Audio problem with Sky HD box via Denon AVR1910

[admin_exported]

Hope someone can help cos Sky and Denon seem to have washed their hands on this one.

My Equipment

Denon AVR1910

Sky HD+

Humax Freesat HD Receiver

AVR1910 Connections and Configuration

The Sky HB+ is connected to the Denon via HDMI and optical, and assigned on the Denon as HDMI3 with O1. The Freesat box is connected to the Denon via HDMI, and assigned as HDMI4.

On the Denon MANUAL SETUP menus I have set HDMI Audio Out to AMP, HDMI Control to ON, and set Standby Source to LAST.

Problem

If I use the Freesat box with the Denon I get the video on the TV/Monitor and audio through the Denon speakers. Soon as I switch the Denon to standby the audio transfers to the TV speakers – just as would be expected.

However if I use the Sky HD box things are not the same. With the Denon on everything is as expected, but as soon as I switch the Denon to standby the sound is lost and all I have is video through the TV/Monitor.

Actions Taken Already

I have emailed and spoken to Denon support and they have suggested that as the Freesat works as expected the problem must lie with the Sky HD box.

I have also had Sky back to look at the problem, and they said this is a new one on them. They confirmed that the Sky HD software is up to date, and even tried a different make of Sky HD box to see if the issue related to manufacturer incompatibility. Unfortunately the swapped-in Sky HD box exhibited the same lack of same audio problem.

Question

Has anyone seen this problem before??

 

[davejberry]

I am assuming you have the sky output set to Dolby Digital (over optical), If this is the case, does it switch off stereo over HDMI. When you turn the Denon off, you will lose the optical input from sky, if you dont have stereo avail over HDMI, you'll get no sound thru to the telly. Just connect the sky box to the tv with the hdmi cable and only switch on the denon went you want dolby digital.

 

[Anonymous]

What other options are there in the "Standby Source" menu?

EDIT - It may be that the pass through feature in standby only works with HDMI and not optical.

If you read Batpig's guide you might get more of a steer.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes, that's the diagnosis: the difference is that the amp is passing through HDMI audio out to the TV from the Freesat box, but can't upconvert the digital audio input you're using for the Sky box and output it over the HDMI feed. And of course you've told the amp that when you choose the HDMI 3 input, you want it to ignore HDMI sound and go for 01 instead.

So the solution is the direct HDMI connection to the TV, with the optical connection remaining to the amp for audio.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the input. Tried the following:

On the Denon removed Optical O1 from the Assign menu, pulled the optical cable out of the Sky box, and on the Sky box Settings menu - Sound - set Dolby Audio Output to Normal (seems you can not switch it off). Does this not mean I am using HDMI only from the Sky box??

Again when I switch the Denon to standby all I get is video.

 

[michael hoy]

Andrew Everard:
Yes, that's the diagnosis: the difference is that the amp is passing through HDMI audio out to the TV from the Freesat box, but can't upconvert the digital audio input you're using for the Sky box and output it over the HDMI feed. And of course you've told the amp that when you choose the HDMI 3 input, you want it to ignore HDMI sound and go for 01 instead.

So the solution is the direct HDMI connection to the TV, with the optical connection remaining to the amp for audio.

Andrew,

Is this just a problem with the 1910, I have a 1909 and
have the same set up for the sky box.

My amp is always in standby , and when using the AV input I receive both sound and picture, Sky box is an Amstrad with both optical and Digital Coax connected (testing sound).

 

[Anonymous]

Glenavon: hi. I think the post from Andrew explained it - HDMI from Sky to the TV, don't deselect anything on the Denon (ie leave it as your original set-up). Then when amp is off, you should get 2.1 sound through the TV....

 

[Anonymous]

Appreciate the advice given, i.e. bypass the Denon and HDMI from Sky to TV, which of course does work.

Where I am still completely in a 'fog' is as to the connectivity/configuration of the Sky HD box. There is no option to switch off digital audio output, all I can alter is the form of output, i.e. Normal or Dolby D. Also, I have already proven that pulling the optical cable out of the back of the Sky box has no effect when the Denon goes to standby.

This 'bypass' solution was not a consideration when I bought the AV receiver, I had hoped that I would have been able to make use of the upscaling capabilities to enhance ordinary digital outout from the Sky box. I can not believe that I am the only Sky HD user who has this problem, or perhaps am I the only Denon user who has this problem??

 

[Anonymous]

Annoying isn`t it?

