scientific atlanta explorer 2100 q (probably a generic newb dig. cable box q as well) (1 Viewer)

[chris_jh_moses]

I have digital cable through cox and the box I have is a scientific atlanta explorer 2100. Up until now I've been running the audio for cable from my tv to my receiver via the left/right rca stereo cable. I recently decided that I wanted to run things directly from the cable box to the receiver so I bought a dig. coaxial cable (the rca cable wasn't long enough). Now, I plugged the dig. audio cable into my receiver and cycled to that input, but I only get audio from some channels that way. If I plug the rca stereo cables back in while simultaneously having the digital coax cable plugged in, I can get audio on all channels via the aux. input w/ the rca cables and some channels via the digital coax cable if I switch to that input. Is this normal? I thought I should be able to get audio for all the channels via the digital coax cable - does my cable box need to be setup for that or...?

Thanks much for any input!

--note, right now the video from the cable box is going to the tv via normal coax, I still plan on running the cable straight to the tv and the audio to the receiver but should I use just a video rca cable so that all audio goes through the digital audio out on the receiver or will all the audio never go through that output?

 

[Jeff W.]

"Some" channels? Which channels?

Most TV broadcasts are, at best stereo, in which case you should get sound from the left and right channels, unless you use Dolby Pro Logic(II) or DTS Neo (whoa) decoding modes - then you should get sound from the center channel and the left/right.

Some (few) TV broadcasts use some form of surround encoding (mostly movies rebroadcast on TV) and, if using DPL or DTS Neo (whoa), you might hear some sound from the surround channel(s) when appropriate (assuming your cable co doesn't squash the sound to mono).

You should also be aware that your cable box will likely squash digital channel's sound to mono when output via the coax RF (cable TV type) cable. What you want to do is use the RCA left/right or, if you're lucky enough to have it, the digital sound out.

 

[Frank Carter]

There's nothing wrong with the box, the box is just stupid. I have the same box and went through the same thing when I first got it, it only outputs from the digital coax for the digital channels(for me above ch 102) but you get sound for all channels via the RCA outs. I hope your receiver automatically switches between the analog and digital inputs automatically. Hook up both the analog and digital coax to the same input, if your receiver automatically senses signal and switches to the correct input then everything should be fine. If not, then you can get a different receiver or hook the digital coax to one input and the analog outs from the cable box to another and toggle between the two when appropriate. I know Yamaha, Onkyo, and the HK's from the AVR-*25 series do this(I only guess the current line does this as well) if you use the digital coax input 2 and assign it to video 2. I don't have experience with other brands so I don't know.

Who is your dig cable provider?