Broadcasr TV and 5.1 Sound (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Larkin]

Hi --
I'm getting some new digital cable service installed and the guy claimed that the box had a digital sound out connector. Does anyone have anything like this?
Also, do any TV channels broadcast in 5.1 sound? I'm wondering if HBO or someone does. (I noticed HBO will be running the first 3 seasons of the Sopranos in widescreen, it'd be nice if the sound was 5.1 too)
Admins - please move this to the TV area if needed. My question is more about hooking up this new box though.

 

[Nicholas A. Gallegos]

It depends on the converter box you get from the cable company. Here, we have Cox Cable, which supplies a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 converter to its digital cable subscribers. This particular model actually has a digital coax output.
As far as 5.1 programming is concerned, it's still rather scarce. HBO will be broadcasting select programming in 5.1; Showtime and TMC have actually been doing this on several programs for quite some time.
------------------

 

[Clark Rozier]

Patrick
Nicholas summed it up pretty well.
I can only add that I have Charter Cable and we have SA Explorer 3000 cable boxes and they also have a coax digital output.
Our digital channels are #100 and above. As Nicholas said, 5.1 programming is pretty sparse.
HBO and Cinemax really need to get off their butts and get more 5.1 programming on.
Clark