US Cable Support → Bright House Networks > [TV] 8742HDC no surround sound?

[TV] 8742HDC no surround sound?

Hi folks. I've read a number of posts with similar issues, but I still have not been able to get my setup to work...

My setup...
Cisco 8742HDC -> hdmi -> lg tv -> optical digital audio -> surround receiver

If I use the wifi on the tv to play a video with surround from my local NAS, I get great surround with no issues.

When I switch to the HDMI/cable box, I get no surround. I've even got an internet tuner that let's me play a live tv channel via wifi/dlna that gives me surround. When I switch inputs to the cable box with the very same show playing on the same channel, no surround from the 8742HDC.

I've gone into settings->devices->digital audio and tried all 3 options (HDMI, Dolby Digital, Other) with the same results.

I read one other poster who said they saw something about if you go cable box->hdmi->tv->optical->receiver the system will intentionally disable surround due to legal issues? Please tell me this isn't true. Sure seems like that is what is happening to me.

I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions that don't involve getting different equipment (unless a different DVR from brighthouse will resolve the issue.)

It would also be great if somebody can definitively answer if my setup should be expected to work. I don't want to go directly from the cable box to the receiver with the optical because then I won't be able to watch the dlna stuff through the tv's digital audio out (only one digital audio in on the receiver.) actually, during testing, I never got surround from the cable box even when I did go direct from box to receiver.

Seems like others have dealt with this. Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks all!
rjb

What channel, show and or service? Have you tried component? Be aware that some TV's will disable SS via the HDMI port if there compatibility issues.

HDMI carries sound, so the digital optical cable isn't necessary. Maybe that's the issue.

Also what make/model TV do we have here?

Hi and thanks for the reply.

The TV is an LG 55LM6400.

I have tried all kinds of channels including FXHD (1283) and CBSHD (1060).

For a specific example, last night I kept switching back and forth between CSI on 1060 on the cablebox and the same broadcast coming from my internet tuner (silicondust prime w/brighthouse cablecard) via DLNA over wifi.

When I use the TV dlna feature to access the network tuner, I get surround via the tv optical digital out into the surround receiver.

Switch to the HDMI input on the TV to get to the cablebox tuning the same channel and the surround disappears.

Again, that was one example, but I saw the same issue regardless of what channel I tuned on the cablebox.

All other sources going into the TV seem to push the surround sound out the optical digital audio just fine. Only the cable box seems to not provide surround.

thanks for the help!
rjb

Hello,

You are correct that HDMI carries sound, but the HDMI cable goes from the cablebox to the TV. The optical cable is necessary to take the sound from the TV to the surround sound receiver. My receiver does not have an HDMI input. I am unable to configure
cablebox -> hdmi -> receiver -> receiver hdmi -> TV

I have to run
cablebox -> hdmi -> TV -> TV optical out -> receiver

The optical out appears to be passing stereo from the cablebox to the receiver just fine. It's just the surround that is missing.

Again, if I use a different source (a recorded movie off a network server) the TV->optical audio out -> receiver are doing surround just fine. Only the HDMI cablebox source seems to be at issue.

thanks for your help

I would like you to try component from box to tv for me....let me know when complete. Be sure you are also selecting correct sound settings within the box itself as well.

I'll give it a shot. Just so I get it right, what sound settings in the box would be considered "correct" for what we are trying to do here?

thanks!
rjb

No luck... but I may have learned something about my receiver. It is an older unit.

When I connect straight from cablebox->optical out->receiver and I have no HDMI connected to the TV (used the component as requested) the cablebox devices->digital audio only offers two options: Dolby Digital or Other

When "Other" is selected, I get what I have been getting: Stereo and no surround.
When "Dolby Digital" is selected, I get a terrible noise through the receiver, including the rear surround speakers.

I believe I have figured out that my setup is limited to receiving PCM. The TV digital out is set to "auto" and apparently goes to PCM for my receiver. When I set it manually to PCM, it continues to work fine. As mentioned before, when other sources send surround to the TV (like the PS3) the TV seems to pass this on just fine via PCM to the receiver. Perhaps the PS3 is sending everything as PCM to start so nothing is lost?

Is there any way to set this cablebox to PCM for it's digital out? What does the "Other" setting actually mean? Do any of the other HDDVRs from Brighthouse have a PCM setting for their digital out?

Thanks again for anything you can offer.
rjb

just confirming... ps3 is sending PCM / not Dolby Digital