Digital out on TWC HD box...

[Skipjack]

Does anyone know if the digital audio output on the Scientific Atlanta box only works when the box is receiving an HD signal?

The reason I ask is, I've been playing around with those music channels you get with the digital package and can't seem to get anything out of the digital output.

I still have to troublehoot it a little further, but I'd thought I'd ask here to see if anyone knows for sure.

Thanks in advance.

[mr_yeti]

I haven't tried the music channels, but I see no reason it shouldn't work with them. I use the digital audio for the digital channels, and it works fine.

[gb4fan92]

Yes the digitial audio works on all the channels over 100 on TWC. On my receiver (a JVC) I had to switch my TV input to DBS mode. Any channel under 100 are broadcasts in analog and therefore I have to switch from DBS Digital mode to analog mode. Sounds impressive!

[Skipjack]

I found my problem.  

I had the digital out on the cable box connected to digital out on my CD recorder.  Heh.. heh..

Anyway, my ultimate goal was to record music off of some of those music channels directly to CD.  Mostly just as an experiment.  However, when connected via digital input, the recorder encounters an error: "NO AUDIO TR".  The owner's manual is not really clear what this error means... something to the effect that it encountered some unrecognizable data.

I was wondering what that data might be, is it the 5.1 encoding that may be screwing it up (is the digital out always 5.1)?  Or was this data placed there intentionally so I am unable to make a digital copy of what's being broadcast?

If the answer is the former, would buying a receiver with digital out on it and setting it to 2 channel stereo solve the problem?  Or will it just pass through the full 5.1 signal?

[Gregg Lengling]

I'm pretty sure that is because of copy protection issues.  Most units will not allow you to do a full digital record, yes you can do it with analog inputs but when you go to digital it is protected so you can't make a perfect "Bootleg" copy.

[Skipjack]

That was my suspicion, Greg.  Thanks for clearing it up.

Besides, it's too hard to catch when one song ends and the next begins to insert a track increment... so, I wind up with a few seconds of the start of the next song on the end of the previous song.

Ahh.. well.