Hi gooomz,

From the 970 Manual:

When ON is selected the Auto Poll circuitry will automatically switch the audio input from the selected digital source to the analog input for
the source when the digital data stream is interrupted. This is helpful for use with digital cable boxes where the audio switches between digital and analog, depending on which channel is selected.

When OFF is selected the Model 970 will keep the digital input active even when the digital data is interrupted. This is the preferred setting
for the DVD input where the digital audio stops during menu setup or when a disc is paused.

To summarize: Only turn auto polling on if you have a source with BOTH analog and digital audio out and you want the 970 to switch to analog when digital audio is not present.

I currently have Auto -polling off on all inputs because all my inputs are either digital or analog, none have both.

Sice you have optical only for audio, you should set auto-poll to off.

Hope this helps,
Tony.