Digital Audio from Digibox?

ronanf

Hi,

I have some queries around hooking up a digibox to a Home Cinema Home Cinema setup. I recently bought a Sony HTK 415 and 6 speakers for Surround Sound.

Anyhoo it works great with DVDs (getting Dolby Digital 5.1) and even normal Sky Digibox programming sounds much better through Dolby ProLogic than the existing crummy TV speakers. I
set thisa up by just buying a set of red and white audio cable.

Question is, what are the plans for transmitting programs in Dolby Digital 5.1? Any current programming broadcast in digital audio?

Is it true that only Sky+ boxes will have the required optical output for proper 5.1 decoding? or will newer "everyday" digiboxes soon have this?

cheers,
Ronan.

ronanf

Eh .... I meant HTK 475 (not HTK415), if anyone out there has hooked up their digibox to one of these to get the best results, I'd be glad to hear from them.

thanks again,
Ronan.

ShaneOC

I have the Sky + box hooked up to the Sony HTK475. Sky are broadcasting Dolby Digital on Sky Premiere Widescreen (and also the two widescreen Box office channels). It is rumoured that the BBC will beginning Dolby Digital next year.

It does not look like the regular digiboxes will have dolby digital capabilities.

bkehoe

The Sony ones appear to have it in hardware, but not in software; Sky would have to release a new software verson, and remove an advantage for people to get + too.

Brendan

ronanf

Thanks for the info, you may have saved me some money in pointing out that upgrading to a new Sony box is pointless if Sky software doesn't support it! Of course it makes sense for Sky to hold it off for Sky+, one more reason to upgrade.

I seem to be on a never ending upgrade path!

bkehoe

Note that the Sony does output digital audio, but not dolby digital 5.1, but its not much use without dolby 5.1 support.

Brendan

byte

Whatever happened the thing that Pace developed which was plugged into the digital interface slot at back of digiboxes. It had optical output for DD5.1 and other ports. Maybe Sky didnt want it released? Maybe we may see it soon for 5.1 sound from normal digiboxes? Has anyone else seen the gadget which was featured in Wotsat magazine earlier this year?

bkehoe

Was that the same thing that allowed the pace boxes receive from different satellites with non-sky symbol rates, e.t.c.?

Brendan

byte

No don't think so, it was mainly for the optical output. If I can find the wotsat mag which featured it, I will give fuller description of it.