Sound through the HDTV cable dvr box or buy a seperate sound system???

[Steve]

I called Comcast to upgrade my box to their top of the line Motorola duel
tuner DVR. I looked it up online and it had Dolby 5.1 sound connections. It
would be a neater install if I could eliminate the surround sound receiver
and just use the rented cable box for sound. I would then just buy surround
speakers....

What do I loose by using the cable box for sound?

I guess the main concern is the sound quality and volume..? compared to a
dedicated receiver.
Probably fewer inputs \ outputs ? Not sure how I'd hook up the DVD? (don't
use it much anyway)

Also, regarding a surround sound receiver, I see that some of them have
video inputs. Should I send video through the receiver?
Right now I'm using component cables from HDTV Cable box to the Sanyo front
projector with the audio going from the cable box directly to the surround
receiver. (I stole this cheap set from my upstairs TV until I decide what to
do in the Home theater room...)

[Gary A. Edelstein]

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 10:35:22 -0500, "Steve" > wrote:

>I called Comcast to upgrade my box to their top of the line Motorola duel
>tuner DVR. I looked it up online and it had Dolby 5.1 sound connections. It
>would be a neater install if I could eliminate the surround sound receiver
>and just use the rented cable box for sound. I would then just buy surround
>speakers....
>
>What do I loose by using the cable box for sound?
>
>I guess the main concern is the sound quality and volume..? compared to a
>dedicated receiver.
>Probably fewer inputs \ outputs ? Not sure how I'd hook up the DVD? (don't
>use it much anyway)
>
I think you will still need the receiver. I've never seen a cable box
or cable DVR with a built in amp and DD decoder. Are you sure the
Motorola has a built in amp and speaker connections? If it has those,
does it then have inputs for external audio and video for say a DVD
player?

>Also, regarding a surround sound receiver, I see that some of them have
>video inputs. Should I send video through the receiver?
>Right now I'm using component cables from HDTV Cable box to the Sanyo front
>projector with the audio going from the cable box directly to the surround
>receiver. (I stole this cheap set from my upstairs TV until I decide what to
>do in the Home theater room...)
>
Video switching on receivers is for convenience only. The switching
allows you to switch audio and video simultaneously. You are not
required to route your video through it. In your case however, with a
projector, it may be necessary to use receiver component switching
with a cable box and DVD player and a single component input on the
projector.

Gary E
--
|Gary A. Edelstein
(remove NO SPAM and .invalid to reply)
|"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelly's Pogo

[Bert Hyman]

(Steve) wrote in
:

> I called Comcast to upgrade my box to their top of the line
> Motorola duel tuner DVR. I looked it up online and it had Dolby 5.1
> sound connections. It would be a neater install if I could
> eliminate the surround sound receiver and just use the rented cable
> box for sound. I would then just buy surround speakers....

Are you saying that the cable box has a built-in amp and drives
speakers directly?

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

[Dennis Mayer]

Steve wrote:
>
> I called Comcast to upgrade my box to their top of the line Motorola duel
> tuner DVR. I looked it up online and it had Dolby 5.1 sound connections. It
> would be a neater install if I could eliminate the surround sound receiver
> and just use the rented cable box for sound. I would then just buy surround
> speakers....
>
> What do I loose by using the cable box for sound?


It will NOT work!!

Your need to take the Digital Audio out 'bitstream' from the Cable
Box, and run it
through a DD 5.1 decoder & amplification system...
Called a A/V Receiver to drive your 6 speakers...

An Onkyo SR-503 is a nice basic DD 5.1 Receiver Box for $260...



>
> I guess the main concern is the sound quality and volume..? compared to a
> dedicated receiver.
> Probably fewer inputs \ outputs ? Not sure how I'd hook up the DVD? (don't
> use it much anyway)
>
> Also, regarding a surround sound receiver, I see that some of them have
> video inputs. Should I send video through the receiver?
> Right now I'm using component cables from HDTV Cable box to the Sanyo front
> projector with the audio going from the cable box directly to the surround
> receiver. (I stole this cheap set from my upstairs TV until I decide what to
> do in the Home theater room...)

[Steve]

I havent got the new cable box yet.

http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/dct6412/default.asp

Upon closer review of TFM I see I was mistaken. I thought It showed
connections for 5 .1 speakers but I was wrong.

Thanks,

I'll take a look at the Onkyo SR-503

Steve


"Dennis Mayer" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Steve wrote:
>>
>> I called Comcast to upgrade my box to their top of the line Motorola duel
>> tuner DVR. I looked it up online and it had Dolby 5.1 sound connections.
>> It
>> would be a neater install if I could eliminate the surround sound
>> receiver
>> and just use the rented cable box for sound. I would then just buy
>> surround
>> speakers....
>>
>> What do I loose by using the cable box for sound?
>
>
> It will NOT work!!
>
> Your need to take the Digital Audio out 'bitstream' from the Cable
> Box, and run it
> through a DD 5.1 decoder & amplification system...
> Called a A/V Receiver to drive your 6 speakers...
>
> An Onkyo SR-503 is a nice basic DD 5.1 Receiver Box for $260...
>
>
>
>>
>> I guess the main concern is the sound quality and volume..? compared to a
>> dedicated receiver.
>> Probably fewer inputs \ outputs ? Not sure how I'd hook up the DVD?
>> (don't
>> use it much anyway)
>>
>> Also, regarding a surround sound receiver, I see that some of them have
>> video inputs. Should I send video through the receiver?
>> Right now I'm using component cables from HDTV Cable box to the Sanyo
>> front
>> projector with the audio going from the cable box directly to the
>> surround
>> receiver. (I stole this cheap set from my upstairs TV until I decide what
>> to
>> do in the Home theater room...)