Audio through RF output?

[bassist]

I just had a chance to start using the AZ Elite that I purchased from Iceberg! I successfully dialed in a few feeds. I also hooked up the RF output to RG59 to send a program (BLTV on 135W) to the bedroom TV. Video showed up. But there was no audio. What has to be done to send the audio out the RF?

(This will be the 1st of many dumb newby questions. So far the AZ 2.4 guide has got me started, but I don't understand everything in it yet)

 

[AcWxRadar]

I just had a chance to start using the AZ Elite that I purchased from Iceberg! I successfully dialed in a few feeds. I also hooked up the RF output to RG59 to send a program (BLTV on 135W) to the bedroom TV. Video showed up. But there was no audio. What has to be done to send the audio out the RF?

(This will be the 1st of many dumb newby questions. So far the AZ 2.4 guide has got me started, but I don't understand everything in it yet)

Hi Bassist,

Turn the volume control UP on the TV. LOL, just kidding you!

If there is audio available from the channel, there isn't a lot extra to do to get it there over the RF cable. The audio, if present, should be there for all channels. It depends on the individual channnel. Press the YELLOW (LANGUAGE) button on your remote and see if there is more than one audio channel selection displayed on your TV screen. If there is more than one, try selecting an alternate audio channel here.

Check other channels to be certain that your TV's audio is functioning properly first.

RADAR

 

[bassist]

Thanks Radar for the response.
1) The channel was supplying audio to the main TV via HDMI.
2) The volume control on the other TV (connected by the RG59) had no effect the audio...it was silent regardless.
3) We regularly play the bedroom TV via the RG59 with either a CS5000 or a DN STB with no issues whatsoever. That TV's volume is definitely working normally.

I'll try the pathway again with a few other channels again & play with the yellow button.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Bassist,

If you do not find anything amiss here, go to the home menu (HOME > SETTINGS > AUDIO > DOLBY DIGITAL MODE) and try setting it to RF MODE.

This should not matter, but it may be required in your case. Please reply and let us know if you get it fixed and explain what you did for others to follow your lead.

RADAR

 

[bassist]

Thanks Radar. I'll try it tomorrow. Steelers are on & the wife is watching her movie on the main tv

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks Radar. I'll try it tomorrow. Steelers are on & the wife is watching her movie on the main tv

Understood. Don't mess with the wife!

RADAR

 

[hd fan]

I beleive in the menu there is a setting for the type of audio carrier and also the UHF channel. Audio says NTSC M or (M,6) or J,K (for PAL system) so make sure you use NTSC M the NA TV standard so the audio carrier is modulated properly separated from the video carrier since PAL in europe uses different separation values. you can try all settings till it works ,lol.

 

[bassist]

1) Radar; Gotta a chance to try a couple more channels. So here's the deal: The audio is good-to-go as long as it's NOT AC3 audio!

2) So that leads to the next question, hdfan: Is there a setting that allows AC-3 audio to be passed through the RF output??

 

[AcWxRadar]

1) Radar; Gotta a chance to try a couple more channels. So here's the deal: The audio is good-to-go as long as it's NOT AC3 audio!

2) So that leads to the next question, hdfan: Is there a setting that allows AC-3 audio to be passed through the RF output??

Bassist,

Good detective work to identify that it was an AC3 audio signal problem. Knowing this makes it easier to discuss. Unfortunately, you cannot get the AC3 audio over the RF cable. This has to be taken from one of the digital audio outputs. The HDMI or the SPDIF optical connection (or a digital phono audio output if available). Then, your other TV will need to support AC3 audio as well or you will need a converter or a home theater system that accepts the signal and processes it. That does not leave you with any convenient options.

An alternative is to run your RF cable from the IF LOOP OUT to another receiver in the other room and connect the HDMI out to the other TV or whatever alternate audio/video outputs you want to use. This is limiting as the LOOP OUT only allows you to view the channels on the same TP/polarity that the master receiver is tuned to. Might as well run a second cable out to the dish for the second receiver.

RADAR

 

[hd fan]

well i am not familiar with the elite and my prem plus (and also the ultra) has no RF output capability (although it has the settings in the menu. That being said I know that my Azbox outputs stero audio through the old RCA red/white analog Audio outputs even if you select an AC3 track. therefore I would assume yours will also output it through the RF output. Go to the audio section in the menu , last one says Dolby Digital Mode. It has 2 settings , Line mode or RF mode. Maybe RF mode does the trick. who knows.

 

[hd fan]

taken from another website, this is apparently how it works on a DN HD receiver and my bell HD receiver as well.

RF vs Line only affects the Analog outs (Line out for sure - probably RF as well).

It controls how Dolby Digital 5.1 is downmixed.

RF: Down mixed to Right/Left Stereo
Line: Down mixed to Pro-Logic Surround.

For better info see document
http://www.dolby.com/uploadedFiles/zz-_Shared_Assets/English_PDFs/Professional/18_Metadata.Guide.pdf
Page 10 specifically describes the two modes (LINE and RF).

 

[AcWxRadar]

well i am not familiar with the elite and my prem plus (and also the ultra) has no RF output capability (although it has the settings in the menu. That being said I know that my Azbox outputs stero audio through the old RCA red/white analog Audio outputs even if you select an AC3 track. therefore I would assume yours will also output it through the RF output. Go to the audio section in the menu , last one says Dolby Digital Mode. It has 2 settings , Line mode or RF mode. Maybe RF mode does the trick. who knows.

Bassist and HD FAN,

I was curious about this option earlier on, but now knowing that Bassist has identified the audio signal as AC3, I don't think this will work unless the channel has BOTH standard audio as well as AC3audio. If the channel only carries the AC3 audio, I don't think the AZBox will convert the signal and send it out over the RF cable. However, this will be really simple for Bassist to determine. All you have to do is change that setting to RF mode and listen.

