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Weird Cable TV and Surround Problem-You are my last hope

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Weird question for you guys if I may. Switched cable providers recently to go with the new guy in town, Everest Cable. The have an incredible deal here: Phone with all the extras, internet, and all the cable TV channels for 99.00 a month. So far I've been very happy with the service and product except for this one thing: I get no surround sound on any of the movie channels like HBO and Showtime.It's very strange. I've tested it out and found I get information sent to the rear channels on stuff like Jenny Jones on the analog Fox station. I get information sent to the rears on commercials on CMT on the digital side of the channels. Seems like I get it everywhere except the premium movie channels. Watched Event Horizon on HBO-nothing, dead silent throughout. Same with every movie on every movie channel.
Seems to me that there is no way it can be a set up issue on my part. Likewise, there is no way that CMT is broadcasting commercials in surround and HBO is not broadcasting surround for movies. Everest says in their offices they get surround on HBO so they don't think it can be the signal they get from the HBO. On Monday they are going to bring a new digital cable box, could that be the culprit? I'm going to make them prove to me that I am getting a stereo signal on the channels in question, I don't know how but there must be a way.
Any other ideas?
Many Thanks,
Jim Clark

Follow Ups:

Re: Weird Cable TV and Surround Problem-You are my last hope jasonz29 11:45:58 04/09/01 (0)
hi,
i have a similar problem. my pos cable company will only provide me with a cable box that puts out a mono signal (it actually has stereo output interconnects, red/white!) so i cant hook my cable box directly to my receiver. i have to let my tv decode the signal to stereo and then run to my receiver from my tv. if you are using a vcr in your set-up (i am not) it would be better to run a coax cable from the cable box to the vcr and then run audio interconnects to the receiver. this should solve the problem.
Re: Weird Cable TV and Surround Problem-You are my last hope db 08:24:16 04/09/01 (3)
Jim, the surround is included in the HI-FI tracks, how is the signal processed in your home? Are you useing a different hook-up in your home for the movie channels? Like from the cable box, or the the HI-FI VCR? How are you routing the audio?
--db
- Signal is processed by a Denon 3300 Jim Clark 09:27:27 04/09/01 (2)
  I hope that's what you mean. I take the audio out from the source, TV and route it to the inputs on the Denon 3300. Same goes for the VCR.
  Ater some tinkering around I disconnected all speakers except the rears. I get signal sent to the rears on all channels that you would expect it (not mono movies of course) up until channel 400. After that-nothing on any channel. Very perplexing.
  I'm acting under the assumption that I'm not getting a stereo signal from those channels though I'm not certain if that is even plausible.
  Thanks for the reply. I hope this additional information gives you some ideas.
  Regards,
  Jim Clark
  - Denon 3300 Walnut 11:28:29 04/09/01 (1)
    I have A 3300 as well and have outputs from my digital cable box in to the VDP input of my 3300 (no particular reason other than I don't have a VDP and the button is on the top row). In my cable setup, there is a screen for "Setup" and under "Setup" there is "Audio". I selected Heavy Compressio, Matrix, and something else that's not coming to mind. My 3300 Auto switches to Pro logic when I use cable.
    
    Good Luck.
    - Problem resolved-My thanks to all Jim Clark 12:03:16 04/09/01 (0)
      You were all on the right track, I was way off. It was indeed a connection issue. For starters there was a short in a RS audio cable from the VCR to the receiver. Why it only effects the cable and not VHS is way beyond me.
      Next they had routed the cable box through the VCR to the receiver instead of running the audio from the Digital Cable Box to the Receiver. I was running the TV audio out to the receiver. This is why some channels had rear info. and the digital channels did not. Running the audio from the box to the receiver fixes everything.
      I maybe haven't got it spelled out exactly right here, my head is still swimming, but it's close. At any rate, I'm very happy now. I was too trusting in assuming the contractor actually knew how to hook up the equipment properly.
      I thank all of you who took the time and effort to respond, you were right.
      Regards,
      Jim Clark

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