HDTV optical out - FYI

[capone]

File this under, "Don't be me"

I just spent a day tearing my hair out trying to get my receiver to get 5ch audio from the cable and PVR HDMI inputs. I played w/ ffdshow & ac3 for 1/2 a day, thinking I was losing my mojo.

Turns out Panasonic's, and many other manufacturers from what I gather, optical out from the TV is 2ch only. The support person I spoke to didn't understand why, either.

I ended up putting the optical from the PVR into the receiver, and a digital coax from the STB into the receiver. Bam. 5.1 audio.

Just a head's up.

[scb147]

Turns out Panasonic's, and many other manufacturers from what I gather, optical out from the TV is 2ch only.

That's just dumb...

[mmatheny]

Thank HDCP for that "feature" (High Definition Content Protection). You think that's bad, try working with an HTPC program that is in bed with HDCP and DRM (Windows Media Center)!

[Elmo Putney]

My JVC optical output sends out the TV's internal digital tuners output even when one of the HDMI-in is in use. This is bonkers, I also had to go straight from PVR to DAC.