HD-A1: Analog surround with a stereo setup?

[Centauri]

So my receiver is an older Onkyo, pre-HDMI and thus pre-HD audio. But it has analog surround inputs, and of course the HD-A1 has corresponding outputs.

But I'm currently only running stereo speakers, some really nice vintage Polks.

My question is; how can I set this up in an optimal way so that I'm still getting all of the surround sound HD audio from the player and decoded by it, coming out of only a L/R speaker setup?

[Naiera]

Use optical or coaxial and set the player to downmix to stereo. It will take the HD audio (assuming there is some, as HD DVD's didn't exactly have too much of that...) and mix a stereo track of it.

[LordoftheRingsEE]

...And buy three more speakers plus at least one subwoofer.

* I still have my HD-A1 and luv it too (for playing CDs: great BB DACs).

[Centauri]

Use optical or coaxial and set the player to downmix to stereo. It will take the HD audio (assuming there is some, as HD DVD's didn't exactly have too much of that...) and mix a stereo track of it.

Pretty sure running optical just converts HD audio down to DTS.

And I think you've got it backwards; HD DVD had high-def audio when Blu-rays were still shipping with DD+ or worse.

[Centauri]

...And buy three more speakers plus at least one subwoofer.

* I still have my HD-A1 and luv it too (for playing CDs: great BB DACs).

Don't like/don't have the room for surround.

[Naiera]

Pretty sure running optical just converts HD audio down to DTS.

Not when you set it to downmix to stereo. I've done this for years on many different players.

And I think you've got it backwards; HD DVD had high-def audio when Blu-rays were still shipping with DD+ or worse.

I do not have it backwards at all. I have just as many HD DVDs as you do, and my guess is that about 1/3 of them have high definition audio.

[Centauri]

Use optical or coaxial and set the player to downmix to stereo. It will take the HD audio (assuming there is some, as HD DVD's didn't exactly have too much of that...) and mix a stereo track of it.

I'm trying it, with the A1 set to Stereo and my Onkyo is still reporting 3/2.1 on the DTS feed?