Hello all, brand new Model 950 owner here:

My cable provider (Time Warner) has provided me with a set top box that has digital coaxial and analog audio outputs. About half of the 500 channels have both a digital and an analog audio signal. The other half have only an analog audio signal.

Is it possible to set up the Model 950 source input for Video 1 (the cable box) to first use the coaxial 2 audio input, and if no signal is found, use the analog audio input? My older preamp (Pioneer 811) did this.

Unfortunately as far as I can tell, with the Model 950, if I set up the Video 1 source input to automatically select coax 2 audio, then some channels have no sound until I manually switch to analog. If I leave the source input set to analog, I forget to manually select digital and miss out on the Dolby Digital sound that I get with HDTV channels.

Of course, the spouse requires the simplest setup so I usually leave it to analog. Any way to make the 950 choose digital audio first, and if non, choose analog audio? Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks, Dan Becker

Don't think so. I wish it did! Even though available on many low priced receivers the 950 does not have audio 'auto sensing'. There is a button on the 950 remote that toggles through the digital and analog inputs, but that is not an elegant solution.

For OTA broadcast from my HDTV I have both a toslink cable and analog stereo pair connected to the 950. The digital toslink is the default for the TV/V2 input. The analog pair are connected to the Aux1 input. On my MX-500 remote I have a buttons for SPDIF and Analog. When I get my Motorola DCT5100 this Summer I do the same type hookup using Aux2 for the Cable TV analog audio.

[This message has been edited by Garrett Adams (edited May 11, 2003).]

I have never actually tried this (we rarely channel surf clear of the analog-only stations), but it is an option that may interest you. When switching from a video source to an audio-only source, the 950 retains the video signal from the last video source. You could set up one of the AUX inputs to accept the digital coax signal from your set-top box and leave the VIDEO3 input set up for analog. Create a macro to switch to the AUX input (to avoid having to switch to the 950's controls and back to CBL, since the 950 will switch back to VIDEO3 if you press CBL without covering the remote's window), and by pushing that macro button you would switch to the digital signal.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

While my 950 is still on its way to me, I have used a technique similar to gonk’s on my Onkyo for quite some time. I imagine the principles will hold true for the 950 as well. Each input has certain parameters that can be adjusted and stored. Instead of constantly going through parameter adjustments on the same input, I use a video/audio input for one set of preferences, and an audio only input for another set of preferences. I merely chose the video input I wish first, and if I want the alternate set of audio parameters, I then select the proper audio only alternate input.

I am beginning to think that, with so many devices, and the only common point of communication with them being infrared remotes, that an extremely well designed remote with plenty of macros, or a properly programmed and infrared capable ‘palm’ device will do for sifting through all the adjustments necessary for the various modes we in which we will wish to operate without shuffling through half a dozen remotes and going through a dozen keystrokes on one or more of them. Also, if one has multiple timed events to take place while away, a programmed palm device could be set up to send the right signals to various devices at the right times, including passwords and other information that may normally have to be manually input.

gonk and bestbang4thebuck,

Great replies! These ideas are very usable workarounds. I will certainly implement these ideas on my remote.

However, the solutions are still work-arounds to a deficiency in the Model 950. Even with your ideas implemented on my remote, the surfing situation is still: 1) surf channels with analog audio input mode, 2) wonder if a certain channel has a digital audio input, press remote button to switch to digital audio, and 3) switch back if no digital input. Still manually oriented.

I wonder if Outlaw support can address whether this feature can be implemented in firmware? It seems that the 950 is already smart enough to detect and select Dolby Digital ES and if none, drop back to Dolby Digital.

Thanks, Dan Becker