Sound quality Direct HD DVR

[BMW]

I know that everything is source dependent. However, It seems to me that the sound from my Directv DVR should be of of a fairly high quality. For sound, I am currently using an optical cable. When I listen to a concert, the sound seems rather wimpy. I have to turn the volume up much farther than normal and even then, it's not as robust as I think it should be. If I listen to a DVD concert, then the sound is dramatically better. I am not sure what I should expect from my HD set up. Anybody have any ideas?
BMW

[fmw]

You should expect what you are experiencing - better sound from a source with less signal compression.

[BMW]

That's kind of what I figured, Thanks for your opinion.
BMW