optical cable question

ivelostr2 · 02-25-02, 11:31 AM

hello, I bought these on ebay, and I can't get them to work right. I am unsure but are these optical cables only for audio, did i buy the wrong stuff. Or am I not doing something right? I am trying to hook up my dvd player and my reciever...
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1

joshd2012 · 02-25-02, 11:44 AM

Are you saying that you are trying to connect your DVD player to your receiver using this cable for video or audio? What exactly is the problem you are running into? No sound? No 5.1?

Brian Shannon · 02-25-02, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ivelostr2
hello, I bought these on ebay, and I can't get them to work right. I am unsure but are these optical cables only for audio, did i buy the wrong stuff. Or am I not doing something right? I am trying to hook up my dvd player and my reciever...
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1

Yes these are for AUDIO only. Both the DVD player and the Receiver need optical ports on them. The are squarish plugs.

If you have both sets of jacks then once connected you most likely need to enable the settings by checking the setup menu on the dvd player and checking any auto format decode settings on the receiver.

ivelostr2 · 02-25-02, 11:48 AM

on the back of my dvd player, there are outlets to plug this into. I get no sound when I plug these in. and the fit isn't really tight, is it because I bought the wrong thing, or is it that I only paid $5.00 and I bought junk?

ivelostr2 · 02-25-02, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Shannon

Yes these are for AUDIO only. Both the DVD player and the Receiver need optical ports on them. The are squarish plugs.

If you have both sets of jacks then once connected you most likely need to enable the settings by checking the setup menu on the dvd player and checking any auto format decode settings on the receiver.

I have the reciever on the auto formating option, and the dvd player is switched to audio, optical uotput...

joshd2012 · 02-25-02, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ivelostr2
on the back of my dvd player, there are outlets to plug this into. I get no sound when I plug these in. and the fit isn't really tight, is it because I bought the wrong thing, or is it that I only paid $5.00 and I bought junk?

After you plug one end into the receiver, and one end into the dvd player, you have to do some checks. Make sure that your DVD player has "optical out" on. Next, check to make sure you assigned that optical input to the correct channel on your receiver. For example: if you have a DVD channel which the video from the DVD player is connected to, make sure that you set it up so that optical 1 (or which ever one you are using for the DVD player) is set to that DVD channel. If this doesn't work, it is possible, however highly unlikely, that the cable could be damaged.

ivelostr2 · 02-25-02, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joshd2012

Next, check to make sure you assigned that optical input to the correct channel on your receiver. For example: if you have a DVD channel which the video from the DVD player is connected to, make sure that you set it up so that optical 1 (or which ever one you are using for the DVD player) is set to that DVD channel. If this doesn't work, it is possible, however highly unlikely, that the cable could be damaged.

You mean for example, if my dvd is video 1 on the reciever, then I have to be sure that the cable is pluged into the video 1 slot and the format is auto encoding...

HN · 02-25-02, 12:02 PM

The fit is made to be snug...unless, you didn't take off the little plastic covers on the ends (my first ever experience with an optical audio cable started out like that

) . I took of the covers, plugged them in with a pleasant "click" and was off and running.

--HN

joshd2012 · 02-25-02, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ivelostr2

You mean for example, if my dvd is video 1 on the reciever, then I have to be sure that the cable is pluged into the video 1 slot and the format is auto encoding...

Yes. If your DVD player is "Video 1" and you have your optical cable plugged into "Optical 1", you have to make sure that "Optical 1" is assigned to "Video 1".

uteotw · 02-25-02, 04:20 PM

The cable LOOKS fine to me, so it could be a setup problem. This happend to me when I first bougt my receiver. I had it all plugged in & ready to go but could get NO sounds--turns out I did not have my DVD player setup to "optical" sound. Changed that from no to yes and it's been paradise ever since...
Good luck!
Also, couldn't you try using the cable to connect something, like a CD player, to your receiver?

jumbojp · 02-25-02, 05:37 PM

There may also be an option in you DVD player menu for "bitstream"

To get the 5.1 channel audio, either DD or DTS, from the DVD player to you receiver you may need to choose this option.

The cable will not be too snug, but being an optical cable it should click into the slot.

While playing some material unplug the cable from the receiver and look at the hole on the end. If there is a red light coming out it is sending a signal and it is probably the receiver no decoding it right.

ivelostr2 · 02-25-02, 06:14 PM

I see the red light coming out of the dvd player, and the reciever is set on optical, but there is no sound. I don't know if this matters, bu thtere is also no light coming out of the other end of the cable

Mr. Salty · 02-25-02, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ivelostr2
I see the red light coming out of the dvd player, and the reciever is set on optical, but there is no sound. I don't know if this matters, bu thtere is also no light coming out of the other end of the cable

If one end of the cable is plugged into the DVD player and there is no red light coming out of the other end when you look at it end-on, then yes, that's a problem. You either don't have it plugged into the DVD plyer correctly or there is a break in the cable.

duy37 · 02-27-02, 02:17 AM

those RCA optical cables break easily, i know i had them
also make sure you take off the mini adapters. i say go with monster.

