Lost Coaxial audio

[ducker]

(please delete thread in General AV discussions)
Here's an interesting situation, hopefuly someone will be able to help me trouble shoot it.

Orignally I had my digital cable box and VCR split on the same cable. I was piping the audio from my comcast digital box to the coaxial input on my receiver. Sound quality was good and I enjoyed it for about a year.

Last night I hooked up a new Tivo to my system (replacing the VCR). All of a sudden I lose picture on lower comcast stations... when it eventually comes back, I have picture but no sound... (I can get sound via the stero and RF outputs from the cable box)

I have no idea on how to test if it's the cable box coaxial output, or my coaxial input on my receiver.

Is there a way to test my coaxial input on my receiver? I'm planning on replacing the comcast box tomorrow.

Could the Tivo sound how "demand" more signal and thus drop the amount of data going to my comcast digital box, and thus me losing out on Coaxial sound? I removed the splitter and tried directly connecting the digital cable box to my drop, and I still didn't get my sound back.

Anyone see anything like this before? and/or know a way I can test my Coaxial input? god I hope I didn't fry my unit!

 

[Buckle-meister]

Is there a way to test my coaxial input on my receiver?

Don't you have a CD or DVD player with a coaxial out?

 

[ducker]

CD player no. I checked my DVD player last night and it doesn't appear to have coax out. only stereo or optical (which I use)

 

[Buckle-meister]

...it doesn't appear to have coax out. only stereo or optical...

You could try something like this (you'll need to remove the underscore between the words 'parts' and 'express')...

http://www.parts_express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&Product_ID=16151

...but it would involve a small outlay.

EDIT: It comes with a 45 day money back guarantee...

 

[MDS]

... (I can get sound via the stereo and RF outputs from the cable box)

That might be a clue. If you only get sound out the analog outs, it could be a setting in the DVR or cable box. I know on my cable box, it has a setting called 'other' for the digital out and if you select that it decodes DD and outputs it as analog. Maybe something similar is going on with yours.

Did the dvr just replace the vcr so that you still have the cable split from the wall with one cable going to the dvr and the other to the cable box? It could be that you lose video because the signal is scrambled and needs to be unscrambled by the cable box. Have you tried running the cable from the wall to the cable box and then from the cable box rf out to the dvr (to keep the cable box in the loop so it can unscramble channels)?

 

[ducker]

I've checked the cables - and tried going directly in to the cable box.
no dice
I can get stereo L+R out.. just not coaxial digital audio.

I'm gonna bring in the box to a comcast location and swap it out... the tech that came out on saturday didn't have a "dolby digital" box to swap out and check :/