Volume difference between cable channels

[rexracer]

I have a Yamaha 659 that I just set up, and I'm having a problem with volume differences. I have both analog and digital cables from the cable box to the receiver. All the channels up to 99 seem to be analog, and those over 100 seem to be digital. The digital channels are 10 to 15 db louder. I tried the volume trim on the inputs, but it doesn't seem to let me seperate the analog cable input from the digital. I have a Scientific Atlanta cable box on Charter. I'm hoping there's a solution, though I can get rid of the difference by using only analog from the cable box

 

[rexracer]

nobody else has had a problem like this? Someone must have some idea what to try. I await your wisdom.

 

[billy p]

I only use the digital out for audio from cable box to avr. Why the need for both? Disconnect the analog and see if you hear a change.

 

[dave1490]

I have a Yamaha 659 that I just set up, and I'm having a problem with volume differences. I have both analog and digital cables from the cable box to the receiver. All the channels up to 99 seem to be analog, and those over 100 seem to be digital. The digital channels are 10 to 15 db louder. I tried the volume trim on the inputs, but it doesn't seem to let me seperate the analog cable input from the digital. I have a Scientific Atlanta cable box on Charter. I'm hoping there's a solution, though I can get rid of the difference by using only analog from the cable box

hello i got same problem all the digital channels are loud,sucks when scanning,got the same atlanta box to.ya you can use all the digital channels from 100 up to 300 they are just anolog repeats.this will keep the volume the same,until you use the music channels,with good pic.let me guess you got rogers?

 

[MDS]

The volume trim is per input so it will never work for making all the channels equal in volume because the cable box is connected to one input on the receiver. The volume trim feature is for equalizing volume between different inputs.

The digital channels are louder because they have a higher average level than the analog channels. With Time Warner Cable the analog tier (1-99) is repeated in the digital tier but sometimes the digital tier has a few different stations as well. IMO, this is a farce that allows them to claim 'access to over 300 channels' and they force you to pay for the basic analog channels before you can get the digital channels. Note also that some of the 'digital' channels are digital video only - many of mine use Analog audio!

I use both digital coax and analog cables from the cable box and the receiver automatically switches between the two depending on which type of audio the station is broadcasting.

 

[dave1490]

The volume trim is per input so it will never work for making all the channels equal in volume because the cable box is connected to one input on the receiver. The volume trim feature is for equalizing volume between different inputs.

The digital channels are louder because they have a higher average level than the analog channels. With Time Warner Cable the analog tier (1-99) is repeated in the digital tier but sometimes the digital tier has a few different stations as well. IMO, this is a farce that allows them to claim 'access to over 300 channels' and they force you to pay for the basic analog channels before you can get the digital channels. Note also that some of the 'digital' channels are digital video only - many of mine use Analog audio!

I use both digital coax and analog cables from the cable box and the receiver automatically switches between the two depending on which type of audio the station is broadcasting.

exaclty it,s a marketing scam buy local befor anything.

 

[billy p]

I only use the digital out for audio from cable box to avr. Why the need for both? Disconnect the analog and see if you hear a change.

Correction! I also use RCA analog cables from cable box direct to tv for audio. All the channels via analog sound more or less sound the same. Only through the avr the digital channels are much louder. So I guess I have the sdame problem .

 

[dave1490]

Correction! I also use RCA analog cables from cable box direct to tv for audio. All the channels via analog sound more or less sound the same. Only through the avr the digital channels are much louder. So I guess I have the sdame problem .

if you ask me the sound coming from the Scientific Atlanta cable box is s**t.only 1 channel sound,s as good as my cd and that,s galaxie the 80,s.

 

[rexracer]

Had the cable guy out today. First, I have to say that dealing with Charter, so far, is total crap. You call them, and I get a guy in Canada that knows nothing about audio or video, or even cable tv! I can't talk to a tech, and they won't give out a number for my local office. The guy came out, I told him the problem, and after checking with the head end guy, he tells me that the lower 99 chanels are analog only. I asked if there was anything that could be done about the difference in volume levels (15 db!), and he said no, but the tech guy is supposed to call later in the week. I'm starting to wonder why I pay for digital cable, since I don't have "premium" chanels, and don't ever order PPV, and spend 98% of my tv time on the lower 99. My 4 yr old watches Nick jr. and Noggin in digital, but I don't really care if I get good sound when watching Dora. I'll post any solution I get to the volume problem.

 

[MDS]

There is no solution to the volume problem. All the channels would have to be made the same level at the head-end and that ain't gonna happen. If you watch the lower 99 channels the majority of time (I do too out of habit) there is no reason to pay for digital cable.

The tech will come out and check the signal level coming into the house. That is not related to the volume of individual channels. Just for fun, ask him what units the meter reads. Most likely, he won't know - he only knows what range it needs to fall within to be acceptable.

 

[duncan618]

I work for Charter and although I'm not the "headend guy" I've done my fair share of work in them. As for your analog channels, the audio carrier has to be -15 dB below the video carrier level which is your a/v ratio. The actual audio level (which is easily adjusted for analog anyways) is simply determined by ear throughout the analog bandwidth. The levels are set at a happy medium so as to not overdrive the modulator which often times will unfortunately be significantly lower than the digital channels. Each analog channel has its own reciever and modulator. For each off-air channel you simply have a demodulator and a modulator. You can control the off-air audio levels to some extent but they are ultimetly determined by the broadcaster. Then you have your digital channels! They are recieved in "pods", multiple channels with one reciever. (One analog channel one reciever. Ten digital channels , or more, one reciever). Then all of the recievers feed into a "modulator". For instance 80 channels, 2 "modulators". Everything is compressed and not so easily controlled. For the most part most channel audio levels are based on the off-air channels because of the limited adjustability and the widest subscriber base. Analog channels are easily adaped to any level but with low off-air levels and generally high digital levels there's bound to be some difference.

