Trouble with Analog and Digital

[leeortz]

First of all I am so glad I found this forum. I don't want to waste your time so here is my Set Up:

Toshiba HD-A20 DVD Player
Onkyo TX-SR800 Receiver

The LCD is only used for picture. The speakers are all Bose in a 5.1 set up. Important to note that image is coming to LCD via 25 foot HDMI cable out of DVD player and sound is coming into the receiver from an optical out.

There are times, inevitabily when I have guests, that I put in a DVD, for example in this case Transformers HD DVD, and I get no sound. My receiver simply reads Analog input, and no sound is coming through. Here is what I have tried to fix it:

Set the DVD player to Bitsteam (which it is usually on and works fine)
Made sure the settings on the receiver are on Optical 1 and digital selection is on AUTO (my only options are analog/auto/or DTS)
Upgraded all firmware on DVD player

What is strange is that I can take out the DVD and put another DVD in on occasion and it will play the digital sound. Also, it will play the digital track from the DVD on occasion and not play on occasion.

Could I have a bad optical cable coming out of the DVD player?

Is there another setting I should be looking for?

Thank you so much for your help.

LeeOrtz

 

[markw]

No guarantees, but...

...something is fishy there. It sounds like everything is connected and configured properly.

It's time to start isolating the problem. Is it always the same DVD's that screw up, or do they work sometimes but not another?

Try replacing the toslink with a coaxial interconnect and see if that cures the problem. If not, then you can rule that problem out. Might as well go back to toslink.

Next, swap out the DVD player. Even a cheapo will suffice and this time of year they can be picked up for $20 or so. If that doesn't cure the problem, all you're left with is the receiver as the culprit. Is it under warranty?

FWIW, this sis a purely digital problem.

 

[leeortz]

...something is fishy there. It sounds like everything is connected and configured properly.

It's time to start isolating the problem. Is it always the same DVD's that screw up, or do they work sometimes but not another?

***It is random as far as which DVDs work. For example this morning the HD DVD of Transformers worked. But yesterday it did not, and right now it is not.

Try replacing the toslink with a coaxial interconnect and see if that cures the problem. If not, then you can rule that problem out. Might as well go back to toslink.

***The only option I have is optical on the digital out....This HD DVD player doesn't have a lot of outputs.

Next, swap out the DVD player. Even a cheapo will suffice and this time of year they can be picked up for $20 or so. If that doesn't cure the problem, all you're left with is the receiver as the culprit. Is it under warranty?

FWIW, this sis a purely digital problem.

***One last item is that when I hit the display button on the DVD player while the DVD with no sound is playing it reads Dobly Digital + PCM. And nothing is set to PCM. I am almost sure the receiver is fine, because it picks up all the sound with no isses from my HD Receiver from the TV.

Thanks for your advice, maybe I should return the DVD player.

LeeOrtz

 

[leeortz]

Quick Update

I changed the setting to PCM on the DVD player, I also switched the Receiver to PCM input. Now I am getting sound, but not in Dobly Digital EX. Is the sound I am getting not optimal sound from this DVD source? I don't understand why it was working this morning and now it has stopped working without any changes to settings until now (getting it working). Can anyone shed any light as to why an output in bitstream would work and be decoded by my receiver and then all of a sudden stop? How much worse is PCM that Bitstream in this scenario?

Thanks!

Leo

 

[markw]

I changed the setting to PCM on the DVD player, I also switched the Receiver to PCM input. Now I am getting sound, but not in Dobly Digital EX. Is the sound I am getting not optimal sound from this DVD source? I don't understand why it was working this morning and now it has stopped working without any changes to settings until now (getting it working). Can anyone shed any light as to why an output in bitstream would work and be decoded by my receiver and then all of a sudden stop? How much worse is PCM that Bitstream in this scenario?

Thanks!

Leo

PCM will only pass two channel (stereo) audio. For 5.1 you need to be running bitstream.

Unless, of course, your receiver can decode the new ho-rez audio formats offered by the new Hi-rez video formats, which is passed via HDMI anyway.