HDTV 5.1 audio question (1 Viewer)

[Thom J.]

I am trying to figure out how to get 5.1 audio from my HDTV broadcasts.

I currently have digital cable service from Time Warner in Charlotte and have no issues with the video feed.

The HDTV tuner is a Scientific Atlanta 3100. I have a Sony str-da30es receiver.

The tuner has one coaxial audio output and the receiver has one coax audio input. I have made this connection but when I tune to a HD broadcast I 5.1 audio. The receiver does not seem to acknowlegde the digital audio input like it does when receiving audio from the dvd player.

There was a thread that I read related to this issue but I am unable to find it now.

Any ideas?

 

[RobertCharlotte]

Are you sure the broadcasts are in 5.1?

I get digitial cable from TimeWarner here in Charlotte, and when something says it is in 5.1, I have no problems getting the 5.1 signal.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I have the same HD cable box, and it definitely outputs a 5.1 signal if one is being sent. Assuming the box is working correctly, there may be a configuration issue with your receiver (which I'm not familiar with).

M.

 

[Thom J.]

Robert, you say "when something says it is in 5.1", where do you find that information for the broadcast?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Thom, are you getting sound but just not 5.1 sound?

M.

 

[Thom J.]

Micheal, yes, I do get audio through the receiver. I may have a confliction though. I have things set up based on a thread that I read through a while back (to the best of my understanding).

It was my understanding that you need to have both the coax audio cable and the rca audio cables connected from the cable box to receiver. I understood that all audio , with the exception of digital channels such as HD and music, would use the rca cables and the HD would use the coax cables.

My receiver has a blue light that goes on when I play DVDs with 5.1 audio. That light does not come on when I am viewing HD channels.

Thom

 

[Michael Reuben]

It may be time to do some experimenting. Try disconnecting the analog left and right connections from the box to your receiver, leaving only the digital connection. Do you still get sound? On what channels? What format?

Also, what HD channels are you trying, and what programs? Not all HD broadcasts have 5.1 audio. In fact, I would say that most of them do not. Your most likely bets are premium movie channels, like HBO and Showtime.

I understood that all audio , with the exception of digital channels such as HD and music, would use the rca cables and the HD would use the coax cables.

It's not that simple, and it all depends on your cable system. For example, when I first got a digital cable box, my local TW company didn't supply a Dolby Digital signal on channels below 100. Now it supplies DD on nearly every channel, and I don't need the analog cables (except for TiVo, but that's a different subject).

M.

 

[RobertCharlotte]

I live for the day. Right now, I think I'm only getting digital audio on two or three of the

 

[GregLee]

When you have both the analog L/R and digital coaxial connected for a given device, the receiver has to decide which one to use: analog or digital. Most receivers don't select digital automatically when there is a digital signal coming in. There should be a receiver key or button that lets you choose between analog and digital input mode. If so, select digital for HD channels.

 

[Thom J.]

Thanks for the insite. I checked things out last night and found a solution, although it is kind of complicated.

The problem revolves around my receiver and the fact that the only coax input seems to be dedicated to the dvd player (it also has a dedicated optical input for the dvd player which is what I am using for dvds).

The reciever allows you to choose different video sources and audio sources. So, I can use video1 for video and change the audio to the dvd setting and then it recognizes the digital input. It also requires me to change the dvd audio input from optical, which is what I am currently using for my dvd player, to coax. ugh. Anyway, it worked, but I doubt that I will be going through all of that just to listen to a TV show, unless it is a long sports event.

Robert, have you experienced any lip-sync issues with the Time Warner HD broadcast here in Charlotte?