I have my basement setup through a typical 5.1 which I always use in 5.1 and my audio levels don't change. I then have my upstairs setup which uses a 5.1 that triples as a digital cable box, dvd player, and 5.1 all in one box. When I listen through just the tv, there is some change but not alot. When I listen through the 5.1 however the digital channels versus the analog will farkin blow you out! Needless to say I use the tv speakers for tv viewing.

I admit the cable companies do have issues with their levels but we do do our best. Try playing with different types of cables and your stb should have some settings as well.

If you have any other questions I'd love to try and help, hate to have an un happy cable customer!

 

[rexracer]

I admit the cable companies do have issues with their levels but we do do our best. Try playing with different types of cables and your stb should have some settings as well.

If you have any other questions I'd love to try and help, hate to have an un happy cable customer!

I have the scientific atlanta explorer 3100. I haven't been able to change any settings, but I haven't really tried either. There is nothing about any adjustability in the manual for the box. I just went through the setting menu, and found the analog and digital sound settings. Digital is set to Dolby Digital, the only other choice is "other". I left it alone. Analog is set to "adjustable", but I couln't find any way to adjust it. The other choice was "fixed", and when I tried it, it boosted the level by about 10db! Now there is hardly any difference between the analog and digital volume...no more difference than there is between some channels. No more jumping out of my seat when I forget to turn the volume down when going above ch99!

 

[dave1490]

I have the scientific atlanta explorer 3100. I haven't been able to change any settings, but I haven't really tried either. There is nothing about any adjustability in the manual for the box. I just went through the setting menu, and found the analog and digital sound settings. Digital is set to Dolby Digital, the only other choice is "other". I left it alone. Analog is set to "adjustable", but I couln't find any way to adjust it. The other choice was "fixed", and when I tried it, it boosted the level by about 10db! Now there is hardly any difference between the analog and digital volume...no more difference than there is between some channels. No more jumping out of my seat when I forget to turn the volume down when going above ch99!

on the explorer 3200 box,thiers a setting that,s called audio range kind of like a expander, has 3 setting,s wide, normal, narrow,you might want to try the normal setting. give,s less dynamic range but so the loud and soft passages will be less pronounced.this is what it say,s.this feature allows you to change how you hear audio.three states change the ratio of weakest to strongest sounds which determines the difference between soft and loud sounds.strage that what you did worked becuse all you did was change the volume control to the t.v insted of the box.

 

[MDS]

I have the scientific atlanta explorer 3100. I haven't been able to change any settings, but I haven't really tried either. Digital is set to Dolby Digital, the only other choice is "other". I left it alone. Analog is set to "adjustable", but I couln't find any way to adjust it. The other choice was "fixed", and when I tried it, it boosted the level by about 10db! Now there is hardly any difference between the analog and digital volume...no more difference than there is between some channels. No more jumping out of my seat when I forget to turn the volume down when going above ch99!

The Dolby Digital setting will pass any digital signal untouched out the digital out. The 'other' setting is PCM. This is the same as the the PCM setting on a dvd player - the box will convert digital to analog and send it out the analog outs. If you use a digital connection from the cable box to the receiver you want the digital audio out set to Dolby Digital.

Fixed vs Variable is for volume control. With fixed, the volume setting on the cable box has no effect on the volume - it is always at a fixed level. With variable, the volume varies with the volume on the cable box. If you connect the cable box directly to the TV and want to use the cable remote to control volume, you'd use the Variable setting. If you connect the cable box to a receiver and want to use the receiver to control volume you'd use Fixed.

I would leave the Audio Range at normal. That is compression. You don't want the box to apply any dynamic compression.

 

[rexracer]

The Dolby Digital setting will pass any digital signal untouched out the digital out. The 'other' setting is PCM. This is the same as the the PCM setting on a dvd player - the box will convert digital to analog and send it out the analog outs. If you use a digital connection from the cable box to the receiver you want the digital audio out set to Dolby Digital.

Fixed vs Variable is for volume control. With fixed, the volume setting on the cable box has no effect on the volume - it is always at a fixed level. With variable, the volume varies with the volume on the cable box. If you connect the cable box directly to the TV and want to use the cable remote to control volume, you'd use the Variable setting. If you connect the cable box to a receiver and want to use the receiver to control volume you'd use Fixed.

I would leave the Audio Range at normal. That is compression. You don't want the box to apply any dynamic compression.

That's what wasn't explained in the "instructions" for the box, and I knew better than to compress the dynamic range...I can do that with the receiver's "night"mode.

 

[billy p]

Well

since reading this thread I've tinkered with all the above mentioned modes on my SA HD3250 remote. Basically, there is nothing you can do with the sound levels they are, what they are.

 

[MDS]

That's what wasn't explained in the "instructions" for the box, and I knew better than to compress the dynamic range...I can do that with the receiver's "night"mode.

Exactly. I've actually tried the various audio range settings and I can't really tell much difference with any of them anyway. I just leave it set to Normal and use the late night mode of the receiver.