It was probably labeled SPDIF (Sony Philips Digital Interface), and it is often used as a label for coaxial digital audio connections. It sounds like you can just turn off your TV's speakers and you'll be good to go.

What about the other issues any suggestions?

I will keep you up to date on the system if it keeps turning off, so far the last few days I have not seen it happen. My wife says it has. I have also not seen the blue screen in a few days...yet.

One last thing is that sometimes the sub will make a popping sound. Is there any easy fix to this problem, I think I have seen on other posts that sometimes it is a connection issue.

Again thank you for your help,

Craig

We've been so focused on the audio from the cable box that I had to backtrack a bit.

Are there any triggers that typically cause this condition? Changing to or from certain channels, for example? Also, when this happens, I assume that the audio continues. Can you change inputs and be OK?
It sounds like the 990 has to be cycled off and back on when switching to the Video1 input in order to get video to the display. Is that correct? If so, it sounds like an odd HDCP handshake issue of some sort. I'd be curious to know if you can power cycle the TV or cable box and resolve the problem that way as well.
If this just happened with cable, I'd suspect signal strength issues, although that would also affect the audio signal. Are there any common triggers such as going from DVD menu to the movie, changing channels, or going to and from recorded content on the Motorola?

When you get a popping sound from the sub, is it at start-up and/or shut-down or does it just happen randomly? It could be related to the sub's auto-sensing on/off circuit. A good test for that would be to simply turn the sub to "on" and leave it on for a few days - if the popping stops, then it's caused by the sub either turning itself on or off and you could either leave it on all the time or think about decreasing the gain on the sub's amp and increasing the sub trim at the 990 so that the input signal is higher. That would make the sub more likely to trigger on sooner and to stay on longer.

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While watching TV through the cable box, the tv goes to black like when the 990 is turned off. Turning the 990 off then on brings the picture back.
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Ok the first issue when the tv turns off we lose picture and sound. I think the 990 clips out and turns everything off. I don't beleave this has ever happened with the dvd player on. That may be because we don't use the dvd player as much as we do the tv.

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The 990 must also be turned off and on too when switching from DVD to Video 1 (cable), switching from video 1 to DVD is ok.
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I tried the switch from dvd to video 1 and now the sound works throgh the coax, but the picture does not come back. I turned the tv off and on still no picture. I tried turning the cable off and on and that worked. Turning the 990 off then on works too. There is not a problem switching from video 1 to DVD, only when we switch back the tv does not come back on.

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Another issue is a blue screen for a few seconds on the tv while watching cable or a dvd, the audio is not affected when this happens.
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The TV goes to snow not blue, sorry for saying blue. There is not a trigger that is common to when this happens. The sound is not affected. We just have snow for a few seconds then the picture comes back and everything is ok.

As for the sub it is left on and even when not in use sometimes we will hear a little pop from it kind of like the one people can hear when a sub is turned on or off. Not sure if it is a connection or electrical. I have a richard grey 440 i think that is the model so it should be clean power.

Thank you for your help,

Craig

For the first one, does the 990 actually turn off or is it still on but with no sound or video? If it's still on, I'd be curious to know if you could change to the DVD input (or even the tuner) and get sound and video (or just sound, at least) from those sources.

The second one appears to be a straightforward issue of how your cable box negotiates an HDCP handshake. Basically, it does so badly. It can't establish the HDCP handshake unless either it has just turned on or the next device in the signal path (the 990) has just turned on. As a result, once the handshake is lost (990 input changed), it can't re-establish the handshake until it has that "start-up" opportunity. This was a little more common with older devices, even though HDCP wasn't ever supposed to behave this way - clearly Motorola hasn't done much to change this box since they first introduced it with a DVI output years ago. The reason you don't have a problem with the DVD player is that it negotiates the HDCP handshake properly. I'm afraid the only solution for using that Motorola box is to either turn the 990 off and back on or turn the Motorola off and back on - and to keep an eye out for a newer model of box from your cable company.

What sub do you have? Does the sound happen when changing inputs or changing channels on the TV?

The first one the 990 does not turn off, the blue light stays on. It makes a clicking sound then the tv is black. As for the sound it to is gone. Since I have fixed the coax problem it has not turned off, so I am not sure if we will still have sound or not. If it happens again I will let you know, what happens.

Comcast should be comming out with a new box since they are now partnered with Tivo. When we see them I don't know. I hope that will fix issue 2.

The sub I have is a Paradigm Seismic 10. The sound happens all by itself while watching tv. I am not sure if it is receiving info or what but it does it as it wants to without any imput from me.

Thank you,

Craig

Hopefully issue 1 is resolved and won't reappear. Also hopefully, Comcast will get you a newer box that knows how to properly establish HDCP handshakes.

I suppose you might double-check your sub cable connections or try a different interconnect to the sub - a loose connection or weak spot in the cable could do some odd stuff with no obvious pattern.