This is what I am trying to accomplish, but when I have the TV set to the cable box, I only get PLII (x,m,or c) into the 970. When I switch the TV to my roof antenna, the 970 receives the DD. If the cable is outputting a digital signal via HDMI, then shouldn't the TV send that via optical to the 970 as does my broadcast antenna?

OK. Oppo is reading Digital on the analog 7.1 inputs.
I added another optical cable from the cable box to the 970.
The 970 seems to know which input is coming from the TV, either antenna or cable, and switches automatically. Still getting digital on the antenna, but when switched to the cable box, even with an optical cable, the results are still the same as before.... Is anyone else running a Cablevision Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR box and having this problem?

Using DirecTv, there are a lot of times when my source will not 'read' as Dolby Digital...at times I get the same issue as you do, but it depends on the broadcast source. It will switch from Dolby ProLogic II x to Dolby Digital, depending on the source. I don't know why all sources aren't broadcast in DD, but it appears (based on input readout on the 970) that a number aren't. Commercials especially don't appear to be in DD.

I am playing a bit of catch-up here, but it sounds like you have an optical cable running from the TV back to the 970. The problem here is most likely that the TV is telling the cable box (via HDMI) what audio it supports, and the cable box is adjusting its audio output accordingly. Thus when the cable box is getting Dolby Digital 5.1, the TV wants stereo and the box decodes and downmixes the DD 5.1 to PCM stereo. On the other hand, when the TV receives an over-the-air broadcast, it outputs the audio from that broadcast directly to the optical output and assumes that whatever is at the other end can handle it. When you see "PLIIx" at the 970, that could mean you are getting Dolby 2.0 or PCM stereo. If you see "DD+PLIIx" then you are getting a Dolby 5.1 signal and applying Pro Logic IIx to that to get 7.1.


Hmmm.... First, when you say "OPPO is reading Digital on the analog 7.1 inputs" what do you mean?

Second, the Model 970 will always analyze the incoming digital audio signal and identify what it is. The audio from your TV's over-the-air tuner will vary between Dolby 2.0 and Dolby 5.1, depending on the program. The audio from the cable box will vary between Dolby 5.1, Dolby 2.0, and PCM stereo, depending on the channel and the program.

I use an 8300HD box. One thing that may be an issue in your case is the way it handles audio output. The specific options may vary between service providers, but in my experience you have to tell it what audio output you want: HDMI, Dolby Digital, and Other. The first causes the box to output via HDMI only, I believe. The second tells it that you are using optical or coaxial digital output and want Dolby Digital bitstreams. The third tells it that you are using optical or coaxial but can only handle a stereo signal. Try selecting "Dolby Digital" at the cable box, tune to an HD channel that you know is broadcasting Dolby 5.1, and see what the 970 gets.


You are actually getting Dolby Digital, I think, but it is only DD 2.0 and I think the 970 is reporting the surround processing mode as Pro Logic IIx. I've seen a few cases where surround processors and receivers decode DD 2.0 and treat the resulting signal as if it had always been PCM stereo when reporting the surround processing mode. Because a lot of HD broadcasts use DD 2.0 rather than creating 5.1 audio mixes, you see the 970 reporting "PLIIx" instead of "DD+PLIIx" or "DD" fairly often.

Another thing: I've said it before (a lot of times), but trying to set up a home theater so you can watch some sources without the surround processor being turned on is actually much more difficult than it may seem at first glance. I generally recommend that people not try to do this because it makes the system more difficult to use, while the intent is usually to make it simpler. You're better off turning the whole system on. If you have family who need help operating it and are intimidated by the system, get a good universal remote.

First off.....I have the Oppo working correctly.
Second..... The cable box is not outputing Dolby Digital to the 970 in any shape, manner, or form. I don't even know where to look in the cable box for audio output. I tried direct optical cable to the 970 with the same resultes as going through the TV. PLIIx is the most I can get from the box, but the antenna gives me DD plus PLIIx processing. Spoke to Cablevision, and someone is coming out tomorrow. It seems there are other issues with the box, and having someone here, hopefully will solve all my issues.

I have always had my system set up so that I didn't have to fire up everything just to watch TV. I live alone, but I don't usually fire the system up unless I plan to watch a movie or sporting event. With the advent of newer toys, it seems complexity increases.

It has always been a bit more complicated to retain the ability to bypass a surround processor, but HDMI in particular has compounded that. Before, if you didn't want to use your surround processor for video switching and your source had both analog and digital outputs, it was a (relatively) straightforward process, as long as you didn't want to do it for multiple sources. HDMI is a different matter, though - both because it combines audio and video into a single cable and because it uses EDID information (which isn't always the most reliable in the first place) to dictate some settings. It really is a non-trivial task to get a system working effectively this way.

Gonk,

my main concern now is whether the cable box is supposed to give me the digital signal or not. My GF got me all screwed up earlier, and made me change my appointment to Thurs instead of tomorrow for the cable guy. The other issues I'm having are pixilation, audio & video freezing, blank screens after changing a channel, and total loss of control from the remote.

Yes, the box should provide a digital signal. However, it may not be able to provide audio via both coaxial/optical and HDMI at the same time. I'd have to test that to be sure - but my local provider's box firmware has been flaky regarding digital output lately anyway, so I wouldn't entirely trust the results of any testing I did.

Is all of that related to the cable box?