360 dolby digital issue

[myronaiii]

I know there are some similar questions on here, but after looking for about an hour, I could not find one with my exact issue.

I have Xbox 360 (20GB) system with HDMI, a comcast cable box (w/ HD channels), a Vizio HDTV, and a Yamaha Receiver (that does NOT have HDMI inputs or outputs).

My goal, like most people's, is to get 1080p video and 5.1 digital audio.

Here is how I connect my Xbox:
- HDMI from Xbox to HDTV
- Digital (optical) output from HDTV to Receiver

Like most people, I think I am only getting 2 channel audio (PCM) when I do this because the "PCM" and I think "Dolby Pro" light on my receiver lights up; however, the "Dolby Digital" light does not light up.

Most people would say that the problem is that, when I send the digital audio signal via HDMI from the Xbox to my TV, my TV is having problems with the digital audio and cannot send it to the receiver; therefore, only 2 channel audio is going through the digital out to the receiver.

BUT....
My cable box works: I have an HDMI cable going from the cable box to my TV, and audio going from my TV to my Receiver via the optical out on my TV. When doing this, I get 5.1 audio, and my Receiver indicates "dolby digital" on the front display.

So, why does the same hook up with a cable box work, but I can't get it to work with my Xbox?

I appreciate the help. Sorry if this is long-winded, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

 

[oznerol]

Are you just looking when the 360 starts up, or is it in-game as well?

 

[Oyeve]

I think MS wants you to buy their HDMI cable, the one that comes with the Elite model. I use HDMI from 360 to TV and use the component cable mod and clipped the black wire loop. 5.1 works for me.

 

[erwos]

There is 99% chance your TV doesn't pass DD-5.1 to the optical output on the TV, but instead downscales it to DD-2.0. You need to get that dongle for the 360 that allows you to do optical output at the same time as HDMI.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: erwos
There is 99% chance your TV doesn't pass DD-5.1 to the optical output on the TV, but instead downscales it to DD-2.0. You need to get that dongle for the 360 that allows you to do optical output at the same time as HDMI.

Bingo. xbox 360 optical out to receiver is needed. Most ALL TVs won't output DD on their digital audio outputs unless it's over the air HDTV.

Get the dongle or modify the component output adapter as Oyeve did. Or just use component cables, you'll still get 1080p.

 

[Gooberlx2]

My 47" Vizio LCD (VO47L I think) doesn't passthrough 5.1 audio from the HDMI ports, only stereo/pro logic...which sucks.

I had to modify the component adapter and an HDMI cable so that I could fit them together in the back. I know there's an HDMI w/ optical out adapter, but I wasn't paying $40+-or-whatever for it.

 

[myronaiii]

I'm positive that I get dolby digital from my digital out on my tv (to my receiver) when the input source is an HDMI coming from my cable box. I know this because my receiver indicates "dolby digital" and allows me to change settings that are only available when the receiver is getting a "dolby digital" signal.

I guess it's possible that it is a dolby digital 2.0 (well, 2.1 because of the sub), but I don't think so. It seems to be 5.1 when the ultimate source is my cable box.

Bottom line:

I definitely get dolby digital audio when everything starts with my cable box, but I only get pro logic (2.0) when starting with my Xbox...and all the same wires/connections are involved.

 

[spidey07]

And what we're saying is that is normal for your TV and almost ALL TVs. You need to have optical output directly from your 360 to your receiver to get 5.1.

 

[myronaiii]

I used to have that Vizio as well, but I traded it in for the one a I currently have:

Vizio SV470XVT. It is the next step up from the VO47L (120Hz, etc.). I know the VO47L doesn't have pass-through, but I think the newer model does. But, if mine didn't have pass through, my receiver wouldn't indicate that it is receiving a dolby digital audio signal when I'm suing my cable box -> TV via HDMI -> Receiver vis optical.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: myronaiii
I'm positive that I get dolby digital from my digital out on my tv (to my receiver) when the input source is an HDMI coming from my cable box. I know this because my receiver indicates "dolby digital" and allows me to change settings that are only available when the receiver is getting a "dolby digital" signal.

I guess it's possible that it is a dolby digital 2.0 (well, 2.1 because of the sub), but I don't think so. It seems to be 5.1 when the ultimate source is my cable box.

Bottom line:

I definitely get dolby digital audio when everything starts with my cable box, but I only get pro logic (2.0) when starting with my Xbox...and all the same wires/connections are involved.

There may be some HDCP restrictions/weirdness in play here that are disallowing 5.1 from the Xbox360 vs your Cable box.

*shrug*

 

[spidey07]

That's not true. Please listen to people saying that it is supposed to work that way because your cable box is NOT a 360.

 

[myronaiii]

Thanks for responding, Spidey. I think I misstated my point in a previous post.

The digital audio pass-through from the Xbox to my TV to my Receiver doesn't seem to work. (and you are saying that it shouldn't and I need to buy the $50 dongle, which I understand)

BUT

It does work if the digital audio is going from my Cable box to my TV to my Receiver.


In the 2 situations, the ONLY difference in the setups is the xbox and the cable box...everything else is the same, but I am getting 2 different end results.

EDIT: I was typing this while Spidey was typing his message I guess; thus, the overlap. I just don't understand why two original sources (cable box & Xbox) that both send out digital audio have different end results.

 

[myronaiii]

I've looked at both, Ducci. I looked at start up and I looked during COD4 play.

