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can't get audio via optical port

I am using a comcast hd digital box, a DVD player as a receiver, a Magnavox plasma TV and an Altec Lansing home theater. I'm getting good sound from the DVD player through the speakers. For TV, I need to get the audio feed from the cable box into the dvd, then out to the speakers. I was told by the guy at Best Buy that I need to use an optical cable from the optical port on the cable box to the optical port on the dvd. When I do this, I still get no sound from the cable box to the speakers. I figured there is a setting on the cable box to choose the audio out source, but there is not. I know I'm getting audio out of the two (red, white) rca ports on the cable box, because when I hook them direct to the plasma, I have sound out the TV speakers. So I call Comcast and the customer service rep tells me to hit menu twice on the channel changer to get to settings and there is an option to choose the audio source, but there is not. I read down all the choices and he was literally surprised that my choices and the choices on whatever he was looking at were different. So he can't figure out how to help me because I'm supposed to have choices I don't. So he asks a techie what to do and he says the setting must be on the DVD player. I told him I'd keep playing with it and see what I came up with but actually I saw I was wasting my time and knew that someone here could (I hope) help me. Any suggestions?

Reply to
Mark Corbelli
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Hi, Do you see a red light shining at the end of optical cable(Toslink) when you plug it into cable box? If you do, most likely you have an output signal. When plug it into DVD player, there must be a menu option to select the source of audio; DVD or optical input jack. You have to select optical input. Investing in an a/v receiver to handle all audio need may be a good idea. Good luck, Tony

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I went down to Comcast today and the optical out port on the back of the cable box is always "hot". Apparently, the optical port on the back of the DVD is also an audio "out" so the optical connection won't work. There doesn't appear to be any alternate way to get audio into the DVD player other than from within the DVD itself. So I am relegated to purchasing additional equipment, like a receiver. So I guess now I'll be using four remotes instead of just three? Sheesh!

Reply to
Mark Corbelli

Hi, So you have two output connector at both end which won't work. How about investing in an a/v amp? Even for 100.00, you can get pretty good one from eBay. My old Yamaha HTR-5650 was decent one with digital coax and optical inputs. Tony

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Reply to
m_corbelli

I just hooked up optical via my Time Warner cable box. Optical or coaxial audio only works on the DIGITAL channels.

Reply to
Johhnyboy

You need to connect from your cable box to your audio receiver, not your DVD player.

Reply to
Tellmeaboutit

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