436-XDE Media box Optical output

kamaran

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What does the 436-XDE media box optical output send out? Is it just the sound from the freeview or does it output from all signals plugged in?

Can someone check this please? Maybe by attaching a DVD player by SCART and then playing and checking what is being output via the optical out...

Finally is the output 5.1 compatible?
 
Yep, the optical outputs whatever you see on the screen. So if you watch Sky via input one then it will output the sound coming through that input.

If freeview broadcasts 5.1 then it will output 5.1. there is an option to alter what the optical outputs in the DTV setup. As far as I am aware, scart can not carry 5.1.

I have a YSP-1 system and I I've plugged all my AV stuff into the media box and have one optical cable to the YSP-1.

Simple.

Hope this helps.
 
I asked the Pio blokes at the Scottish Hifi show this question : Freeview only I'm afraid. And of course thats only DD2.0.
 
westwing2505 I assume you have a 436 then and your 100% sure mate ;)?
 
I should have said, the scenario I am envisaging is connecting a device to the media box via HDMI. If I do that then the output from the media box optical out should be in true 5.1 (this assumes the source material also is) ..?
 
Can't be 100% anymore because I have changed the way everything is connected over a week ago.

I will check tonight but from what i remember, when I first got my YSP-1, I only had 1 optical cable so I connected that to the pio box and YSP-1 and remember getting sound from all the sources. That said, I do remember having trouble but I think that was down to the YSP-1.

I wouldn't hold my words as gospel. I have a 506XDE. Pretty certain that was my original setup. Having so many AV boxes, its hard to keep up.

Although, there is absolutely no reason why the optical can't be used with all the sources. I'm sure if I had discovered that the optical was limited only to freeview, I would have been very ****** off (actually i wouldn't have got ****** off simply because i am besotted with it - but still...). I suppose it is only limited to DD from freeview and the rest are PCM.
 
didn't realise the words get censored. The word begins with p and ends in d
 
If you could check for me tonight i would appreciate it mate, dont worry if its alot of hassle though :)
 
Just checked the manual, Page 65.

Audio Signals synchronising with currently displayed images are ALWAYS output to the Audio Output terminals.

So it's safe to say that whatever source is selected is being fed to the Audio Out terminals of the Media Box.
 
PDP-434HDE said:
I asked the Pio blokes at the Scottish Hifi show this question : Freeview only I'm afraid. And of course thats only DD2.0.


I have the 505 XDE, I CAN CONFIRM my XDE media Box, outputs the audio of what ever is on the screen to the Optical output on the rear of the Box.

My AV amp has only one thing connected to it, the optical from the XDE media box.

I have Tivo on AV1, DVD on Av2, xbox on Av3.

What ever I switched the pioneer to, be it any of the AV's, Freeview, or the analogue tuner, the current screen display syncs with the audio out.

That is one of the main reasons I went for the XDE rather than the FDE media box.
 
Serkie said:
Just checked the manual, Page 65.

Audio Signals synchronising with currently displayed images are ALWAYS output to the Audio Output terminals.

So it's safe to say that whatever source is selected is being fed to the Audio Out terminals of the Media Box.

Doesn't mention the "Digital Optical Out" though. There is no dispute that whatever is being watched is output on the Analogue audio out.

If you look at this picture of the rear of the MR, you can see that only the phono connections are grouped under the area called "Audio Output". The Digital output is situated near to the ariel IN/OUTs.

The manual frankly is poor in this area and it doesn't provide the answer to the question.

Another point, why do you need to loop through the ariel from Digital to Analogue TV inputs, could they not have done this internally? I'd say that the Digital Tuner is an afterthought and is basically the PCB from the Pioneer freeview box added to the Media Receiver. If this is the case, then all you would ever expect to see coming from the Digital Optical Output is freeview sound.

I rest my case, but would LOVE to be proved wrong.


Anyone with a 435 XDE care to comment?
 
Excellent news 6022tivo! I am very glad to be proved wrong here.
 
It might output via the optical, but it won't be a multi-channel signal, will it? Except for HDMI sources. There is no way for the Sky+ or DVD optical to go into the media box, so you would still need a separate optical runing from Sky+ and DVD to amp for a full DD5.1 signal. The only other way sound can get into the box is via SCART which is only stereo/DPL. Not ideal, really. Would have been nice for an optical in as well.
 
Regarding adding digital tuner as an afterthought, I've known many receivers (particularly satellite boxes) to do an external loop of ariel cables e.g My motorised sat receiver does it with sat cable so do switch between digital and analogue.

Although, my EH60D doesn't do an external loop. Might be some truth in that.
 
The 436 XDE manual Page 43 states that you can only select DTV setup when watching DTV channels. This menu allows you to toggle between "Dolby" and "PCM" settings.

I assume that when listening to sound passed through from one of the Scart inputs, the output will be fixed at "PCM"?
 
We never got an update to this thread. Can you get DTS/DD from a HDMI player (such as the 868) into the media box and then pipe the multichannel audio out through the 436 optical ouput?
 
RobbieTT said:
We never got an update to this thread. Can you get DTS/DD from a HDMI player (such as the 868) into the media box and then pipe the multichannel audio out through the 436 optical ouput?

That my friend, is the million $ question
 
k i get my 436 on wednesday,at the moment all my stuff ,sky+dvd,xbox,ps2,go into my pioneer ax10i av amp,and all video signals go from ther out to my old tv via s video,so im a bit confused what im to do when i get the 436?im not even sure what a media box is tbh,can some kind person explain in simple noob language what i do when it comes?

sorry to be a pain ,but i can see myself sitting among a pile of cables etc on wednesday crying. :rolleyes
is there a nice diagram somewhere>?
 
lol,

dennis, as basically as I can....to simplify the performance of your system do as follows:

Connect everything to your media box (think of a media box as the back of your TV). The reason its a seperate box is so you dont have to keep moving the TV (in case of wall mount etc)...

Then run the optical out from the media box to your amp..

Now what you see on the screen should come out of your amp speakers.

The above is a simple setup, but it wont let you enjoy full surround sound. To maxmise your system performance we need to know a little bit more about your current setup and the connections you have for each item (eg sky+, dvd, etc)..
 
thanks for your time,
at the moment my sky+dvd etc all use digital optical for the sound and s video for the picture going to the relevent inputs on the back of the ax10i as i so as im not using the tv speakers i guess i need to er um no,its no good ive lost it, hold on.takes a pill.
ok the only connections to the back of my tv are an s video that takes all the pictures from the sources from the monitor out on the amp,all sound is routed to the amp and so to the speakers from the optical cables so i guess

my head hurts
ive just realised i dont need to worry about the sound as it dosent need to go thru the media box?
only the "tv speaker"sound needs to be wired up so i can use the plasma speakers if i need to>?
 
Correct,

you will also want to start using Scart or component instead of s-video from now on for your picture. These connections will all go into your media box
 
:thumbsup: ok thanks,just one more and ill leave you alone:).i can use the component cables from my amp thats the"three coloured cable i think? instead of s vid,this goes in the input component on the media box? is it then one of the two main cables one black one white that actualy take the picture to the screen\? if so what is the reason for the two cables is one the terestrial signal? i know i have an s vid and an compnent monitor out on the amp.

many thanks for your help,hope i havent bored you.
dennis
 
there are 2 connections which connect the media box to the screen, these are intertwined into 1 cable and also known as an umbilical cable or control cable. I believe one part is a DVI connection and the other a Pioneer propietary control system which also carries the sound.
 
cheers mate,have a good night.
 

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