Digital Cable Receivers (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Larkin]

Does anyone have a new digital cable box? Does it have a digital sound out jack on it? The sales guy is telling me I can hook it into my existing 5.1 system. Do any channels broadcast in 5.1 mode?
Thanks.

 

[Vishwa Somayaji]

This may be different for different regions. Here in Canada, the most popular box is the one made by General Instruments and it does have a coaxial digital output. However, in my area, not all channels have digital outputs. Some channels are analog only, even after subscribing to digital cable. I am not sure of the availability of 5.1 DD.

 

[Gene Severn]

Here in my area of Connecticut, my cable company is in the process of upgrading to digital cable using the Scientific Atlanta 2100 series box which has a digital audio coax out. It also has an s-video out.

 

[Steve Bourgeois]

Gene, who is your cable company?
I have AT&T broadband in Massachusetts and am stuck with a Motorola DCT-2000 with only composite video and analog audio outputs.
An equipment upgrade would be welcomed by me!
Steve

 

[John Cavacas]

Here in Toronto, the digital boxes have coax out, and s-video out. Some of the shows on the Movie network (think HBO but in canada) are broadcast in 5.1 dolby digital. The rest just in doulby digital surround.

 

[Gene Severn]

Steve,
My cable company is Tele-Media. They are relatively small privately owned company serving the Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut (Waterbury down thru Shelton). I feel that there is something to be said for this small company who is taking the time to upgrade the whole infra-structure from the main pole to pole trunk cable to the splitters in every house. I think it had finally dawned on them that with the old analog system they were getting their corporate butts kicked by satellite dish owners.
Gene

 

[Jeff Blair]

I have Time Warner her in Austin. They are using the SA 2000 and 2100 here. The back of our box's have both a S-video and RCA outs. As for the digital signal, it only has a coax out. I am hoping that sooner or later they will have a optical out, but I am just wishing.
------------------
Jeff Blair
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
My DVD's

 

[Patrick Larkin]

So, has anyone actually used their digital sound output jacks? does anyone broadcast in 5.1?
I'll be getting my box today. I suppose I'll have to get an optical cable for my DVD player sincce this box will most likely only have coaxial.
But if no one broadcasts in 5.1, its not worth the cost of the optical cable.

 

[Joseph S]

I've got a Pioneer box with a coax digital out, s-video, composite-video, coax-vid, left and right analog audio outs.
The problem comes in when you switch from a pre #100 channel with analog sound to a post #100 channel with digital sound. The box can only control the volume of the analog sounds and the volume doesn't get high enough to equilibrate with the digital volume.
You have to have the receiver's remote in hand all the time to quickly drop the volume when you reach a digital audio enabled channel. I haven't seen any channel in 5.1, my receiver is always auto choosing DPL II on the digital channels. HBO may be doing it, but I don't have any premiums outside of the MLB extra Innings package.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I just upgraded to Time Warner's basic digital package in Houston (Tuesday night). I've got the digital coax out plugged into my HT receiver.
You do get digital sound where digital sound is available. It is definitely an upgrade over the analog sound performance. I have not yet, however, experienced any DD. I am not currently subscribed to Showtime, which shows some movies in DD, or HBO which just started showing some movies in DD. I haven't heard of any other channels broadcasting in DD as of now so I'll have to wait on that angle.
Todd.
------------------
"He'll flip you, flip you for real."

