AZBox Elite has AC3 built in decoding?

[fafhrd2]

Well after using my new AzBox for about 2 weeks now, I am very pleased. Really like watching Hockey Night in Canada games with it! Now, I don't have a HD TV, but I can watch the HD channels like UTR Ukraine on 97 W and the PBS HD feeds on 12140 on AMC 21 Ku, only the picture is not really high def. of course. My audio-video setup is using composite RCA cables with video out going to TV and the 2 audio cables leading to a Regent HT 391 home theater system. I am getting AC3 audio sound on PBS Create, V-ME, and etc. with this setup. Is the AZBox able to decode the AC3, or is it the Regent? It is a very cheap system that does have "5.1" source selection, but nowhere displays "Dolby" or "Dolby Digital"! Also I read reviews of this system that said it would not do Dolby sound.
]Am thinking of buying a small HDTV and a HDMI cable. Comments, please, ladies and gents?

 

[Mr Tony]

The azbox is doing the decoding. I use the a/v cables to record programs to a stand alone dvd recorder/hard drive (I also use the HDMI cable to go directly to the HDTV)

I havent found a HD based receiver that DOESNT output the AC-3 audio through the rca cables

 

[fafhrd2]

Thank you Iceberg. Is there a standard font size and name I should use so the mods don't have to correct it?

 

[Jim S.]

Now, I don't have a HD TV, but I can watch the HD channels like UTR Ukraine on 97 W and the PBS HD feeds on 12140 on AMC 21 Ku, only the picture is not really high def. of course.

For what it's worth, you're not missing anything on UTR. Not only isn't it HD, it was only about 1/2 SD the last time I looked. Combine that with MPEG4, and they must be getting that bandwidth really cheap.

 

[adm22]

Well after using my new AzBox for about 2 weeks now, I am very pleased. Really like watching Hockey Night in Canada games with it! Now, I don't have a HD TV, but I can watch the HD channels like UTR Ukraine on 97 W and the PBS HD feeds on 12140 on AMC 21 Ku, only the picture is not really high def. of course. My audio-video setup is using composite RCA cables with video out going to TV and the 2 audio cables leading to a Regent HT 391 home theater system. I am getting AC3 audio sound on PBS Create, V-ME, and etc. with this setup. Is the AZBox able to decode the AC3, or is it the Regent? It is a very cheap system that does have "5.1" source selection, but nowhere displays "Dolby" or "Dolby Digital"! Also I read reviews of this system that said it would not do Dolby sound.
]Am thinking of buying a small HDTV and a HDMI cable. Comments, please, ladies and gents?

Note that although the AZbox does decode the AC-3 audio it will not output the decoded audio in stereo through either the RCA jacks or the scart plug. In order to stereo audio you need to use either the Optical output and run it through a seperate decoder or have an HD TV and use the HDMI output.