 

[spidey07]

Well make certain DD5.1 is enabled in your 360 in the settings. But almost every single TV made will do what your TV is doing - deliver 5.1 from HDTV programming (like a cable box) and not do it from sources that are not technically TV, like a 360.

 

[TheStuck]

360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

You have to use the optical cable to get 5.1. Stupid yes but is required. Also the kicker is the plastic housing of the adapter (im using the component HDTV one) for where the optical cable is blocks the HDMI port. Hence MS sells a HDMI + DD adapter. You dont need it all you need to do pop off the plastic housing and everything works fine.

 

[NaOH]

Originally posted by: spidey07
And what we're saying is that is normal for your TV and almost ALL TVs. You need to have optical output directly from your 360 to your receiver to get 5.1.

This, I had the same problem. I just took my friend's adapter from his elite since he wasn't using it. My hdmi cable is a heft gauge so it barely fits. Prior to using his adapter, I had taken apart my vga cable outer shell in order to make it fit....soooo ghetto, but free

 

[myronaiii]

I did just find this fix. It seems easier than the usual "pop off the cover" hack.

Quoted from another forum:

"This $9.39 third party Xbox 360 VGA cable solved the problem for me:

http://www.monoprice.com/produ...id=4010&seq=1&format=2

I was able to get simultaneous video output through HDMI and optical audio output through the Toslink connector in the VGA cable. No connector smashing or $50 Microsoft cable required and I have the option of using VGA instead of HDMI if I prefer.

My HDMI cable fits well under the VGA connector housing as it is moulded a little thinner than the OEM Microsoft AV connector. I still shaved my HDMI housing down a bit to improve the fit, but nothing drastic.

This setup also worked perfectly with my Xbox HD DVD player and didn?t cause any problems with HDCP. Both my Xbox console and HD DVD player are about a month old. Hope this helps"

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

 

[myronaiii]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

So, it seems nobody really knows why the cable box would work but not the Xbox. I, too, am rather confused. Thanks for everyone chiming in though. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: myronaiii

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

So, it seems nobody really knows why the cable box would work but not the Xbox. I, too, am rather confused. Thanks for everyone chiming in though. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Answer: the cable box probably isn't working, and you're mistaking DD-PLII for DD-5.1.

 

[myronaiii]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: myronaiii

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

So, it seems nobody really knows why the cable box would work but not the Xbox. I, too, am rather confused. Thanks for everyone chiming in though. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Answer: the cable box probably isn't working, and you're mistaking DD-PLII for DD-5.1.

I would say that was a possibility, but my receiver has one display for Pro Logic and another for Dolby Digital.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: myronaiii

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: myronaiii

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

So, it seems nobody really knows why the cable box would work but not the Xbox. I, too, am rather confused. Thanks for everyone chiming in though. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Answer: the cable box probably isn't working, and you're mistaking DD-PLII for DD-5.1.

I would say that was a possibility, but my receiver has one display for Pro Logic and another for Dolby Digital.

Theory #3: your TV is passing DD-2.0, and your receiver is applying DD-PLII to it. I _think_ that's possible.

 

[cyphilis]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: TheStuck
360 HDMI doesnt support 5.1 for whatever reason.

OK, that's completely not true. I have a 360, I use HDMI, it most certainly works in surround sound.

I'm with erwos on this one. I run HDMI (walmart bought cable, not MS) from my 360 to my HDMI input on my plasma. From my plasma, I run the output via the single digitial audio cable to my Pioneer reciever into the 5.1 digital input. I get true 5.1 surround on games that support it. Ones that don't, of coarse only show the 2 channels its coming from.
So I am getting true 5.1 by running everything through my TV.

 

[BornStar]

From a very brief amount of reading on HDMI it seems like there could be a handshaking problem. It seems that HDMI will initiate a handshake (This seems obvious since it knows what resolution your TV can receive) so that the component knows what to send. My guess is that the 360 is succeeding in its handshake with the TV and the TV is telling it to only send two channel audio since that's all it can play. It just repeats what it receives out the optical port. My next guess is that the cable box is either not doing a handshake or just isn't listening and sends DD audio regardless of what the TV says. Once again, the TV just repeats the HDMI audio signal out the optical port.

I'm not an engineer and I'm not intimately familiar with the HDMI spec so this could be the dumbest thing anybody has ever written.

 

[revnja]

Originally posted by: myronaiii
I did just find this fix. It seems easier than the usual "pop off the cover" hack.

Quoted from another forum:

"This $9.39 third party Xbox 360 VGA cable solved the problem for me:

http://www.monoprice.com/produ...id=4010&seq=1&format=2

I was able to get simultaneous video output through HDMI and optical audio output through the Toslink connector in the VGA cable. No connector smashing or $50 Microsoft cable required and I have the option of using VGA instead of HDMI if I prefer.

My HDMI cable fits well under the VGA connector housing as it is moulded a little thinner than the OEM Microsoft AV connector. I still shaved my HDMI housing down a bit to improve the fit, but nothing drastic.

This setup also worked perfectly with my Xbox HD DVD player and didn?t cause any problems with HDCP. Both my Xbox console and HD DVD player are about a month old. Hope this helps"

I use that same VGA cable from Monoprice in my setup -- there has been hints that they are only shipping a newer revision, one that does not have the groove to allow HDMI connection.

I got mine only about a month ago, and it does not have a groove. If I wanted to use HDMI, I would have to pop the cover off this third-party cable as well. It's still a great cable, though.