Digital audio out issue

[RaleighRob]

Hi folks, I'm hoping to get some insight on a frustration...

I have a HD cable dvr box: Scientific Atlanta 8240 hdc. I use an HDMI cable directly to the plasma monitor for full-Hd digital picture. I also have a digital audio out cable directly to my older (yet very good) Yamaha receiver.

In the audio settings menu for the dvr, there are three options under Digital Audio Out: Dolby, HDMI and Other. I choose other and get an uncompressed 2-channel digital signal to my receiver, which then lights up the "PCM" icon. This is what I want, since it produces the best sound for my Pro-Logic II surround system.

Problem---every single time either the monitor and/or dvr are turned off, and then back on, the dvr's digital audio out settings are reset to "HDMI". I have to go back into the menus and change it back manually to "Other" to get my PCM signal back.

Please tell me there is a way to Lock those settings....it is ridiculous I would have to manually change it back every time I wanna watch TV!
I emailed the cable company (Time Warner) and they don't even seem to understand the question, let alone how to fix it.

Thanks for any help at all that you folks can give me!

[bandphan]

You could always just run component to your display. Also does the option say dolby or digital?

[j_garcia]

You could get a universal remote that has macro capability and have it set that value every time you turn the TV on. Maybe there is a firmware update for your set? I had an issue like that with my Aquos early on where it wasn't saving some of the settings, but it just seems to work now.

[MDS]

Originally Posted by RaleighRob

In the audio settings menu for the dvr, there are three options under Digital Audio Out: Dolby, HDMI and Other. I choose other and get an uncompressed 2-channel digital signal to my receiver, which then lights up the "PCM" icon. This is what I want, since it produces the best sound for my Pro-Logic II surround system.

Problem---every single time either the monitor and/or dvr are turned off, and then back on, the dvr's digital audio out settings are reset to "HDMI". I have to go back into the menus and change it back manually to "Other" to get my PCM signal back.

First question: why do you want the dvr to downmix everything to 2 channel PCM? If the dvr is receiving a multi-channel signal, like Dolby Digital, it will downmix that to 2 channel PCM, only to have your receiver then simulate what the dvr had to begin with by using PLII. The correct setting would be Dolby, which would pass 2 channel PCM, DD 2.0, DD 5.1, DTS, etc untouched to the receiver for decoding. The only time you'd choose 'other' is if you were sending the signal to a receiver that can only process 2 channel PCM.

I don't know why the settings don't stick but it could be because the DVR defaults to the 'best' connection since you have two possible digital outs: HDMI and coax/optical.