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I just went to Dolby's site. They have a list of shows currently aired in 5.1. Here's the link: http://www.dolby.com/ht/pa.in.0107.d...ist.html#shows
Here's the list:
ABC
NYPD Blue
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Cinemax
Road Trip
DirecTV
Almost Famous
Charlie's Angels
Hollow Man
Red Planet
Remember the Titans
Space Cowboys
The 6th Day
HBO
Band of Brothers (miniseries)
Dinner with Friends
The Contender
The Perfect Storm
What Lies Beneath
Showtime
Queer as Folk
Stargate SG-1
The Chris Isaak Show
Armistead Maupin's Further Tales of the City
Being John Malkovich
Bringing Out the Dead
Double Jeopardy
Flawless
Ghostbusters 2
Just the Ticket
Moll Flanders
Pitch Black
Rules of Engagement
Runaway Bride
Sister Mary Explains It All
Snow Day
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Stigmata
Teaching Mrs. Tingle
The Limey
The Ninth Gate
The Story of Us
The Thomas Crown Affair
Varian's War
Varsity Blues
Walter and Henry
Whatever It Takes
Who Killed Atlanta's Children?
STARZ!
American Pie
Bicentennial Man
Bring It On
Coyote Ugly
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
Disney's The Kid
Final Destination
Heavy Metal 2000
High Fidelity
Love & Basketball
Man on the Moon
Mission to Mars
Music of the Heart
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Price of Glory
Shanghai Noon
Summer of Sam
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
The Watcher
Twin Dragons
Todd.
------------------
"He'll flip you, flip you for real."

 

[Patrick Larkin]

OK, I got my box today. Now I'm thoroughly confused.
Its a General Instruments.
From what I can see, there is no digital coax connection. There are two "screw-on" cable jacks. One takes the cabe in, the other goes out to the TV.
Then, there are the usual sets of RCA jacks. OUT: Audio L, Audio R, and Video and AUX Audio In, L and R. Don't know what that's for!
Then there are two plugs both labeled "DATA" and one says "High Speed" and one says "Out of Band." I have no idea what these are either.
finally, one last plug labelled "IR" and above it is "Low Power" or something.
No S-Video and no digital sound output jacks.
The wierd thing is that the front is clearly labelled "Dolby Digital" with the logo. Anyone have any idea whats up with this box?

 

[PatrickM]

Patrick,
If you look at the Motorola site (Motorola bought General Instruments) you'll see that there are options for the DCT2000 box you have. Two of them are S-Video and SPDIF output for Dolby Digital.
The setup does decode Dolby Digital but I bet only 2.0 or downmixed output to L/R analog on your setup.
Go to this link http://gicout50.gic.gi.com/GIHomepa.nsf/?Open
and click on Addressable Terminals, then click on Digital ATSC Interactive Network Systems. Then click on DCT2000.
I've just ordered my digital cable but I won't be able to get one until August 31st. Here in Vancouver its Shaw cable and we get Motorola/GI boxes. I chose to buy it since there's a special on for boxes at $99 CDN.
Patrick
------------------
My DVD Collection
[Edited last by PatrickM on August 09, 2001 at 09:41 PM]

 

[Patrick Larkin]

I'm not sure I understand the downmixing you refer to or how to hook it up so I get at least LR and center.
My box is a GI DCT1134, by the way.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Patrick --
One more thing -- are you buying the box through your cable company?

 

[Samuel Des]

The wierd thing is that the front is clearly labelled "Dolby Digital" with the logo. Anyone have any idea whats up with this box?

My box is similar. Analog outs only, but a nifty Dolby Digital logo on the front. I'm in Chicago, and subscirbe to AT&T -- the only provider available in my area.
------------------
SAM

 

[PatrickM]

Patrick,
The potential downmixing I'm thinking of is when a 5.1 signal is output onto left and right analog outputs. And, the other thing is that we always think of Dolby Digital as a multi-channel format but in reality they (the program providers and cable company) could be just using Dolby Digital 2.0.
Yes, I am buying it from the cable company. I believe the model we get here is the DCT2000 with Motorola on the front. My parents have a couple already since my dad subscribes the NFL Sunday Ticket.
I believe your model is an older one that was designed before the Motorola buyout of GI. I'll have to search to see if I can find info on that one.
I forgot about the LCR thing. If it is Dolby Surround and you get DD2.0 from the L/R analog outputs you could use these into your surround receiver and at least get Dolby Prologic or DTS:NEO 6 if you have a receiver that does that.
Other than that, without a 6 channel analog output or a digital connection you won't be able to get DD5.1 from that box.
Patrick
------------------
My DVD Collection
[Edited last by PatrickM on August 10, 2001 at 10:02 AM]

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Thanks. I downloaded a pdf on the 1000 and 2000 series. Seems the 2000 would meet my needs.
Downmixing to just L and R would cause dialogue and such to emanate from L and R. I hate that.