 

[The_Lhc]

Glenavon:Appreciate the advice given, i.e. bypass the Denon and HDMI from Sky to TV, which of course does work.
Where I am still completely in a 'fog' is as to the connectivity/configuration of the Sky HD box. There is no option to switch off digital audio output, all I can alter is the form of output, i.e. Normal or Dolby D.

Well, yes, if you switched it off you wouldn't have any sound at all.

Also, I have already proven that pulling the optical cable out of the back of the Sky box has no effect when the Denon goes to standby.

I'm at a loss as to why you pulled the optical cable out at all, nobody told you to do that! You need that going to the amp for when you want to listen to surround sound.

This 'bypass' solution was not a consideration when I bought the AV receiver, I had hoped that I would have been able to make use of the upscaling capabilities to enhance ordinary digital outout from the Sky box.

What TV have you got? Chances are it'll do just as good a job, or better than the amp will, just leave the picture output set to Auto, rather than 1080i and the TV will upscale the SD picture automatically.

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure if you really got the point I was trying to prove.

When I pulled the optical from the Sky HD box and reassigned the Denon as "HDMI3 - X - X " (where X is nothing) I was under the impression I was connecting the Sky box as HDMI only, and therefore ending up with the same connectivity as with my FreeSat box, i.e. only using a single HDMI out to Denon. That allowed me to perform 2 tests:

Scenario #1 - FreeSat on, select Freesat on Denon, video with audio controlled through the Denon, set Denon to standby, video with audio controlled through the TV - as it should be.

Scenario #2 - Sky HD on, select Sky HD on Denon, video with audio controlled through the Denon, set Denon to standby, video but with NO audio through the TV - MY PROBLEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I further attempted to prove that the optical from the Sky HD box as working by reconnecting the optical cable and assigning the Denon as Sky HD to "HDMI3 - X - X" and the CD as " X - O1 - X ". That allowed me to perform 2 further tests:

Scenario #3 - Sky HD on, select CD on Denon, no video but audio controlled through the Denon - as it should be

Scenario #4 - Sky HD on, select Sky HD on Denon, video with audio controlled through the Denon, set Denon to standby, video but with no audio through the TV - same problem.

Which takes me back to original question - If the FreeSat with single HDMI connection works fine through to the TV when the Denon is on standby, why will the Sky HD box with single HDMI connection not do the same (with or) without the optical connection.

 

[The_Lhc]

You seem to be missing the point that it DOESN'T MATTER why Sky doesn't work with the HDMI cable as you can't use the HDMI cable to get surround sound from Sky, which is surely what you want? So just unplug the HDMI from the amp, stick it in the TV, plug the Sky box optical into the amp and have done with it.

Why bother trying to test something you know doesn't work? Just seems like an exercise in futility to me.

 

[Anonymous]

hi there I've got exactly the same problem, and not sure if it's the sky hd box or the Denon 1910 amp. When I was using my previous sky hd box (thompson) the sound would feed through along with the picture (I used HDMI 3 and optical 01 also) but has soon has I upgraded to the new 1TB sky box (amstrad) I too only get video but no sound, I've tried all kins including replacement leads (optical and HDMI) and for a brief moment got sound and vision when the amp was on stand by, then as soon as the sky box went into standby over night back to square one. I'm sure it could be the connectors on the new sky box, because my tv only has one HDMI I have had to resort to using an old HDMI switcher that luckily I still had and just use the amp for dolby digital when required. if anyone has found a solution I would be grateful as sky had my on the phone for over 30 minutes even telling me that the scart would show HD picture on my TV.

Thanks

Allen

 

[jowie]

Glenavon - Do you think you could report back with the make and model of your Sky HD box? It would be interesting to find out which ones are affected and which ones aren't.

Sky boxes do seem to use annoyingly old tech, and are definitely the weak link in the chain.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

You seem to be missing the point that it DOESN'T MATTER why Sky doesn't work with the HDMI cable as you can't use the HDMI cable to get surround sound from Sky, which is surely what you want? So just unplug the HDMI from the amp, stick it in the TV, plug the Sky box optical into the amp and have done with it.

Why bother trying to test something you know doesn't work? Just seems like an exercise in futility to me.

Some people just won't listen will they?

 

[bigboss]

Glenavon - Do you think you could report back with the make and model of your Sky HD box? It would be interesting to find out which ones are affected and which ones aren't.

Sky boxes do seem to use annoyingly old tech, and are definitely the weak link in the chain.

Seems that the OP joined the forum just for this question, almost 2 years back. He has only 4 posts to his name. I don't think the OP will answer your question, especially because this thread is also almost 2 years old.