Which channel are you working with here, Bassist?

Please let us know if it does the trick or not. Curious minds want to know!

RADAR

 

[bassist]

Bassist and HD FAN,

I was curious about this option earlier on, but now knowing that Bassist has identified the audio signal as AC3, I don't think this will work unless the channel has BOTH standard audio as well as AC3audio. If the channel only carries the AC3 audio, I don't think the AZBox will convert the signal and send it out over the RF cable. However, this will be really simple for Bassist to determine. All you have to do is change that setting to RF mode and listen.

Which channel are you working with here, Bassist?

Please let us know if it does the trick or not. Curious minds want to know!

RADAR

I'll have to try this tomorrow playing with audio options tomorrow.

AFA the AC3 channels that I tried so far were BLTV, STO HD, THISTv (if I recall), MeTV (none of these worked)

What did work: RTV on 83W KU, NBC feeds; STO SD, Al Jaz ohn 121.

 

[hd fan]

Well I was just hoping it will because it actually does not matter if RF or Line mode as long as the AC3 source has audio on one of the front channels you will hear something from a stereo analog output.

Basically , RF mode will downmix the DD 5.1 (AC3) into a stereo 2 channel audio using only the 2 Front sources (that is right and left fronts) and probably the center channel as well but Line mode will use also the surround sources aka the 2 rear ones (rear left and rear right and probably the LFE channel as well) into the same 2 channel analog. Therefore if the source was a DD5.1 movie then if you Use RF mode then at the stereo analog output you will liesten to the caracter voices and normal sounds that belonged to the front and center channels but you will not be able to hear any sound that was intended for the rear channels only like back explosions or back moving objects. to downmix everything and be able to listen to everything on an stereo only output you have to use line mode, I think.

now is good to know which channels are the toublemakers since some AC3 tracks available FTA are only DD 1.0 (not even 2.0 or 2 fronts) but that 1.0 could acctually be 1 rear channel (either left or right) therefore if you use RF mode that uses the front there is nothing on the front so you will hear nothing but you will hear something if you use Line mode since it downmixes the rear channel as well. I was hoping for this.

other than that it could also be a hardware or software issue and considering that the Azbox is well known in my house (and not only at dinner time, lol) as a receiver that fails to perform simple tasks that other old receivers like the CoolSats used to do (how I which they brought them to the market back) it will not surprise me that it indeed does not output any audio via the stereo analog outputs when an AC3 track is selected (some channels are acctually AAC and in that case maybe the receiver is not designed to output it on the analog stereo outs). Too bad my receiver does not tell me when DD 1.0 is used which channel acctually is (some AV receivers light up speaker icons on its front display) although it says DD 1.0 and I can just put it on direct mode and listen to the actual speaker I think. More testing to come.

 

[hd fan]

ok you say that STO SD works yet STO HD does not. Both channels have 2 APIDS and both are AC3 although the second track has no audio. Now although they are both AC3 they are not the same.

STO SD is AC3 reported by my A/V receiver as DD 1+1 (means it has 2 channel mono , same audio info on both front channels , no center audio and when I select Direct mode on my A/V receiver I can hear the same on both fronts). This is different from DD 2.0 (most FTA AC3 channels use this configuration) which has 2 different front audio channels or stereo if you will.

STO HD is also AC3 reported as DD 5.0 (No LFE channel or like people mistakenly call it, subwoofer) although If I select Direct Mode I get only audio from the 2 front channels , no center , no rears but it was encoded as 5.0 although it acctually has only audio on the 2 fronts. It was a futbol game and I could hear the crowds on both front channels (normally on a 5.1 system they are in the rear only).

In both AC3 cases I get audio out of the stereo analog outputs ( red/white RCA cables go to TV speakers) on the AZbox Prem + no matter how I select RF or Line mode or any other audio settings. I would assume that if hardware and software is ok the Premium and Elite should be able to output some audio through the RF modulated coaxial output (all it has to do is modulate on the appropiate tv channel frecuency the composite video and audio that it already has decoded at the A/V RCA outputs (yellow, red and white). If it does not then it is another lack of functionality in my opinion and therefore you should contact the vendor/manufacturer for them to fix it. It could also be an issue with only your box so it will be interesting to hear from somebody else who has an Elite or Premium box.

 

[hd fan]

BLTV , Bloomerg TV at 135W? , is AC3 , DD 2.0 , 2 front channels , no center , no rears , stereo if you will. Try both Galavision HD (east , west) on the same 135W bird, they are AC3 and full DD 5.1 therefore similar to STO HD and BLTV so I expect they will not work. They all work on my AZbox P+ stereo outputs.

 

[AcWxRadar]

taken from another website, this is apparently how it works on a DN HD receiver and my bell HD receiver as well.

RF vs Line only affects the Analog outs (Line out for sure - probably RF as well).

It controls how Dolby Digital 5.1 is downmixed.

RF: Down mixed to Right/Left Stereo
Line: Down mixed to Pro-Logic Surround.

For better info see document
http://www.dolby.com/uploadedFiles/zz-_Shared_Assets/English_PDFs/Professional/18_Metadata.Guide.pdf
Page 10 specifically describes the two modes (LINE and RF).

HD FAN,

Somehow, I missed this post of yours while typing my own repsonse. After reading the information from the guide that you link to, it does sound like this is truly possible. That is, if it works in the same way for the AZBox as for the DN and BE receivers.

RADAR

 

[bassist]

With the house full of family & guests, I did not get a chance to experiment yesterday or yet today.

My goal is to be able to view & hear programs off of the azbox to a remote tv via the rg59 cable that is already run under the house.