IMG bug - Audio options broken

[scott_bernstein]

If you go to the Audio options and select "Stereo" vs. "Surround", nothing seems to happen to the digital output on the box.

When I had Time Warner and I did the same thing, the digital output on the box would switch from Dolby Digital (Surround) to PCM (stereo) when I changed the same option.  Nothing at all seems to happen to the digital audio when I switch it in the menu.

This is not a new 1.9 bug, as the previous 1.8 IMG release behaved the same way -- i.e. the setting was seemingly non-functional.

I have a the latest 7232-P2 box.

[Keyboards]

The Stereo / Surround does not affect the digital audio outputs (optical / coax).  Those simply resend the incoming digital audio without modification.  The analog audio outputs (red / white RCA jacks) respond to these settings (since the RF output is mono it doesn't apply either).  Not sure about the HDMI audio output.

The same is true for the Video Sharpness adjustment - doesn't affect HDMI video, only analog outputs (component, S-Video, composite, or RF).

[scott_bernstein]

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@Keyboards wrote:

The Stereo / Surround does not affect the digital audio outputs (optical / coax).  Those simply resend the incoming digital audio without modification.  The analog audio outputs (red / white RCA jacks) respond to these settings (since the RF output is mono it doesn't apply either).  Not sure about the HDMI audio output.

The same is true for the Video Sharpness adjustment - doesn't affect HDMI video, only analog outputs (component, S-Video, composite, or RF).

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Thanks, but this doesn't make any sense to me at all.  How in the world could a Stereo or Surround setting affect the analog outputs?  There is no such thing as surround via 2 channel (L/R) analog outputs -- that theory doesn't even make any sense.

Other cable boxes/DVRs I've had will actually downmix the 5.1 channels digitally to 2 channel PCM when you change this setting.  (Every DVD player also has this setting as an option so people whose receivers don't support Dolby Digital but do support PCM can take a digital output).  It's pretty standard, and I'm sure these boxes support this function natively in the hardware feature set -- something is just messed up with the IMG implementation.

[UnnDunn]

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@scott_bernstein wrote:

Thanks, but this doesn't make any sense to me at all.  How in the world could a Stereo or Surround setting affect the analog outputs?  There is no such thing as surround via 2 channel (L/R) analog outputs -- that theory doesn't even make any sense.

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There is in fact Dolby Pro Logic II, which delivers a 5.1 surround audio field over 2-channel analog signals. This is what that setting controls; whether the box downmixes to 2.0 or DPLII.

[Keyboards]

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@scott_bernstein wrote:

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Thanks, but this doesn't make any sense to me at all.  How in the world could a Stereo or Surround setting affect the analog outputs?  There is no such thing as surround via 2 channel (L/R) analog outputs -- that theory doesn't even make any sense.

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I guess you've never heard off synthesized surround.  This is where the 2 analog channels are manipulated to cause a psedo-surround effect (also called in the past "space expander").  Still exists on many "modern" sets.  My 3 year old Sharp TV has an audio mode for simulated surround from its sound bar.

As for the digital outputs, my box always outputs dolby digital to my receiver (either 2.0 or 5.1) regardless of the audio setting in the IMG

[scott_bernstein]

Of course I've heard of synthesized surround and Dolby Pro Logic II, but I disagree that this is what this particular setting is intended to do.

If it were intended to for synthesized stereo, that's what it would be labeled.

Have either of you tested that it actually does ANYTHING at all on the analog outs?  I know I haven't, but I would suspect that it has no effect on those either.  I think it's just a broken feature that is SUPPOSED to convert between DD5.1 and Stereo PCM and you guys are just making excuses for it.  😉