XDA with DVR SPDIF

[FlatEarth]

Hi all, this is my first post in the Lounge. I recently made my entry to the Emo family with an XDA after watching the forum and reading reviews over the past year.

When the XDA arrived last week, I anxiously connected it to my HD DVR, a Motorola DCX3400. I bought it primarily to eek the last bit of SQ for HT/TV as my rig can take advantage of good components.

Sadly, no sound. Comcast were unhelpful, they only offered that the ports are always on. Motorola echoed, and blamed Comcast. Apparently, the XDA can only process PCM, suggesting the STB only outputs bitstream. I was able to find some strings on the net that describe setting the HDMI audio to L-PCM to address, but still no sound. Setting STB audio to no compression did not help either. Cables check fine with other sources (DVD SPDIF, ATV Tos')

Here's hoping someone may know the solution as I purchased the unit for this role and would have to (sadly) return it if I can't get it to work.

Cheers

[jmilton]

I am not running my STB to the XDA, but the XDA will handle PCM and/or bitstream. I am running my Oppo 980H to the XDA in RAW (bitstream) without a problem. The DAC in the XDA works well with it. I have also run the Oppo with PCM selected and that, too, works fine.

On the STB, you will need to connect it via a coaxial cable to the XDA. There must be a setting in the STB that gives you an output choice...or it may be that the HDMI setting trumps the digital out.

Does your TV have digital audio outs? Run that to the XDA...

[FlatEarth]

Thanks for the input. I did talk to someone at Emo (Scott?) and he said the XDA only accepts PCM, which he said is uncompressed while bitstream is compressed - the XDA has no uncompress hw or sw. Web searches are contradictory on PCM vs bitstream, but appear to be in line with his description. My TV has a Tos' out, but that didn't work either.