Digital Audio (cable vs Dish/Direct TV)

shogun

I just wanted to know how many others have "digital cable" but not digital audio with most of the channels. Here in Rochester NY, just a few channels (HBO, SHOtime) broadcast the digital audio so Dolby Digital can be decoded. I like the New series BattleStar Galactica on SciFi and I am sure it has digital audio (The DVD's have it) but by the time it gets to the cable box, the digital audio is lost and I only get the analog. Does anyone know if the Dish Network or direct TV are better about offering digital audio?

I hope this post is not too far off topic but I wan to hear all my Polk speakers when I watch some of these programs.

Shogun

AsSiMiLaTeD

The Dish won't really be any better for what you're wanting. Technically speaking, all the channels on the dish are digital, so your audio would be digital as well, but not Dolby Digital, which I think is what you're really talking about.

I get DD 5.1 with all my HD channels...

disneyjoe7

I get DD 5.1 with some movies on HBO but not all, and I never seen it on any other channels local or anything. Using a DirecTv Tivo box.

shogun

disneyjoe7,
If you record a show that has DD on Tivo, when you play it back do you still have the DD (Dolby Digital)?


Polkmaniac,
I know what you are saying about the Dolby Digital and you are correct. My cable box has analog audio out and also digital coax out. My receiver will try to get the audio on the digital coax first and if it can't it will use the analog 2 channel audio. Most of the channels never have any digital audio and the receiver falls back to the analog signal on that channel. The cable tv provider we have calls most of the channels we get "digital" even though the audio is analog only.

Encore is the only other channel I sometimes get DD on with cable.

For the record, the "digital" music channels on cable do not sound all that good (to me at least).

Shogun

disneyjoe7

Yes, watching it live or from a recording it's DD 5.1. Also I watch / hear all TV though my optical output Tosilink even if it just plain audio, my AVR will say PCM 48k if not DD.

ward91

dont they just transmit in L/R coz in the tv book thats all it sais , plus ive never had DD in the uk. and i use digital cable

disneyjoe7

Well short answer is yes and no, there are L & R signals in normal TV stereo. But in this L & R are signals for center and rear surrounds, this is called Prologic.

This is due to this fact as TV improved B&W then Color, Mono sound then Stereo, and then DD these signals much are compatible with the prior system in place. Or when they came out with a new wheel / improvement we all would need to replace are TV's.

ward91

ive just sent a email to the bbc i dont even know if i sent it to the right part of the site (coments/complantes/.....) waighting for reply

Holydoc

I have Cox Communication and subscribe to digital cable. All my sound and picture is analog up to channel 100. Everything past channel 100 is digital. Dolby is only heard for certain movies on the paychannels, HBO, Showtime, and Encor. All HD channels are digital (700+ channel range).

Personally, I was very disappointed to discover this. Since mono or stereo bothers me now to watch, I end up being stuck on just the channels above 100. Only time I go to the analog channels is for football and only then if it is not on HD.