thing has happened to me but i fixed that problem the stand by light would show and when i would turn it on nothing would happin the fan would spin but stop so me and him where like looking at the fusees and it may not look blowen but it is and the way to tell if it is not stirat anymore and i play it on its max and the subwoofer on powerful every day for liek an hour or 2 and it is hooked up to my computer so i dont see any problem with this reciver
We also bought this system, the RCA HTIB RT2380, two years ago. Up until recently it seemed to work fine, but the digital audio input did not work and the unit would periodically produce a loud hum. Usually turning it off and then back on would fix it. We just switched to the optical input this week and all of a sudden that hum got alot louder and would not stop. Unfortunately for us Walmart will not help and any warrenty we had is no longer valid. I am tired of companies producing these piece of junk electronics, charging good money for them and not standing behind them! Stay away from this unit, it is not what it appears to be.
I have tried several times to contact RCA using the number provided in the documentation and conveneintly, "Your call cannot be completed at this time, please try your call again later". I know, it's not my phone.
. Anyway, I also thought the problem was from my 1st DVD player so I tried with 2 other players and the same thing still happened.