HAve newer cable box from Cox in Phoenix, AZ. Exchanged my older one, had DVI out, for newer one with HDMI out. Nice box, picture great. I have question about Dolby Digital Out signal.

If I connect to my new MIT RPTV with HDMI 1.3 and select dolby digital out via HDMI all works as indicated. Which is very nice. Problem is the dolby digital is ONLY on the HDMI cable. I lose if off my optical or coax lines. I've checked several times and regardless of optical or coax as soon as the HDMI is activated with dolby digital, dd drops off the digital feeds out from the box.

I talked to Cox and basically they said at this point I am on my own. They have not instituted full support for HDMI yet although the boxes are "out there". They recommend component with audio cables for several reasons and with my experience being one of those reasons.

I do not have HDMI 1.3 on my stereo yet and while running the HDMI to it and then to the TV could be a solution except I don't want to always have to use my stereo. Sometimes I just want to watch TV. So if i use the HDMI in anyway to the TV, I lose dolby digital to the stereo. The digital out is just r/l audio, not dolby digital when the HDMI is on. Also the TV does digital coax out but it too does not pass dolby digital out. At least I haven't found a way yet.

As HDMI came out I remember people complaining that it didn't pass audio. So now we all have setups setup to use HDMI for video and coax/optical for audio, getting audio on the HDMI is messing us up. !!!!!

Anyone know how to tell the Scientfic Atlanta to pass dolby digital on all ports, hdmi PLUS coax or optical instead of JUST HDMI?

Jim

I've emailed Scientific Atlanta as Cox suggested. Will see if I hear anything. Here's to hoping other folks are doing so as well.

Well I heard back from Scientific Atlanta. The folks COX told me to contact. They told me to contact COX.

Go figure.

Jim

Well I heard back from Scientific Atlanta. The folks COX told me to contact. They told me to contact COX.

Go figure.

JimSame with Charter. BTW, HDMI always passed audio but the early AVRs and other devices might not have been able to process it.

I just talked to Cox. They were useless. Blanket statment that we don't support HDMI. Then I said I am not talking about audio on the HDMI. Was sorta a moment of silence. I said I'm talking about keeping the audio on the COAX and Optical outputs. The guy stammered a minute and said, "That is the way COX requested it to be cause we don't support HDMI...." To which I said I'm sorry but again I'm not talking about HDMI. I'm talking about losing DD on the coax and optical ports, NOT the HDMI port.

He paused and then suggested I go by one of the stores and request Cox to reconsider on a suggestion form. He said one of the reasons why they aren't going to support HDMI is because the cables are too expensive. Can you believe that? I didn't bother to point him to www.monoprice.com nor tell him once again that I am not asking for the DD to be on the HDMI port!

The cable box is obviously capable of keeping DD on all outgoing ports and COX has the firmware setup by Scientific Atlanta to turn DD off if you use HDMI. That is absurd.

Why would COX dumb down the HD box? Makes no sense.

Jim

I just talked to Cox. They were useless. Blanket statment that we don't support HDMI. Then I said I am not talking about audio on the HDMI. Was sorta a moment of silence. I said I'm talking about keeping the audio on the COAX and Optical outputs. The guy stammered a minute and said, "That is the way COX requested it to be cause we don't support HDMI...." To which I said I'm sorry but again I'm not talking about HDMI. I'm talking about losing DD on the coax and optical ports, NOT the HDMI port.

He paused and then suggested I go by one of the stores and request Cox to reconsider on a suggestion form. He said one of the reasons why they aren't going to support HDMI is because the cables are too expensive. Can you believe that? I didn't bother to point him to www.monoprice.com nor tell him once again that I am not asking for the DD to be on the HDMI port!

The cable box is obviously capable of keeping DD on all outgoing ports and COX has the firmware setup by Scientific Atlanta to turn DD off if you use HDMI. That is absurd.

Why would COX dumb down the HD box? Makes no sense.

Jim

Don't go by what the Calling Center tells you! You need to go to your local cable office and ask them about it. Most likely they will have a person there that will have better answers for you and help you resolve your problem. There are usually advanced techs at the local cable offices that work "behind the scenes".

- Cable Tech

Thanks but I have yet to get in and out of the closest cable office in under an hour. Place is always packed. I will stop by of course. Just not going tonight!

It could be the DVR ones hold the signal on the digital outs when using HDMI. Checking on that one.

Jim

I did reply to Scientfic Atlanta's email yesterday and to my surprise they got back to me today. This really is a COX issue. What firmware can or cannot allow the hardware to do is the provider's call. COX tells the firmware folks what they want the firmware to allow, enable, turn off, etc. Which is great to know but who at Cox pulls the trigger on firmware decisions? I would like to talk to that person.....

I posted in DSL Reports and a COX guy there picked this up and is looking into it. He agrees it isn't right and thankfully he is doing what he can.

Well I heard back from Scientific Atlanta. The folks COX told me to contact. They told me to contact COX.

Go figure.

Jim

As you have found out S/A doesn't support the general public, not their customers. Seems you might have found out why, it's all software controlled by the operator. What works in one system is not necessarily true in another.