[chiguy67]

In trying to get surround sound when watching tv (direct cable feed into Panny Plasma), I'm wondering if I feed my Digital Optical out to my Onkyo 604 A/V receiver will this happen? Or, do I have to use the analog audio outs/in from the tv to the receiver?


Reminder: I do not have a cable box. I am running a direct coaxial cable directly into my tv.

 

[davdev]



Quote:
Originally Posted by chiguy67 /forum/post/0


In trying to get surround sound when watching tv (direct cable feed into Panny Plasma), I'm wondering if I feed my Digital Optical out to my Onkyo 604 A/V receiver will this happen? Or, do I have to use the analog audio outs/in from the tv to the receiver?


Reminder: I do not have a cable box. I am running a direct coaxial cable directly into my tv.

Dolby Digital needs to be sent over either Optical or Digital Coax, not the red and white analog rca connectors.


However, are you saying you are running the cable feed direct from the wall to the plasma? You realize by doing this you are not getting any HD signals correct? Not only will this cause the TV to not display anywhere near its max resolution, it is doubtful you are getting a Dolby Digital singal either.


You are going to need some sort of HD decoder, either an OTA Tuner, or a HD Cable/Sat Box

 

[JOHNnDENVER]

Somewhat will depend on the display. I suggest you run both the Optical and the L/R. As long as you don't have to leave the display on channel 3 you should be OK.


Keep in mind L/R audio only carries the most basic original prologic surround information.

 

[chiguy67]

it's not digital cable, but, the I believe the Panny has a built in tuner that allows it to pass HD signals. The pic. is as good as any I've seen in any stores...and this is without a box.

 

[JOHNnDENVER]

What you get with internal tuners these days, is display and cable system dependent. You may get some HD, you may not. Some displays that have digital audio output only do so when it recieves dolby digial in the content. That is why I said to hook both digital and analog up.

 

[chiguy67]

That's kinda the route I was thinking too. The kid at BB thought that the digital feed would automatically down-convert to non-digital if that was the only signal being sent.


Do you think he blowing smoke. He was BB's Magnolia Theatre rep.; not that that matters.

 

[JOHNnDENVER]

The digital feed cannot automatically down convert to non-digital.


Both are active on the same cabel at the same time.


As far as HD via cable when you hook up basic analog cable TV. If the digital / HD is not encrypted then if your display has a QAM tuner, you will get all sorts of content. Digtial and HD alike. If they encrypt you would have to get a cable card from your cable company.


The NTSC tuner should be able to tune all analog cable signals present without difficulty totally independent of the Digital / HD cable signals.

 

[chiguy67]

So you think that the digital op. will be ok working with the NTSC QAM tuner my tv does have?


Please pardon my redundancy on this....as you can see, I'm not the most proficient at techy stuff.

 

[JOHNnDENVER]

This is cable system dependent, about 1/2 cable system encrypt their digital / HD content and about 1/2 don't.


The NTSC tuner will give you analog cable no problemo if it is active on the coax you plug in. The QAM tuner generally works fine if the content in not encrypted.

 

[chiguy67]

So as far the Digital Audio and surround sound, I'm good with surround sound and tv viewing thanks to the built in tuner.


Thanks, John.

 

[JOHNnDENVER]

As long as your display outputs 2 channel on the digital audio output your good. Otherwise hook up both the digital audio connection and L/R analod audio as well.