Delay before DD sound kicks in? Please help!

[friendly DVD collector]

Hey everyone!

I've had a problem with my setup for the past year and a half since I've put together a Dolby Digital system... there is a very noticable delay (3-4 seconds) in audio from when a DVD track starts and when the sound kicks in. This delay in audio occurs any time the dvd is stopped and started, including when making menu selections, changing the audio track via remote, at layer changes, etc.

Is this normal? Sound familiar to anyone? I guess I have just gotten used to it, but viewing a DVD through headphones the other day, bypassing the receiver, and hearing the audio kick in instantaneously has prompted me to try to correct the problem.

I have a Sony DVD player connected to a Sony STR-DE825 receiver
via monster digital optical cable. I suspect that the cable may be the culprit. Do digital optical cables cause delays in audio?
If this is the problem, what type of cable should I use instead? The dudes at Circuit City convinced me that I HAD to get the monster digital optical one.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

- FDC



[This message has been edited by friendly DVD collector (edited July 18, 2000).]

[Jeff Haas]

I don't think it's your cable. Digital signals either get to their destination or they don't; they don't get "delayed" (unless you've somehow figured out how to bounce them off the moon between your DVD player and the receiver.)

It's more likely to be the receiver itself, switching modes. Check the setup of the receiver and see if it's got some kind of default mode sensing, or auto-mode switching, or something similar.

I have a different model Sony and haven't seen the problem you describe, but I do notice that there's a delay when I first turn it on while it warms up. After it warms up the sound kicks in. Maybe you've got some sort of "sleep" mode turned on, and when you pause a movie, the receiver goes to sleep and turns off the speakers.

It's just a guess, but go through the manual carefully. It always surprises me what odd features they add to electronics gear.

[jellis]

Jeez, identical problem here with a Harman Kardon receiver (and yes, the guys at Circuit City said I HAD to get one of these optical cables).

Anyway, I have learned to deal with it, but just figured that is the way it is and have to deal with it - not a big deal though - kinda used to it...

But yeah, I am interested in a way to correct this (now that it has been brought to my attention)...

[Topgun94]

This is a limitation of Sony receivers. I had a Sony ES 300 that did this. It also locked up sometimes when I would pause and unpause a movie. The salesmen told me all Sony receivers do this. For some reason it takes them 3 or 4 seconds to tell what kind of sound is coming through. I took the Sony back and got an Onyko. The Onkyo has no delay when switching to DD or DTS.

Monster cables for digital sound are a rip off. Its a digital signal, it either makes it to the receiver or it doesn't. Don't be suckered by salesmen. The reason they push monster cables is the high mark up on them. They make a lot of profit on monster products. Any optical cable will work just the same.