Strange Z-5500 optical problem

[nboy22]

I recently got a Z-5500 system and It seems like both my optical inputs are fried or bad... I hooked up a dvd player (sony) that does not have a digital optical cable output, but only a digital coax, so after trying a few cables on that, I gave up.. All I received was No Digital Data .... so then I got another player in my house and hooked it up with digital optical cable, and same thing, no digital data.. I tried adjusting all the settings on both dvd players for the sound output but never got any of it working...... my dad hooked my sony dvd player to our onkyo receiver and the optical coax output worked great... what could be wrong? there's no Analog signaled coax or optical cable is there? could that be the problem?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I'm kind of confused about what's going on

for example "optical coax output".... I don't know what that means.

There are digital outputs and there are analog outputs.

Analog outputs are
Red and White RCA
or
6 analog cables that transmit already decoded sound from your dvd player

Digital outputs are
digital coaxial
digital optical


So, you tried to connect DVD players in what way to your speakers?

Do your speakers work when connected in analog mode? Have you gotten them to work with a digital connection ever?

 

[alcoholbob]

nboy22.

You need to clear up your terminology. Say "optical" when you mean "toslink cable." Say "digital coaxial" when you mean single RCA cable.

Once you clear up your terminology, your most may make more sense. Right now it reads like complete gibberish, and thus we can't help you at all.

 

[nboy22]

Ok, first off... I hook my sound card up to the main control panel for the Z-5500's using the analog 3 cables, in 6 channel mode, one cable for the rear, one cable for the front, and one cable for the center/sub (these 3 cables are all mini-jacks.
Second, when I'm hooking the DVD player up to the main control panel, I hook a Coaxial cable (singular cable connection that I bought at best buy, supposedly specially made for audio sources and such. When I hook up the Coaxial cable, I hit the input button on the main control panel, and get the message that No digital data is coming through those means, whatever it may be (coaxial, or optical cable). I did the same thing with a different DVD player and an Optical cord.

 

[ChiBOY83]

nboy, are you hooking up the dvd player up to your sound card or logitech control pod?

 

[nboy22]

straight to the main control panel of the Z-5500, not the sound card... which I thought might be the problem but I'm not sure.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

So the analog connection works?

I was going to suggest trying a different cable, but it sounds like you have tried two separate players with two separate cables.

When using the optical one, is there a red light coming out the end of the optical cable if you take it out of the control pod end?

What happens if you skip to the middle of the movie and then turn on your speakers?

Have you tried disconnecting the analog cables so it only has once source as an input?

I've never had a chance to mess around with a control pod on one of these... are you sure you're pressing the right buttons to switch between inputs? Do the instructions say anything about that?

If this isn't something wrong with the way the input is being selected and the sources are good, I guess that pretty much narrows it down to something being wrong with the control pod.

The next step would be contacting Logitech customer support to see if they have any ideas on something to try and if not, getting an RMA from them.

 

[couzy]

I had a similar problem, tried all sorts of coax cables I had lying around with no luck. Also tried the coax and optical cables fro mmy living room system and it couldn't decode a signal. Then I tried a 25' cheap cable I found in my spare parts box, it looks to be about 16-18 gauge (very thin and little to no shielding). This works great, but now I have a 25' bundle of wire zip-tied behind my desk.

Logitech support was no help to me - said it was either the cable or source (on-board soundcard)

 

[alcoholbob]

Was there no signal in the menu screen, or no signal when you started playing the movie?

 

[couzy]

When no sound is being played, the display just says 'no signal detected', which makes sense. While playing a movie it would say detecting, then grab a signal and have sound for a second or two, then detecting for 10-30 seconds, redetect signal, loose it... Just by chance changing to a low-grade cable worked for me.

 

[alcoholbob]

Must have been the resistance.

 

[alcoholbob]

Here is the question:

What was the optical you were using before?

What is the "low-grade" you are using now?

Why do you think it made a difference?

 

[nboy22]

No signal on the menu screen, otherwise known as "no signal detected". I used both optical connections and a coax, neither worked, I'm trying to hook up my tv dvd player. Right now I just have the mini jacks running to the control pod. I know it's not just me, my teacher ordered the same exact system for his classroom and he has an Audigy 2 with the front bay mount with all the inputs/outputs and he tried hooking his up with optical/coax (or whatever connections there are on that card) and he ended up using the same method I am right now, just mini jacks for center/sub, rear l/r, and front l/r.... So I know it's not just me, it's some kind of flaw about what kind of cable to use probably, it's picky for some reason.