[zachslc]

I have been into two-channel, DIY, and analog for  a long time, but I am completely ignorant about HT.  it drives me nuts not to be able to think about audio schematically in terms of analog signals.  0s and 1s don't make sense to me .


Last night I was helping my dad set up his (partially) new system (with a 60 inch sony grand vega!) and was annoyed to find that his Yamaha rx-v800 receiver does not have a coax digital audio input for the DVD.  it as toslink, but the dvd player does not have a toslink output.  Is it normal for reveivers to not have this?  It does have digital coax input for cab/sat and cd audio.  Will we have to use the cab/sat input?  Is there another way to go about this?

Here's a link to the receiver back panel:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/backs/bRX-V800.htm#

It is about two years old, but surely people watched DVDs in 5.1 two years ago, no?  My dad is not an audiophile, but we do want to get this system set up the best we can with what we have.

Thanks much.

[jonwb]

I have the RX-V1000.  Its hooked up to my Denon DVD-2900 through the 6.1 channel inputs on the Yamaha (I have the Denon decode).  

However, to your concern, I believe with the Yamahas you can re-assign the digital inputs (by the numbers near the plugs) to whatever "named" input you want.  That way he can pick the "DVD" input and it'll pull in the digital signal in from whatever input he's told it to use.  You may want to have him dig through the manual a bit and see if he can find something on that.

[ted_b]

One of two ways to go about it (but first make sure you don't have the ability to reassign inputs, otherwise just reassign cd digital input to dvd):
1) Cheap way:  use cd or cab/sat coax input for dvd;
2) slightly more expensive, but still cheap: go to Radioshack and get a coax-optical converter (part no. 15-1228) if they still have them.  About $25, or there are others out there that do the same (i.e run toslink in and coax out, or vice versa, depending on what you set it for).
Ted_B

[ctviggen]

You can also buy a converter (inputs optical, outputs coax or vice versa).  I have one of these converters, as I have three devices that produce only optical and only one optical input.

[ted_b]

Nevermind...!
just go to page 41 of your owners manual, and under section 7 (as JonWB assumed) just assign the coax dig input to your DVD player.  You can even rename it, as per section 6.   BTW, owners manuals are online at same website as your backpanel link.   That's how I found this...I don't own the product.
Ted_B

[jonwb]

ain't this place great??  

[zachslc]

Awesome.  Thanks to everyone.  I will head out there tomorrow and see what I can do about re-assigning the input.