Digital Coax to Digital Optical Converter

[dpazuk]

Hello All,

I'm new to this forum so bear with me :)

I have a new JVC RX-7030 receiver that has 1 digital coax and 3 digital optical inputs.

I only have two components that have digital coax capabiltiy, my DVD player and my DBS box (Scientific Atlantic 3200 via Rogers Cable).

I want to connect both to my receiver, but that would mean purchasing a digital coax to digital optical converter for one of the components. I noticed that Radio Shack sells such a converter for about $50.00 CDN.

Question, should I spend the $50.00 for the converter to connect by DBS tuner to the receiver? or should I just connect it via analog L/R? Are there better quality converters out their other than what Radio Shack sells?

[Jim Clark]

Hello All,

I'm new to this forum so bear with me :)

I have a new JVC RX-7030 receiver that has 1 digital coax and 3 digital optical inputs.

I only have two components that have digital coax capabiltiy, my DVD player and my DBS box (Scientific Atlantic 3200 via Rogers Cable).

I want to connect both to my receiver, but that would mean purchasing a digital coax to digital optical converter for one of the components. I noticed that Radio Shack sells such a converter for about $50.00 CDN.

Question, should I spend the $50.00 for the converter to connect by DBS tuner to the receiver? or should I just connect it via analog L/R? Are there better quality converters out their other than what Radio Shack sells?

Depends. Do you subscribe to the digital cable tier's premium movie channels? If you do then many will be available in DD5.1 and it's worth it to have the digital connection made if and only if you have your system set up for HT (which you haven't said either way). Of course you will still need the analog connections for all the other non-digital stations. If you don't have these premium movie channels I don't think you gain too much by having a digital connection, but that's just me.

I'm not at all familiar with the converters, but I'm sure others will weigh in with an opinion. I'm a bit skeptical but there is a good chance that this is based in ignorance. I'd double check your DVDP and make sure you don't have an optical output back there too. Depending on the age of the machine I'd probably consider forgetting the adapter and getting a DVDP with both coax and optical outputs.

jc

[dpazuk]

Hi Jim,

I currently only have 4 speakers connected to my reciever, 2 front channel and 2 surround channels, I am saving up some money to purchase a center channel and a sub at some future date. I have the receiver currently set for 'all stereo.' Eventually, I will have it set up for HT, I'm just not fully equipped in the speaker department atm.

The DVD player is an entry level Sony (I can't remember the model atm) but it only has digital coax out, analog L/R out and S-video, component and composite video out. It was given to me as a birthday gift only recently (its my first DVD player).

I am new to the HT thing, having recently retired my good old Yamaha RX-5 Natural Sound Stereo Receiver. (I still have it, and I have owned it since 1985, I have never had to have it serviced ever..it is still bamming along :))

[Jim Clark]

Hi Jim,

I currently only have 4 speakers connected to my reciever, 2 front channel and 2 surround channels, I am saving up some money to purchase a center channel and a sub at some future date. I have the receiver currently set for 'all stereo.' Eventually, I will have it set up for HT, I'm just not fully equipped in the speaker department atm.

The DVD player is an entry level Sony (I can't remember the model atm) but it only has digital coax out, analog L/R out and S-video, component and composite video out. It was given to me as a birthday gift only recently (its my first DVD player).

I am new to the HT thing, having recently retired my good old Yamaha RX-5 Natural Sound Stereo Receiver. (I still have it, and I have owned it since 1985, I have never had to have it serviced ever..it is still bamming along :))

One coax in is a fairly typical flaw in HT recievers so you are not alone. The nice thing is that radioshack is typically pretty good about taking things back. I guess the adaptor is worth a shot-it is cheaper than a new DVDP. Just be careful with the packaging.

Based on your setup I'd consider setting it up so that rather than "all stereo" you are set up using a phantom center and then running prologic or prologic 2 for the anolog channels and DD 5.1 (which of course won't really be 5.1 for you quite yet but it should still be better than all stereo). It will certainly more closely mimic the theater experience.

Don't rush buying the missing pieces. Take your time and if you think this is a little hobby that might interest you for a long time you'd probably be better served saving for quality pieces withing your budget that you can live with for a long time.

Please overlook the typos-I'm pressed for time. If you do try out the adaptor, perhaps you could post whether or not the thing worked out for you?

[paul_pci]

I'm using coax digital for both my DBS and DVD because I have that luxury. I was previously using optical for a prior DBS receiver which sounded just as fine. And as per the previous post, I do get non DD 5.1 sound through the digital coax/optical cable, but that just might be a Direct TV thing because a friend of mine just got digital cable and she need both digital and analog cables to get sound for the entire range of channels.

I would ask, does your DBS offer an optical connection and if it does, go with that, as you probably won't notice a siginificant difference from coax. Also, since you're currently using all-stereo mode, you won't be getting the discrete 5-channel sound effects that a digital connection offers, so maybe you should go with analog for now and keep your options open for when you complete your HT setup in the future. Analog will probably produce the same all-stereo sound as digital does, I would think.

Good luck.

[paul_pci]

I should pay closer attention. If I remember correctly, the Scientific-Atlantic cable box only comes with digital coax, which is a bummer to be sure. In that case, flip a coin. No, wait, you are probably looking for a more substantive answer than that. In that case, mortgage your future, get Direct TV, a new receiver, a kick-ass receiver, floor to ceiling speakers, a sub that weighs more than your tv, and live out your days going deaf to the latest rantings of Adam Sandler.

Again, good luck with that coin toss.

[dpazuk]

I'm using coax digital for both my DBS and DVD because I have that luxury. I was previously using optical for a prior DBS receiver which sounded just as fine. And as per the previous post, I do get non DD 5.1 sound through the digital coax/optical cable, but that just might be a Direct TV thing because a friend of mine just got digital cable and she need both digital and analog cables to get sound for the entire range of channels.

I would ask, does your DBS offer an optical connection and if it does, go with that, as you probably won't notice a siginificant difference from coax. Also, since you're currently using all-stereo mode, you won't be getting the discrete 5-channel sound effects that a digital connection offers, so maybe you should go with analog for now and keep your options open for when you complete your HT setup in the future. Analog will probably produce the same all-stereo sound as digital does, I would think.

Good luck.
Hi Paul/Jim,

Unfortunatley Paul, as you indicated, the DBS box that I have only has a digital coax output.

Your point about how your friend has to use both analog and digital to get sound on the full spectrum of channels makes sence in that what the cable operators won't tell you, is that only some of the channels on a digital box are actually digital, the rest are analog, whereas with satellite, it is all digital (a major selling point that satellite tv companies use).

I should have taken this into account myself. I think this point alone has now made my decision for me!

Thanks for all the great advice!