Scientific Atlanta Digital Box.

[zumbo]

I just had digital cable installed & have a few questions.

1) The box has a digital audio out. It doesn't look like tos. What is it?

2) I have the coax coming in the house, into my cable isolater, into my line conditioner, & then into my S/A box. Is this the best run?

3) I have the video & audio out from the S/A box going into tv, and then the audio fixed-out to the receiver. Is it better to NOT run the video through the receiver(rx-v1400)? I will switch to S-video as soon as I figure out the answer to #1.

Thanks!

 

[BMXTRIX]

1. S/PDIF - Digital Coax - Run it into the S/PDIF input on your 1400
2. Yes
3. If your TV is HDTV capable, return your box for a HD box instead of a digital box then run video straight into your TV using component inputs. If your TV is not HD, then S-video straight to the TV MAY BE better than going through the receiver. Likewise, component straight to your TV MAY BE better. It is personal preference. I notice zero difference between a straight run and a run through my receiver.

 

[zumbo]

No HD tv. Next upgrade. Thanks for the help!

I chose to run the audio to the tv so I could listen through the tv only, or choose audio-out fixed to listen through stereo.

If I run S/PDIF to the receiver, will I be able to listen through the tv if I choose? It only supports analog l/r.

Can I run analog to tv AND run S/PDIF to the receiver?

 

[MDS]

If I run S/PDIF to the receiver, will I be able to listen through the tv if I choose? It only supports analog l/r.

Yes, but you will always be listening to the analog signal. I have TW cable and SciAtlanta 2100 digital box and the digital channels also have an analog feed. The box outputs both simultaneously. I have both analog and the coax digital connected to the receiver. The receiver is set to 'auto' so if both analog and digital signals are present, it chooses the digital signal. Some channels are analog only, which is why I need the analog hooked up as well.

Can I run analog to tv AND run S/PDIF to the receiver?

Yes. If the audio is digital (PCM or any flavor of DD), you will get the sound over the digital coax. As long as you have the audio out from the tv connected to the same receiver input as the digital coax, you will hear the analog only stations too. But obviously the tv will have to be on to hear the analog stations. Maybe not a big deal, but I sometimes tune to a digital music station and turn the tv off - because all of the audio outs (both analog and digital coax) go from the cable box to the receiver, I can still hear them without the tv.

 

[zumbo]

Thanks!

So, here is my plan. I will take analog l/r out from cable box & run to the tv. Then I will run analog l/r from audio-out fixed from tv to dvr/vcr2 in on receiver. Then I will run digital from cable box to coax input dvr/vcr2 on receiver. I chose dvr/vcr2 because my options for digital coax are cd, dvd, and dvr/vcr2.

Will this be the best run?

 

[rgriffin25]

Yep, I use this kind of connection all the time at work. Lets you have the best of both worlds. Just make sure your receiver is set to Auto. So it can detect what signal you are sending to it.

 

[zumbo]

Ordered from Blue Jeans Cable. I like the options, selection, explanations, price, and the no B/S approach.

Digital Audio Cable, Belden 1694A

S-Video Cable, Belden 1808A

Stereo Audio Cables, Belden 1505F x2

And a new shorter Subwoofer Cable, Canare LV-77S. I have my old 16.3ft sub cable for sale in the classifieds-sell your gear section.

 

[Audioholics]

Will this be the best run?

Yes, now you too can join the thousands of us who manage to somehow ignore the 10dB difference between digital and analogue channel volumes...

 

[BMXTRIX]

I chose dvr/vcr2 because my options for digital coax are cd, dvd, and dvr/vcr2.

You have the logic figured out perfectly, but I would add that almost always, digital inputs can be assigned to whatever you want them to go with.

So, if you want to hook it up to the Cable/Sat input, then just pop into the setup menu of the receiver and reassign the dvr/vcr2 digital input to cable/sat. I mean, what if your dvr only had digital optical (toslink?)...

Anyway, you can use the preconfigured way, or use cable/sat - it should be no problem at all and you definitely have the wiring scheme figured out correctly.

 

[zumbo]

You have the logic figured out perfectly, but I would add that almost always, digital inputs can be assigned to whatever you want them to go with.

So, if you want to hook it up to the Cable/Sat input, then just pop into the setup menu of the receiver and reassign the dvr/vcr2 digital input to cable/sat. I mean, what if your dvr only had digital optical (toslink?)...

Anyway, you can use the preconfigured way, or use cable/sat - it should be no problem at all and you definitely have the wiring scheme figured out correctly.

I was thinking, since the digital in on the receiver did not offer cab/sat, I would need it to match the analog in so both signals would be under the same input. And then rename both inputs cab/sat, or just use it as dvr/vcr2.

So, if I use the analog in for cab/sat, and then change the digital coax in from dvr/vcr2 to cab/sat, the receiver will see this as the same input?

 

[zumbo]

Yes, now you too can join the thousands of us who manage to somehow ignore the 10dB difference between digital and analogue channel volumes...

I am not sure what you mean, but let me see if this may be it. I can crank my volume to +12dB with no problem on Music Choice. I am using anolog at the moment. So, when I switch to the digital coax, my volume will be more like it is on a cd or movie? 0dB is usually enough.

 

[MDS]

In my experience the analog signal on Music Choice channels is extremely weak compared to the digital signal. I bet that is what Hawke is getting at. It may very well be a 10dB difference as the digital signal does sound subjectively 'twice as loud'.

 

[zumbo]

Cool! One thing is for sure, the sound quality is great. Just not very loud.

 

[zumbo]

Got it all going. WOW! What a difference digital coax makes. I wasn't expecting much because I think my cd player with analog sounds better than my dvd with Tos. Might be the way the cd is recorded.

Anyway, new question. Can I run S-Video out from the box to the receiver, to the tv, along with composite from the box to the tv simultaneously? The reason is, I would like to just use tv sound from time to time. Right now, I have all the audio correct. But, I ran S-Video from the box through the receiver to the tv. So, when I turn the power off to the receiver, I loose the picture. And I only have one S-Video input on the tv, and I am using two S-Video inputs on the receiver. I do have the option on the tv menu to switch input option from S-Video to composit. I am just not sure if the box will allow simultaneous output on the video like the audio?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Yes, you can do that, it is very common to do things that way.

 

[zumbo]

Thanks!

Now, about that avatar!

 

[RedneckHunter]

I have the same type of box (SA) Thru Charter. I have it hooked directly to my receiver (l/r RCA). I have to crank the Receiver WAY up almost to MAX even when the SA box is maxed on volume also. SUCKS

I have a Sony 36" WEGA (original) it has the fixed audio out option. Will this "boost" the output if I connect the cable box to the Audio in, then to the receiver using the audio out from the TV? To me the Digital box has no balls. I also have another receiver sitting around doin nothing, could I use it as a "pre-amp" so to speak... i.e. Digital box to vcr/in on spare receiver, vcr out to primary receiver TV in.

I also have the TV hooked to the Cable Box using the standard COAX for PIP and DVR functionality.