Need Video Quality Help

[trekdude]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I do have a question - and don't laugh at this one - what is an optical cable? Will it give me 5.1 audio to the receiver?

I'm still learning.

Thanks.

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by trekdude

Thanks for the suggestion.

I do have a question - and don't laugh at this one - what is an optical cable? Will it give me 5.1 audio to the receiver?

I'm still learning.

Thanks.

An optical audio cable (sometimes refered to as a "TOSlink" cable) is a fiber-optic cable with small, proprietary connectors on each end. Instead of copper wire, it transmits a digital signal using light through optical fiber. It can only be used on equipment which has the ability to use an optical connection (cannot be adapted to plug into any standard RCA/analog audio output). It's a very reliable means to transfer audio, and is not prone to interference from nearby electronics/wires, but you must handle the cable carefully - it cannot be stressed, sharply bent or kinked because doing so can irreversibly damage the fiber optic strands inside. Here's a pic:



Optical will carry 5.1 discrete channels of audio, and was (and still is) a commonly used standard. However, it is good only up to 5.1 channel standard Dolby Digital and standard DTS digital audio streams. Advanced multichannel lossless audio and multichannel PCM are not supported via optical, because they require digital bandwidth typically far in excess to standard Dolby Digital and standard DTS streams do. But, that's a moot point since multichannel audio for cable/satellite TV is standard Dolby Digital 5.1, maximum.

You should have no problems using optical back from your TV to your receiver, however, depending on your TV model, you may not get 5.1 channel audio out of the TV via optical out. Some TVs downconvert multichannel audio to 2-channel audio on the optical out. You'll have to check to see if that is your case. If you are going analog 2-channel audio in to your TV (via stereo RCA wires), then you will definitely only get 2-channel output on the optical out, if at all.

Good luck!

[jonesyg27]

I have Comcast too, and my receiver has no HDMI. I just run an HDMI cable from the cable box to the TV (you could also use component video) then an optical cable to one of my receiver's optical audio inputs. Do the same if you want to bypass the receiver for video. Go into your box's menu and make sure Dolby Digital audio is selected, and you are set.