Sky+HD Sound (again?)

[jmcg666]

I've just had Sky+HD installed and wanted to connect the kit to my AV Receiver (Denon AVR 1802).

Got a new optical cable (old one was very cheap and didn't work on sky+, in fact was excactly the same, coming and going) but the sound on dolby is intermittent, on for 1 second, off for about 2 seconds.

Tried the coaxial from my DVD player but it's still the same.

Went to settings and it only works when set to 'normal'.

Any ideas?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there jmcg666 - for my setup i have to run one hdmi from sky hd to tv, which carries the picture, and then the optical from sky hd to amp.

If i run the hdmi from the hd box direct to the amp, as opposed to the tv, the optical doesn't work, even with the sky box optical settind set to dolby d.

 

[jmcg666]

There is a HDMI to the tvc, the sky bloke did that, it's just the sound going to my amp and I've tried both the optical to Opt 1 on the amp and the coaxial digi.

Both have the intermittent thing going on.

It was the same with the old sky+ but I just put that down to a poor quality cable (how wrong was I).

At a loss now...

 

[Anonymous]

Have you programmed your amp so that it knows there is optical connected [ eg like the setting on the hd box that you have to set to dolby d ]?

 

[jmcg666]

Yip, done that, when the sound is on for the 1 second(ish), it does sound like it's in 5.1.

Switch to normal on sky settings and the system works.

Just intermittent on Dolby...

 

[The_Lhc]

If two Sky boxes AND a DVD player are producing the same issue through Coax and optical, with different leads, then the problem is almost certainly your amp, there's nothing else left to change.

 

[jmcg666]

Maybe I didn't explain correctly, the DVD works great throught the digi coax but the sky box doesn't through either...

DVD - coaxial - good

Sky - optical - intermittent

Sky - coaxial - intermittent

Hair pulling out time!

 

[The_Lhc]

jmcg666: DVD - coaxial - good

Sky - coaxial - intermittent

Is that into the same physical socket on the amp or different ones?

 

[jmcg666]

Different ones, the coaxial goes into the Coaxial Input (currently marked as DVD) and the optical goes to the Opt 1 input (currently marked as TV).

I had the dvd working, then unplugged from the back of the dvd and staight into the coax output from the sky box, the sound went from good to intermittent. Did this as a trial to make sure it wasn't the Denon amp.

 

[The_Lhc]

jmcg666:
Different ones, the coaxial goes into the Coaxial Input (currently marked as DVD) and the optical goes to the Opt 1 input (currently marked as TV).

I had the dvd working, then unplugged from the back of the dvd and staight into the coax output from the sky box, the sound went from good to intermittent. Did this as a trial to make sure it wasn't the Denon amp.

Right so you have tried both sources into the same socket on the amp, ok.

And TWO Sky boxes have shown the same issue?

 

[jmcg666]

Yes.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi jmcg666,

No, you're not mad and no, your kit isnt broken.

I have the exact same set up. My Denon 1802 works absolutely fine with my old DVD player, my BluRay player etc, but it WILL NOT do Dolby 5.1 from a sky box.

I had sky +, I've just upgraded to Sky HD. Same problem with both boxes. If you set the sound output to "normal" in the Sky setup, it sometimes works. The other thing you can do is set the surround parameter to "Virtual" on the Amp - although you then get a stereo sound output with "virtual surround" which isnt great. I've tried optical and Coax - same result with either.

What I've now just done as a halfway measure - I have the Sky HD box running to my Sony Bravia via an HDMI cable. I then use the optical out on the Sony Bravia to the AMP. Unfortunately the sky box only transmits stereo across the HDMI, but at least I can get the sound to my Amp in Pro-Logic, instead of Virtual (which is quite poxy, IMHO!)

Plan B, once I can soften my darling better half to the idea(!) is to get a new amp. I'd been planning on getting an upgraded one anyway, as the 1802 is getting a little long in the tooth and wont do the newer HD sound formats.

If you DO consider this route (now or eventually) though, try before you buy mate - you HAVE to use Coax/Optical if you want 5.1 from Sky and I dont believe this problem is specific to either the manufacturer or model of the Amp. I've done a bot of googling and there seem to be a lot of people with similar issues on Sonys, Yamahas etc as well as Denons

Hope some of that heps, good luck!

 

[jmcg666]

Many thanks, not the answer I hoped but better than nothing...

Thanks again, I'll have to start saving.

 

[Sorreltiger]

This problem first surfaced in February 2005, when Sky changed the way DD signals were encoded. It affected Denon amps particularly badly, but other models were also hit. Although there was talk of a fix, it never happened and many disgruntled owners had to update their amps.

I'm afraid that's what your now faced with too. The current crop of amps are OK, but there has been a new Denon problem, with the need to route Sky via HDMI 1 only on the 2310.

 

[MarantzLover]

I have a few setups that I have helped my buddies setup, with amps from different manufacturers and blu-rays, dvd etc.

Nearly everything I have setup has been grand.... apart from when we get to the sky hd box. I have never experienced ever a unit that causes so much distress and incompatibilities ever. Its a crock of ****! It is absolute rubbish. I have one myself but hate it's troublesome nature!

BUT.... guess what... a firmware upgrade is available for most of the petty things I find.

Sky just seem to stick the word out that they need a new receiver box made as cheap as possible, and should it be that certain features that we expect have to be chopped just to make the machines meet their budget... then so be it. Sky are interested in the most profit they can make, but at the same time giving more or less the absolute minimum amount of service! thats my theory anyway!

respect!