Johnny Zhivago · 02-27-02, 12:24 PM

Don't waste your money on Monster.

It's one of three things...

1) There is a break.

2) You didn't take the platic mini plug adapts off.

3) You don't have your DVD player set to output an optical signal.

joshd2012 · 02-27-02, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Zhivago
Don't waste your money on Monster.

If getting better quality video and sound from a cable is a waste of money, then waste away I will.

jumbojp · 02-27-02, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joshd2012

If getting better quality video and sound from a cable is a waste of money, then waste away I will.

Too bad you don't get a better video and sound from using Monster cables!

And before we stray too off topic:

ivelostr2,

If the light is coming out of the player, but not out of the cable plugged into the player it sounds like the cable may be broken inside.

Pick up another cheap optical cable from Radio Shack to check it out, you can always take it back.

joshd2012 · 02-27-02, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jumbojp

Too bad you don't get a better video and sound from using Monster cables!

Umm... I do. In fact I get much better video and sound from using Monster Cables.

Johnny Zhivago · 02-27-02, 03:17 PM

Ah... the great Monster rules/Monster sucks debate... Guess I'll weigh in on this without getting too far off the topic of this thread...

We're dealing with a 6ft optical run here... There is NO video signal involved. So, let's drop that shall we? That brings us to ivelostr2's problem... I'm fairly certain that had ivelostr2 intended to spend $50 for a 6ft run of Monster, then ivelostr2 would have done so.

Now, if it's worth $40+ to you to have Monster, go for it. If you want your whole crib wall to wall with Monster, go for it. But, facts are, there's nothing wrong with that RCA cable except...

1) It's broken.

2) The plugs are still on.

3) The DVD player is not set to output the stream.

jumbojp · 02-27-02, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joshd2012

Umm... I do. In fact I get much better video and sound from using Monster Cables.

If you are noticing such a dramatic difference between cables(referring to you optical thread also) I think the problem lies with the quality of your components and not the actual differences in cables!

While I do/did have a modest setup. I never noticed a difference with any Monster product I tried and they eventually all went back or in a box. IMHO they are the Bose of the cable world. All marketing hype with horrible quality.

I had a Monster S-Video cable a while back and saw no improvement. In fact the ends of the cable were so heavy they kept falling out of the socket on my TV!

I used some Monster flat cable($1/ft) that was decently made, but it offered no sound improvement over Recoton 12AWG cable($2.49 per 40/ft roll) I use. Although either does the Nordost Flatline cable($5/ft) I have either!

Positioning your speakers correctly, making sure they are calibrated, timbre matched, broken in, match your components tonal characteristics and making sure all the levels are matched is much more important than spending money on "boutique" cables and wire!

As long as a speaker wire is Oxygen free and at least 14AWG, a coax is 75 ohm and well shielded, a Toslink is not bent or broken

and all your connections are tight there will be no real world improvement to justify the cost of more expensive cables!

ivelostr2 · 02-27-02, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Zhivago
But, facts are, there's nothing wrong with that RCA cable except...

1) It's broken.
is there a way to tell this, other than it not working

2) The plugs are still on.
The plugs are off

3) The DVD player is not set to output the stream.
the dvd player is set to optical cables

Beemer · 02-27-02, 03:51 PM

I believe the problem might lie in the audio setup of your DVD. Go into the audio/video setup menu off your DVD and make sure that DTS sound is turned on and the output stream is changed from PCM to Bitstream. Hope this helps.

jumbojp · 02-27-02, 03:52 PM

What brand/model of DVD player and receiver do you have?

Maybe some of us with those models can walk you through the steps and make sure you have it set up correctly

joshd2012 · 02-27-02, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jumbojp

If you are noticing such a dramatic difference between cables(referring to you optical thread also) I think the problem lies with the quality of your components and not the actual differences in cables!

I think most people would agree that the $10,000+ system I am referring to is pretty quality. Not the best, but better than most. I switched out some cables I received with the products for Monster and saw a great difference. More recently, my friend just purchased a Sony Wega 36". He switched out the cheep s-video cable for a Monster and results were noticable. Monster is great stuff which will improve your system.

ivelostr2 · 02-27-02, 04:10 PM

I checked, I have 2 options, D-PCM, or dolby digital.
it was set on dolby digital, no bitsteam option,

I have a sony dvd player dvps560D
and a sony reciever str DE 875

thankn you all for so much help, or attemps at it anyway

02-25-02, 11:31 AM	#1
ivelostr2 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 4,324	optical cable question hello, I bought these on ebay, and I can't get them to work right. I am unsure but are these optical cables only for audio, did i buy the wrong stuff. Or am I not doing something right? I am trying to hook up my dvd player and my reciever... http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1 __________________ cruzness: Big bully! I bet you like to kick puppies too! sauce07: I like to kick puppies into the faces of retarded children JohnSlider: ...

