Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 6

I just got my new Hughes DVR40 installed and have been unable to get the Toslink connection to the Harman / Kardon to work properly. I have tried two different cables and both have the same problem. I know that I have the cable connected properly as I can see the red light.

When I plug it into the H/K it says I have a PCM connection but no sound is produced. I was able to get it to work once on a PPV preview but only that one time. If I configure analog it works fine (but of course no DD) Is there a channel that always has Dolby Digital so I can play with this and check it out better?

One interesting thing is that I have been able to unplug one end of the cable and hold it just inside of the opening of the socket (not fully seating the cable) and I can get it to produce sound but since I cannot hold it steady it goes in and out. I have been able to do this with either end of the cable (either on the Hughes end as well as on the H/K end). Any ideas what the problem is here?

Would an optical to coax converter work? I have a coax connection from my DVD to the H/K and it works great. Plays PCM when only a regular CD is playing. It also plays DTS for DTS audio only CDs and DTS movies also works fine for DD movies. Just seems like I should get the same result when using the Toslink cable as well with out having to go to the Coax.

Any suggestions would be appreciated this is driving me crazy.

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Binghamton, NY
Posts: 12718

I really can't help you, but since the coax is working, use that for now. It does seem that either the TiVo output or the H/K input connections aren't seating the optical cable properly. Optical and coax will give you the same results. It is only if you have a longer connection that you want to use optical.

Does your H/K receiver have a setting for what type of input to look for? Different from selecting the source.

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Jim
Sony SAT T60 (146 hrs), DSR6000, HTL-HD HD receiver, DVDR985 - DVD recorder, URC-6131 Universal Remote
DirecTV since '96, Dish Network for superstations (WB/UPN) only
Waivers for all four nets are in place.
I'm suspicious of newbies, but tolerant!
And, just because I have a bunch of posts doesn't mean I'm always right.
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Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Whittier, CA
Posts: 278

It sounds like you configured your receiver properly to use the optical input (i have to tell mine to use optical 1 for the Video 3 input, which is where my TiVo is, and coax 2 is my DVD player, etc.), which leaves you with the probability of a bad connection at one end or the other. You didn't mention which end of the cable you were holding to get the sound input... if it is the receiver, try anothe input.

On my HK, ALL the sounds are being sent via the SPDIF cable, not just DD. I think I even unplugged the regular RCA cables, so you don't need to wait for a DD broadcast, it should work for everything.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 6

OK did a little more work on this. Tried to connect with the Toslink to all of the optical inputs with same result it "sees" the connection because I get the PCM light on but no sound (either PCM or DD). I can only get sound when I use the analog connection but of course then no DD.

Got the optical to coax converter from Radio Shack converted the optical to Coax still the same problem as above.

Checked the RS box by connecting it to the coax of the DVD and converting it to Opitical which worked fine for both DD, DTS and PCM signals.

Now I am stuck again.

JimSpence my tivo only has opitcal. Does anyone know if there is a Directivo which uses Coax as the digial output? That could be my solution but I hate to have to get a new unit just for the digital connection



Thanks

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Binghamton, NY
Posts: 12718

I didn't read your post that carefully and missed that the coax was working from a different device. And, I forgot that DirecTV DVRs don't have coax, only optical.

My guess is that the optical output on the TiVo doesn't seat the cable correctly.

__________________
Jim
Sony SAT T60 (146 hrs), DSR6000, HTL-HD HD receiver, DVDR985 - DVD recorder, URC-6131 Universal Remote
DirecTV since '96, Dish Network for superstations (WB/UPN) only
Waivers for all four nets are in place.
I'm suspicious of newbies, but tolerant!
And, just because I have a bunch of posts doesn't mean I'm always right.
Add 1231 for accurate post count.

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: NY's Capital District
Posts: 83

noleman1010

"One interesting thing is that I have been able to unplug one end of the cable and hold it just inside of the opening of the socket (not fully seating the cable) and I can get it to produce sound but since I cannot hold it steady it goes in and out. I have been able to do this with either end of the cable (either on the Hughes end as well as on the H/K end). Any ideas what the problem is here?




TOSlink cables (most of them) come with removable protective "ends" is it possible you have the "end" protector some how jammed in one of the openings?

Its usually the uh-duh stuff that burns me!

Good Luck!

PS: The HBO's generally have alot of 5.1

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Vacaville, CA
Posts: 31

noleman 1010, did you activate the DD option under audio on your tivo? I had the same problem with my Hughes SD-DVR120 and could not figure out what the problem was. Then, as island1 said, "uh-duh" the light came on.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 6

gbubar

Thanks for the suggestion, yes I have that activated.

The problem is not just DD I don't get any sound but the reciever "sees" the PCM as the PCM light comes on when I assign the toslink from the Tivo to the correct selection (in this case Video 3) on the receiver.

This is the same as when I activate the DVD/CD player. When a regular CD is player the PCM light comes on, when a DTS CD is player the DTS light comes on and when a DVD with DD is player the DD light comes on. Except in all of these cases there is sound from the system.

But with the Toslink from the Tivo I get the PCM but no sound.

Is there a trick to getting the Toslink appropriately 'set" into the reciever? It has a little door instead of the regular plug. I assume you just plug it in until it snaps just like the other toslink connections. Right?

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Vacaville, CA
Posts: 31

I don't know that much about the H/K receiver, but my Sony receiver has the same "little door". As you said "you just plug it in until is snaps in just like the other connections. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 46

quote:

---

Originally posted by noleman1010


The problem is not just DD I don't get any sound but the reciever "sees" the PCM as the PCM light comes on when I assign the toslink from the Tivo to the correct selection (in this case Video 3) on the receiver.

Is there a trick to getting the Toslink appropriately 'set" into the reciever? It has a little door instead of the regular plug. I assume you just plug it in until it snaps just like the other toslink connections. Right?

---

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 1

Unfortunately, this won't help you solve the problem, but I have the same problem. When I first got my Hughes Directivo receiver about a year ago, I tried plugging the optical cable into my Kenwood receiver. I put the directivo unit on optical out and set up the receiver to the optical input. It worked, sometimes, but was very choppy. I messed with it for a long time and finally decided that I bought a bad cable. I returned the cable and bought another one, brought it home and discovered that it, too, would only play sometimes. I then plugged the same cable into my DVD player and it played Dolby Digital sound perfectly, no choppiness, no problems whatsoever. I feel I narrowed it down sufficiently to the Hughes receiver.

I was having another small problem with the Directivo receiver, so I brought it back and got a new one. After installing the new one, I tried the Toslink cable immediately. I had the same problem. I called DirecTV thinking perhaps it was the cable strength. I was told that the signal should play Dolby Digital sound output even if the signal is only at 60 or 70%. Mine was in the 90s.

I didn't pursue it b/c we stopped getting any of the premium channels (HBO, etc) and we just rent movies instead of using PayPerView. But it was frustrating to me. I figured somebody else out there MUST have been having the same problem as me.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 6

mnrbradley

Sorry to hear that you never were able to solve this problem.

I have not tried another receiver I guess that is my next step and maybe I will get lucky. Unforturnately I did not buy this locally but got it from DirecTV as part of a customer retention program deal. I guess I'll give them a call and see what they will do for me.

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