SD Set Top Box Volume Very Low With Receiver

I have the SD set top box connected to my Onkyo receiver via RCA cables and the sound is VERY low. I have the box volume maxed at 30, have tried all the audio compressions, mono, stereo and surround settings and just about everything else to no avail. I tried connecting via coaxial digital audio cable and the problem was worse. I tried connecting via toslink digital audio cable and had no sound at all (luckily I had these cables laying around otherwise I probably would have spent money attempting to resolve the issue). I tried chatting with support but they only took be through the same steps I had already done.

I used to have a Cox cable box connected with the same RCA cable and receiver and had decent sound levels without configuring anything within their box. All my other devices (including an Xbox, blu-ray player, Apple TV and the old Cox cable box) played fine at a volume setting of 10 on my receiver and become unbearably loud by volume 25. With the Verizon box, to get an equivalent volume of 10 on my other devices, it would have to be set around 40. Upgrading to an HD box is not really an option since $12 a month extra is entirely not worth it for me, although since Verizon only has one SD box they seem to have me cornered with a problem and no solution. Does anyone else experience this or have a solution?

Accepted answers

lacticacidtrip1

I have 3 SD STB's. The only time that I've experienced volume issues is when I would watch certain On Demand movies that had their voice track set too low, especially in comparison with the surrounding sound effects and background music. But that was running the sound directly to a TV. When I switched TV's, the sound was fine. It sounds like you know what you are doing. Before considering upgrading to an HD STB, I would recheck or try the following:

Check the Set-Top Box Volume to make sure it is maxed at 30 (can only be changed when the Volume Control is set to Variable).
Set the Volume Control to Fixed
Set the Dynamic Range to Heavy
Swap audio cables for known good ones.
Make sure to seat them properly.
Make sure they are connected to the correct places.
Try connecting the audio cables to the VCR outs (tests if the TV outs are faulty).
Make sure the receiver isn't muted.
Check different channels/stations on the STB.
Connect to a different receiver input.
Run sound directly to TV.
If you have more than one STB, swap boxes.
Get a replacement SD STB.

That's about all I can think of right now. It sounds like you've already tried several of these, but it can't hurt to check again. Hope this helps.

All comments

walt178

Here is a link that might help. It doesn't really make sense to me, but it's worth a try.

http://www22.verizon.com/support/residential/tv/fiostv/troubleshooting/set+top+boxes+and+dvrs/questionsone/122035.htm

Another thing to try is reverse the fixed/variable audio setting on the STB.

bracohen

My second sentence states that I have the box volume maxed.

I also already tried the variable and fixed settings but it did not affect volume.

lacticacidtrip1

Check the Set-Top Box Volume to make sure it is maxed at 30 (can only be changed when the Volume Control is set to Variable).
Set the Volume Control to Fixed
Set the Dynamic Range to Heavy
Swap audio cables for known good ones.
Make sure to seat them properly.
Make sure they are connected to the correct places.
Try connecting the audio cables to the VCR outs (tests if the TV outs are faulty).
Make sure the receiver isn't muted.
Check different channels/stations on the STB.
Connect to a different receiver input.
Run sound directly to TV.
If you have more than one STB, swap boxes.
Get a replacement SD STB.

That's about all I can think of right now. It sounds like you've already tried several of these, but it can't hurt to check again. Hope this helps.

bracohen

After a few hours of fiddling I have it to an acceptable setting, although still wish it were closer to the others. Thanks for your suggestions.

mazinz7

Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone with this issue. I am still on an analog tv set. The tv has 3 inputs. Obviously the main one is via the coaxial cable. Using this the tv volume is very low. In fact i almost have to max the actual tv volume to get any sort of normal sound from the verizon cable box. NOW: if I use the rca jacks and use another input on my tv, THEN the volume is normal and sounds fine, likewise the volume adjust affects the rca jacks output. So it boils down to an issue (and possible an internal setting that could be accessed using a debug screen or service screen) in that the coaxial cable output is set too low, but there is no way to change it at all since the cable box volume control only works with the rca (and assumed other audio outs) output only.