Digital Cable not giving me Digital audio. (1 Viewer)

[DuncanMc]

I just purchased a Yamaha RX-V540 and I love it. My only problem is that I cannot get the digital audio from my digital cable box to work.

The cable box is the Motorola DCT2500 offered by Shaw here in Western Canada. I'm trying to use the optical connection but I must be missing something. I set up the Audio options on the box to use Dolby, no compression, and Matrix setup.

Now, the thing is that I understand you only get digital audio if you're on a digital channel, so I go to the music channels which are meant to be digital but I get nothing. I can use the regular red and white connections but this is not what I want.

If I pull the optical connection out of the receiver there is no light coming out of it whereas if I pull the DVD cord out there is light coming through, so I tend to believe this is a problem with the DCT and not my receiver.

If anyone knows something else I can try, please let me know.

 

[JohnMW]

You should have the red light shining out of the DCT to pass the digital signal. I doubt there is a way to enable/disable it but you could always check the user manual. Worst case scenario see if the cable co. will give you a new one.

 

[DuncanMc]

Well, the thing is when I'm on the digital channels, it is still sending the audio through the regular connection and not through the digital optical connection.

 

[DaveBeblo]

I believe if you have the regular outputs plugged in it will always use those as opposed to the optical.

Try running just the optical cable, thats what I do with my box and I still get audio on non digital channels, granted it is not in DolbyDigital but it comes through fine.

 

[DuncanMc]

I've tried it without the regular cables. I get no sound at all.

 

[JohnMW]

I pretty confident you have a defective cable box.

 

[DuncanMc]

*sigh*

You really think so? I had a defective unit when I originally got my digital cable, but I've had absolutely no problems with this one since. I have a feeling there's a setting or something somewhere that I just don't have the knowledge of. Was hoping someone here would know.

 

[JohnMW]

DCT2500 User Guide

Interesting thread that discusses the DCT2500 and other cable boxes having trouble with the toslink connection

- you have to enable Dolby Digital in the cable box setup screen
- you have to enable Dolby Digital 5.1 for the individual program that is being broadcast in 5.1

 

[DuncanMc]

Yea I saw that thread earlier when I was searching for help. Thanks a ton for the link to the User Guide, I was never given one from Shaw and I couldn't find it on Shaw's website or even Motorola's for that matter.

I found my problem (mostly my fault ). The optical connection I am using is for some attachment they offer on the unit. The optical output for digital audio is an optional component and apparently the unit I have doesn't have this option. So I've wasted some money on the cable and wasted some time. Apparently i can use the digital coax with it though.

Thanks for the help...