Digital problem

[Black 1000]

I have a Marantz SR5300 reciever and I am hooking up a Pioneer DV-490V-K dvd player. The problem is I cant get the reciever to recognize the digital signal from the dvd player, it only recognizeses the signal in analog.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Justin

[royphil345]

I'm assuming you have either a digital coax or optical cable hooked up between the player and receiver. The digital signal is not transmitted through the analog cables. Make sure you are plugged into a digital input on the receiver and not an output by mistake. There is probably a way in the receiver's menu to select digital as the source instead of analog and also choose which digital input is used (optical 1, 2, or 3... coax 1, 2, or 3... etc...). Check your manual.

Hope this helps. Good luck!!!

[Black 1000]

I have been reading my manuals for 3 hrs makeing adjustments. Maybe I just don't understand. I have the S vidoe cable from the back of the DVD to the TV. Then I have the yellow RCA cable to video in on the reciever. Then I have hooked the red to red and white to white for the sound out and in. Am I missing something??

Very confused

[royphil345]

OK.... I see...

You have the video cables connected wrong and no digital audio connection in place.

You have to decide if you want the video routed through the receiver or not. If so, the receiver would have to be on in order to view video from the player on the TV, but you would also be able to see on-screen displays from the receiver. To do this hookup, Connect the S-video out from the player to an S-video in on the receiver. Hook another S-video cable from the S-video out from the receiver to the input on your TV. Remove the extra video cable you have installed and install the cable between the digital audio output on the player and a digital audio input (not video input) on the receiver instead.

Alternatively, You could leave the S-video connection straight to the TV as you have it, remove the extra, unnecessary video connection you have to the receiver and install the cable between the digital audio out on the player and a digital audio input (not video input) on the receiver instead. Using this method, you could hook up the red and white analog audio cables straight to the TV and have video and sound on the TV without the receiver being turned on. When the receiver is turned on, it will be fed sound by the digital audio cable. You would not be able to see on-screen displays from the receiver's menu on the TV however...

In short, The coaxial video out connection you have hooked up between the player and receiver is unnecessary. You would use either the coaxial video output or the S-video output from the player, not both. The S-video should give you better picture quality. You don't have anything hooked up between the digital audio out on the player and a digital audio in on your receiver. You only have the analog audio cables hooked up.

This should solve your problems pretty quick. I'll watch the board for awhile in case you get stuck...

[Black 1000]

First of all let me thank you in a huge way. I am an auto tech and can just about fix anything BUT this audio stuff. I love to use my DVD through my reciever so I will leave the S video cable hooked as is but what cable do you recomend for digital sound?

[royphil345]

No prob... glad to help...

They sell special digital audio coaxial cables. They're supposed to have a certain resistance or someting... You could also use an optical cable (fiber optic) instead if your player has a choice of coaxial or optical digital audio outputs or only has an optical output, but I find the coaxial usually sounds slightly better on budget equipment for some reason if you have a choice. I know your receiver has digital audio inputs for coaxial or optical.

For now, you could use any coaxial cable with an RCA plug at each end... Like the extra video cable you had hooked up... It should work fine. (if your player has a coaxial output for digital audio and not just optical)

Both hookup methods I described will get you digital sound from the receiver. The method that bypasses the video section of the receiver will allow you to get audio and video from the player to the TV without the receiver being powered on, but will not permit viewing on-screen displays from the receiver on the TV ever.

ANOTHER EDIT: Just looked up your player and it definitely has a coaxial output for digital audio. Possibly no optical... So... You should be in business using the extra coaxial cable you had hooked up between the player and receiver for video hooked up to the appropriate digital audio jacks instead. You could eventually replace it with a special digital audio coaxial cable. Don't spend too much. All digital audio cables should sound the same.

ALSO: I don't know how fancy your TV is.... If your TV has inputs for HDMI or component video (3 cables), you'd be better off using those instead of the S-video for highest quality...

[hermanv]

Once you get the cabling straight, you will probably have to go into the DVD player audio out set up menu. You will want to enable the digital out if it isn't by defaut. You will also want to select a surround mode (i.e Dolby digital, DTS, often there are others) that is compatible with your reciever and number of speakers.

Most modern home theater recievers display their set up menus on the TV screen. You might need yet one more cable in order to view the receiver set-up menus on your TV set. Most receievers will deliver a set up screen through the video out or S video. One of these will need to be connected to an unused input of your TV if you leave the DVD connected directly to your TV.

Most manuals show block diagrams, these help a lot to visualize signal flows. Modern home theater does present a lot of options.

[Black 1000]

Thanks to both who have replied. I am now going to go get another S video cable and the I'm going to set things up like this,
S video from DVD to reciever
S video from reciever to TV
Coaxial cable or equivilent from DVD to reciever for sound

I hope this sounds right.

[royphil345]

That sounds good!!!

Good luck, enjoy your new setup!!!

[Black 1000]

Thanks to all. I installed the cables as directed and the system works awsome

[royphil345]

Great!!!

You could also hook the analog audio outs from the player to the TV... or hook up analog tape outs from the reciever to the TV... for anytime you want to use the TV speakers and not wake others or something...

Using tape outs from the receiver would allow the option of any audio / video source plugged into the receiver being heard over the TV speakers (receiver would still have to be powered on though).