need help with 811 dolby digital

[chewy]

I just got my 811 last week and today i went and bought a optical audio cord for my harmon cardon reciever, pluged it in on both ends switched the reciever to DD optical but no audio
any help would be appreciated.

chewy

 

[gpflepsen]

Set the 811 to output PCM/DD

 

[peallen]

A thing to check is to make sure that the end that is plugging into the audio receiver is pushing out red light from the 811, if it is then you can probably look to your HK receiver. Maybe you have to tell it to use the optical input. Just throwing out an idea.

 

[chewy]

Still not working, there is a red light coming out of the cord at the reciever end and the 811 is set up pcm/dd.
Just a thought, does the program I am watching have to be broadcast in dd to get audio?

 

[gpflepsen]

Some audio receivers have a problem with the 811's optical signal. Some receivers (not many) have a setting which get the audio working. Some receivers work fine with the 811. Do a search here, at dbstalk and avsforums for the 811 and your receiver. This has been discussed before.

Good luck.

 

[peallen]

All I can tell you is from my experience, my audio receiver has an AFD (Auto Format Decode). Basically it takes whatever signal it is getting, DD, ProLogic, etc. and changes on the fly. I would think you should get audio regardless.

 

[Grandude]

Still not working, there is a red light coming out of the cord at the reciever end and the 811 is set up pcm/dd.
Just a thought, does the program I am watching have to be broadcast in dd to get audio?

No, you should get audio via the optical cable but, but, not very many programs are broadcasting in DD so........ if you have set your receiver to accept ONLY DD then that could be a problem.
On my receiver, it automatically switches to DD when the source is DD but switches to ProLogic if not DD. (I'm using a JVC 8030 AV receiver)
I would check your receiver settings to see if maybe you have set it up wrong.
If you are getting the red light out of the cable, then the optical is probably working but that isn't to say that it is for sure. Odds are it is working properly though. IMHO.

 

[luckycat]

There are known issues with the 811 and some dolby digital receivers. I have a similar issue with a Kenwood receiver. Works fine if I set to PCM only, but you don't get DD then. Phone call from Dish Support confirmed this. Not sure when a new release will address this highly annoying problem for some % of 811 users.

 

[GaryPen]

You also have to make sure the optical input is assigned to the TV/Sat input, on some receivers. The default may be assigned to DVD or some such.

 

[Oakenshld]

You also have to make sure the optical input is assigned to the TV/Sat input, on some receivers. The default may be assigned to DVD or some such.

I had a similar problem as well. When I hooked up my optical cable from the 811 to my receivert he first time, and switched to AV setting on the receiver, I got nothing, then I put in a DVD and the sound was coming out of my TV!! not my speakers. Remember that on some setups (like mine) the signal travels both ways. After hunting for my manual and finding nothing in there, I finally was able to get into the menu of the receiver, change the AV setting to digital in and vwalla it worked

 

[bigthrust]

Check the cable...

I actually had an optical TOSLINK cable go bad and stop working. I could not believe it. I thought it was my receiver, but when I swapped out the cable then my sound came back. :shocked

 

[GaryPen]

I had a similar problem as well. When I hooked up my optical cable from the 811 to my receivert he first time, and switched to AV setting on the receiver, I got nothing, then I put in a DVD and the sound was coming out of my TV!! not my speakers. Remember that on some setups (like mine) the signal travels both ways. After hunting for my manual and finding nothing in there, I finally was able to get into the menu of the receiver, change the AV setting to digital in and vwalla it worked

Japanese engineers definitely do not emphasize ease-of-use or simplicity in their designs. Take a look at a Japanese web-site, or a Japanese-market TV remote.

BTW, it's "voila".

 

[gpflepsen]

Japanese engineers definitely do not emphasize ease-of-use or simplicity in their designs. Take a look at a Japanese web-site, or a Japanese-market TV remote.

BTW, it's "voila".

It's easier when you design for a technically advanced consumer society. Then they ship the products to the USA.

 

[joelk]

no dolby digital with Sherwood Newcastle 945!

I've had my 811 for about a week now with absolutely no luck at receiving Dolby 5.1. Again, this is a case of an older Dish unit that worked perfectly with the 945 being removed and the 811 substituted. All troubleshooting with various techs has been to no avail.

I'm try a friend's Yamaha AV receiver tomorrow to see if that will work and will report to the group tomorrow evening.

Frustrating!

 

[Charles Lapple]

I've had my 811 for about a week now with absolutely no luck at receiving Dolby 5.1. Again, this is a case of an older Dish unit that worked perfectly with the 945 being removed and the 811 substituted. All troubleshooting with various techs has been to no avail.

I'm try a friend's Yamaha AV receiver tomorrow to see if that will work and will report to the group tomorrow evening.

Frustrating!

I have one of the 1st 811s. I have never been able to get DD to work. I think there is a compatibility issue with just some AV receicers. Because some 811 owners report no problem. Waiting for a software up grade. I hope.

 

[alocher]

For me, I went a month with my 811 and no DD. Then, on advice from this forum, I went thru my manual on my receiver, and found that I needed to change a receiver setting. Since then it has been trouble free. If you are getting a red light out of the toslink, then I would check EVERYTHING at the receiver end to see if there isn't a way to make it work.

 

[joelk]

dolby digital

Again, I unhooked a Dishplayer that worked perfectly with Dolby 5.1, hooked in the 811. No Dolby! All variables are exactly the same.

 

[keith]

My 811 / Denon AVR-3300 setup is unreliable. I always get audio out of the 811 digital connection to the Denon. Usually on 811 DD material the Denon says it is in Prologic mode, and very occasionally the Denon it will say it is in DD mode. The Denon always locks correctly to my Toshiba DVD player. Always. Obviously the 811 is at fault, but perhaps it is only some 811 hardware versions that are causing grief?

I have to agree with earlier posts in this thread. The 811 digital audio output has issues with some receivers. This might be solved in a future 811 software update, or perhaps it is a hardware issue that can not be fixed. Clearly Dish did not test the 811 on newer Denon receivers, because the remote control does not support the IR commands.

Keith.

 

[joelk]

I borrowed an Itegra 6.4 receiver to replace my Newcastle 945 just to see if I'd get Dolby Digital. Reception of Dolby 5.1 was immediate.

Dish, I think, has a compatibility problem with some or many AV receivers. This would most certainly be an expensive "fix" in my system.

 

[bigthrust]

Ahhh....but...but it is not always the receivers fault...

If you are getting a red light out of the toslink, then I would check EVERYTHING at the receiver end to see if there isn't a way to make it work.

This is not true. If you are getting a red light out of the TOSLINK cable, this DOES NOT mean that it is absolutely the receivers fault. I had a cable fail that had clear pass through (red light) but would not result in sound. I swapped out the cable and had my sound back again. I tried the "bad" cable on another device and again no sound, so it was confirmed that the cable was the problem.