HI folks,

I have a series 2 Tivo and Comcast cable here in NJ. All the sound goes through the stereo system. Anything downloaded from Tivo has 5.1 sound, no problem. Anything else ("live" TV, Tivo'd shows, movies etc) only has sound from the center channel. I've tried the audio settings on the cable box setup to no avail.

Any ideas?

TIA,
Adam

Sounds like you are getting a mono audio signal from the Tivo TV tuner and your "stereo" is applying Dolby ProLogic or PL II and produces the expected result of only the center channel with a mono input. If the TV tuner can be forced to stereo receiption then Dolby PL II can expand that to 5.1 (or is it 5.0?).

I don't know what you mean by "Anything downloaded from Tivo has 5.1 sound".

Ed

I don't know what you mean by "Anything downloaded from Tivo has 5.1 sound".

Ed

You can download content from Tivo, such as video podcasts, tv shows from Amazon Unbox, etc. All this content is fine soundwise.

Adam

What model of stereo system and how do you have it all hooked up?

TiVo series 2 does not do 5.1 decoding from cable AFAIK, as it's an analog-cable-only box.
I suggest upgrading to a HD TiVo. This will require Comcast Digital service, but if you don't want premium channels, you can get Comcast Digital service with HD channels for the basic programming, without any surcharges. Not that they list that option on their web page...
I have a TiVo S3 with Cable Cards, and it's great! I would have gotten the HD instead except it wasn't out yet when I got the S3 (the HD is a lot cheaper!).

TiVo series 2 does not do 5.1 decoding from cable AFAIK, as it's an analog-cable-only box.
I suggest upgrading to a HD TiVo. This will require Comcast Digital service, but if you don't want premium channels, you can get Comcast Digital service with HD channels for the basic programming, without any surcharges. Not that they list that option on their web page...


I really don't want to upgrade that box, since I have the lifetime plan on it. The (tivo) box is actually the Toshiba SDH-400 w/DVD player. Sorry I left that part out!

-aw

So did you check if the TV audio is mono => center only with Dolby PL or PL II?

Ed

So did you check if the TV audio is mono => center only with Dolby PL or PL II?

Ed

Sorry for the noob question - do you mean from the set or from the cable box or from the tivo. All are 5.1 - I know it's good from the tivo as the downloaded content is 5.1... I believe the settings from the cable box are correct.

-aw

Sorry for the noob question - do you mean from the set or from the cable box or from the tivo. All are 5.1 - I know it's good from the tivo as the downloaded content is 5.1... I believe the settings from the cable box are correct.

-aw
The TIVO is not 5.1 (the DVD portion is - but you are talking about TV receiption). Which tuner are you using to watch/record on TIVO - the cable box or the TIVO's? I'm saying that whichever tuner you are using is either mono or the content from TV is mono. What about your receiver - what audio signal is it getting - L&R analog I imagine. Do you see Dolby PL(II) being applied?

Ed