Do optical inputs die?

Carlman · « **on:** 23 Aug 2004, 07:29 pm »

I have a Panasonic XR-25 that no longer makes sound on 1 of the optical digital inputs. If I swap inputs in the menu to 'optical 1' there is sound. If I connect the same cable to optical input 2, and then change the menu to match it, there is no sound.

Has anyone ever heard of this happening? I've never had a digital input go bad. The DVD player (matching Panasonic) only has an optical output, which is glowing a nice red but there is no coax output to test.

Any ideas are appreciated.

-C

Carlman · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 02:08 am »

I guess I should mention that the cd player's optical output works because I get sound when connected to optical input 1 only.

Red Dragon Audio · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 03:27 am »

the real questions is; do optical inputs live?

jqp · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 04:41 pm »

DSP boards certainly die (mine did on my Outlaw 950, which I just a moment ago received after having the DSP board replaced).

I would think that only one port could go bad, although I didn't test all of mine - I stoppped at 2 of 4 optical ports, and I didn't try the coax. I had an actual message on the display that said "s/pdif unlock".

shokunin · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 04:58 pm »

Yup, I have the same thing happen on my cheapie Pioneer receiver, all but one of the toslinks works. just died all of a sudden. Of course, mostly video gear come with optical outputs so the toslink inputs are at a premium.

Carlman · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 05:30 pm »

I can see how only 1 would die if the actual port had a problem. If all the digital inputs died, that'd be easier to figure out... like a bad power supply for the digital board or something...

I kept thinking I might have a spec of dust causing the problem.. but, nothing gets moved, it's all been connected the same way for several months and hasn't been moved... Plus, it's all connected to a fairly large Tripplite battery backup/voltage regulator... and it stays fairly clean. There's no dust on anything.

It's just frustrating that it was instantly isolate-able to the port itself. I think I have a coax output from the cable box. If so, I might be in business again. I hope so. The last thing I need is another revamped project.

bubba966 · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 05:59 pm »

Did that optical input ever work?

Carlman · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 07:19 pm »

Oh yeah.. this was a set-it and forget-it situation.. The cable box and DVD player have been plugged into opt 1 and opt 2 for months. The cable box was in opt 1 and the dvd in opt 2. I hadn't used the DVD player in a week and I went to play a movie... nothing. The display says '6 ch DVD' but there are no red lights indicating what type of surround it selected... as if there is no digital input connected or used.

I plugged in the RCA L&R analog outs to the L&R analog inputs of 6-channel input area for the DVD player and got L&R sound only... no center.. and no way to take it off the '6-channel' input type. I did have a hard time getting some dvd's to read, though. Maybe there's more to it... but I don't know what the deal is...

-C

jqp · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Aug 2004, 10:05 pm »

It could be something like a cold solder joint.

I don't think that these optical connections are very high tech - they are just rapid flashes of LEDs and I think there is a lot of tolerance on the connection.

I don't thnk you can send digital audio via analog outs, so your dsp would have to create a center channel from stereo. To get that multichannel I think you need digital optical or digital coax. Or am I missing something?