connecting cable box w/ optical (1 Viewer)

[Zhentkap]

So, I just upgraded my receiver and I am trying to connect my cable box to the receiver via optical out. Unfortunately, its not sending any sound through to the receiver. The red light comes on, so I know its not the wire. I've tried the DVD player in the same jack on the receiver, so I know its not the jack. Its got to be the satellite box.

The satellite box is an Explorer 8300HD from Scientific Atlantic. Anyone know how to turn on the optical out, or does it just not work? I called the cable company, but the person I talked to didnt really know what I was talking about.

 

[homthtr]

We have had a lot of problems with the scientific Atlantic boxes through time warner here in milwaukee. The send out a false (empty) digital signal on analog tv stations. Try going to the music channels and see if they work through the digital or any other station you know is digital. A lot of the stations are analog and the SA boxes don't convert the analog to digital. The work around is either requesting the pioneer box ( if you cable company has these) or you have to get a Optical to Coax digital converter. The converter will not pass that false empty digital signal the SA box puts out. In addition to the converter you will also have to hook up the analog (red and white) so when you are on an analog station your receiver will go into analog mode. Make sure your reciever is set to auto.

The best bet is to get the pioneer box if it's available. Your current SA box is just and outdated piece and doesn't have the proper analog to digital converter built into it.. that's why you are seeing the "light" but there's nothing there on the analog stations. Your receiver sees the light and stays locked on "digital" and there's nothing there.

Let me know your results!....

 

[Zhentkap]

Well, I havent tried this, but I found a different option, which may or may not be just as good. I borrowed a digital audio cable, the one that isnt fiber but right near it on the receiver, and plugged that it, and that worked just fine.

I guess now the question is, are they the same thing, or close enough that its not worth the effort to figure out how to get fiber to work? They seem to be pretty similar, but as you can see, I judge things by where they are located on the receiver, so I'm not quite knowledgeable about audio stuff

 

[homthtr]

Yes if it's the Coax Digital that's great!... Works the same as the optical. Just so it's not just the analog (red and white) which by your discription you are using the coax digital output and you are going to the Digital Coax input on the receiver. Your set to go!


If you have a chance and feel like proving the optical situation I discribed above give it a try. Disconnect the Coax, Reconnect the optical and tune to a station that you know is truly digital. I would love to have you verify that it's the same problem we have here in Milwaukee, only the Scientific Atlantic boxes we have here only had the optical and not the Coax output so we had to go the other route if we kept the SA box.

One thing I didn't ask is the setting in your receiver, I don't even know the make/model of your amp, but they all have settings in them ( well most) to assign the Cable box to either Optical or Coax input. It may be that your receivers default setup for the input you are using is coax and just needed to be changed to optical.

What's the Make/Model of your Surround Receiver?

Try it out.. I'm real interested in the results. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.