02-25-02, 11:48 AM	#4
ivelostr2 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 4,324	on the back of my dvd player, there are outlets to plug this into. I get no sound when I plug these in. and the fit isn't really tight, is it because I bought the wrong thing, or is it that I only paid $5.00 and I bought junk? __________________ cruzness: Big bully! I bet you like to kick puppies too! sauce07: I like to kick puppies into the faces of retarded children JohnSlider: ...

02-25-02, 04:20 PM	#10
uteotw DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 3,732	The cable LOOKS fine to me, so it could be a setup problem. This happend to me when I first bougt my receiver. I had it all plugged in & ready to go but could get NO sounds--turns out I did not have my DVD player setup to "optical" sound. Changed that from no to yes and it's been paradise ever since... Good luck! Also, couldn't you try using the cable to connect something, like a CD player, to your receiver? __________________ I want you to hit me as hard as you can. My Gamertag: PraySilence Last edited by uteotw; 02-25-02 at 04:32 PM.

02-25-02, 06:14 PM	#12
ivelostr2 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 4,324	I see the red light coming out of the dvd player, and the reciever is set on optical, but there is no sound. I don't know if this matters, bu thtere is also no light coming out of the other end of the cable __________________ cruzness: Big bully! I bet you like to kick puppies too! sauce07: I like to kick puppies into the faces of retarded children JohnSlider: ...

02-27-02, 12:24 PM	#15
Johnny Zhivago DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Korova Milkbar Posts: 5,413	Don't waste your money on Monster. It's one of three things... 1) There is a break. 2) You didn't take the platic mini plug adapts off. 3) You don't have your DVD player set to output an optical signal. __________________ Blu-ray \| DVD Dilauded is pure sunshine wrapped in bacon and delivered straight to your pleasure center by a naked goddess. If I could get my hands on a gallon of it, I would start a new religion. - Cosmosguy

02-25-02, 11:44 AM	#2
joshd2012 Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Blu-Ray: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Petition Posts: 6,677	Are you saying that you are trying to connect your DVD player to your receiver using this cable for video or audio? What exactly is the problem you are running into? No sound? No 5.1?

02-25-02, 12:02 PM	#8
HN DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,973	The fit is made to be snug...unless, you didn't take off the little plastic covers on the ends (my first ever experience with an optical audio cable started out like that ) . I took of the covers, plugged them in with a pleasant "click" and was off and running. --HN

02-25-02, 05:37 PM	#11
jumbojp DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dingleberry Posts: 1,662	There may also be an option in you DVD player menu for "bitstream" To get the 5.1 channel audio, either DD or DTS, from the DVD player to you receiver you may need to choose this option. The cable will not be too snug, but being an optical cable it should click into the slot. While playing some material unplug the cable from the receiver and look at the hole on the end. If there is a red light coming out it is sending a signal and it is probably the receiver no decoding it right.

02-27-02, 02:17 AM	#14
duy37 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: San Diego to Los Angeles Posts: 996	those RCA optical cables break easily, i know i had them also make sure you take off the mini adapters. i say go with monster.

02-27-02, 03:17 PM	#19
Johnny Zhivago DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Korova Milkbar Posts: 5,413	Ah... the great Monster rules/Monster sucks debate... Guess I'll weigh in on this without getting too far off the topic of this thread... We're dealing with a 6ft optical run here... There is NO video signal involved. So, let's drop that shall we? That brings us to ivelostr2's problem... I'm fairly certain that had ivelostr2 intended to spend $50 for a 6ft run of Monster, then ivelostr2 would have done so. Now, if it's worth $40+ to you to have Monster, go for it. If you want your whole crib wall to wall with Monster, go for it. But, facts are, there's nothing wrong with that RCA cable except... 1) It's broken. 2) The plugs are still on. 3) The DVD player is not set to output the stream. __________________ Blu-ray \| DVD Dilauded is pure sunshine wrapped in bacon and delivered straight to your pleasure center by a naked goddess. If I could get my hands on a gallon of it, I would start a new religion. - Cosmosguy Last edited by Johnny Zhivago; 02-27-02 at 03:20 PM.

02-27-02, 03:51 PM	#22
Beemer New Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6	I believe the problem might lie in the audio setup of your DVD. Go into the audio/video setup menu off your DVD and make sure that DTS sound is turned on and the output stream is changed from PCM to Bitstream. Hope this helps.

02-27-02, 03:52 PM	#23
jumbojp DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dingleberry Posts: 1,662	What brand/model of DVD player and receiver do you have? Maybe some of us with those models can walk you through the steps and make sure you have it set up correctly

02-27-02, 04:10 PM	#25
ivelostr2 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 4,324	I checked, I have 2 options, D-PCM, or dolby digital. it was set on dolby digital, no bitsteam option, I have a sony dvd player dvps560D and a sony reciever str DE 875 thankn you all for so much help, or attemps at it anyway __________________ cruzness: Big bully! I bet you like to kick puppies too! sauce07: I like to kick puppies into the faces of retarded children JohnSlider: ...