HR20-HDMI+Toslink@Same Time

[claymanhb]

I want to run hdmi to my plasma and toslink to receiver-both from the hr20. However when I connect HDMI, I lose the optical. Can these both be active at the same time?

[Michael D'Angelo]

Yes, all outputs are active on the HR20/21's at the same time.

That is how mine is connected and it works perfect.

Did you turn Dolby Digital on in the menu?

[claymanhb]

Yes, all outputs are active on the HR20/21's at the same time.

That is how mine is connected and it works perfect.

Did you turn Dolby Digital on in the menu?

Yeah it's active. It's weird because when I connehct the HDMI, both will work until the box is restarted. Once it's restarted, I lose optical.

[Michael D'Angelo]

Yeah it's active. It's weird because when I connehct the HDMI, both will work until the box is restarted. Once it's restarted, I lose optical.

I am not sure what could be the problem than but it should work fine. I will keep thinking and if I can come up with something I will let you know.

I have never had a problem even after reset.

[MartyS]

Just like Mike said, I have (and have always had) HDMI to the HDTV and Optical to the receiver... works with no problems on 2 different HR's, my TiVo and my DVD player.

[Carl Spock]

Agreed with the others above. On my HR20-700, I use the HDMI out for my home theater and the optical out for my whole house music system. Both are always on for me.

[Lee L]

I have mine hooked up just as you describe. HDMI to a Panasonic Plasma TV and Toslink to a Yamaha Receiver and it works great. I do noticed that if I have the reciever on first, then turn on the TV, the sound does drop in and out briefly when the TV comes on, but only for a second. It sounds like you might have an issue with the HR20.

[Stuart Sweet]

I'll chime in and say that on one HR20-700 I've got HDMI, TOSLink, RCA/analog audio, RCA/composite video (2x) and S-Video all active, constantly.

[Hansen]

Are you running both the HDMI and optical out of the HR20 to an AV receiver? If so, the AV receiver could be selecting one over the other for sound purposes. You should go from HR20 optical straight to receiver and from HR20 HDMI straight to plasma TV...no stops in between.

[tomkat1127]

Direct TV states having mulitple outputs connected at same time can confuse the sat box.

Last night I attempted something like this and now I think the HDMI output of the HR20-700 (1 week old refurb unit) is dead. Warning: Long story.......

Here's the back story and what I was trying to do. Had system installed 4/12/08, HR20-100 connected HDMI to Panasonic plasma and digital coaxil to Onkyo 605. Worked great but had the audio drop problem on some HD channels. Direct sent refurb HR20-700 last week (that sounds like it has a screw loose inside)and I discovered that it does not have a digital coaxil only Toslink. Upon complaining at activation guy credits me to go buy Toslink cable. Purchase Toslink and good HDMI from monoprice and got them last night. Read here on the boards that all outputs were active all the time. So I thought I could run RCA composites to a digital to analog convertor and hook to the coax that use to feed my master bedroom. I just wanted to be able to watch the sat in bedroom, I don't care if I can't watch a different channel than what is on in living room. Got it all hooked up and upon power-up I get signal in bedroom but plasma in living room is black picture. I tried every possible thing I could to make HDMI work again and it will not. I completely unhooked all cables and left HDMI hooked to HR20 and TV, I tried hard reboot, I tried a reset, I checked TV inputs and settings, I tried HR20 settings and nothing. I then worried about my tv so I swapped the DVD HDMI over from HDMI 1 to the HDMI 2 where the sat was and it works fine.
I finally connected HR20 to TV via component cables and analog R/W audio, result is it works fine.

Direct TV has scheduled a service call Wed, but I am at work and wife doesn't know enough about this stuff. I'm thinking about calling the installer as he is partially a friend but not sure how much he can help. My thoughts is they need to bring me a box, it will be the 3rd in less than 2 weeks. Any ideas, comments, questions?

On a side note: Love the Toslink's from monoprice.com but the HDMI is so big and bulky that I'm afraid it will put too much pressure and strain on the already flimsy HDMI connectors. I went back to the thin cheap cable that came with the sat box. Anyone need a new 6ft HDMI, cheap?

[cbeckner80]

I want to run hdmi to my plasma and toslink to receiver-both from the hr20. However when I connect HDMI, I lose the optical. Can these both be active at the same time?

On my receiver, and I assume many others, you must assign your audio to a particular output. Check to see if this is a feature you have and if it's been done.

I also had trouble at first with my toslink cutting on and off when I first hooked it up, and it was simply that my toslink cable was not pushed all the way in. Hope none of this is redundant and is of a little help

[Carl Spock]

^ Both great points, but then should I expect anything less from a Carl? :D

I have to admit I've also tried to get Toslink to work without taking the clear cap off the center pin. I figured it out soon enough but it's usually the stupid little things that do me in.

[tomkat1127]

^ Both great points, but then should I expect anything less from a Carl? :D

I have to admit I've also tried to get Toslink to work without taking the clear cap off the center pin. I figured it out soon enough but it's usually the stupid little things that do me in.


Yep, I wasn't sure if the plastic cap stayed on or was supposed to come off. After 5 minutes of fiddling, I yanked it off. It fit then but I still don't like the lack of connection clamping force of HDMI or Toslink has. I would much rather have screw on or RCA type connection.

[Carl Spock]

It's a soft connector, no doubt, but it should click into place. As you have found out, it doesn't take much to break that lock.

HDMI isn't much better. The only thing it has going for it is the depth of the jack and the length of the plug. Beyond that, it takes almost no force to get HDMI to become unplugged.

Screw connectors...you must be as old as me. :D

Order of most likely to be defective:
1 - Operator
2 - Connection
3 - Cable
4 - HR20

[tomkat1127]

It's a soft connector, no doubt, but it should click into place. As you have found out, it doesn't take much to break that lock.

HDMI isn't much better. The only thing it has going for it is the depth of the jack and the length of the plug. Beyond that, it takes almost no force to get HDMI to become unplugged.

Screw connectors...you must be as old as me. :D

Order of most likely to be defective:
1 - Operator
2 - Connection
3 - Cable
4 - HR20


Must be as old as me... 1- Operator defective.... You sayin 27 is old.... hey I might be defective but I ain't old yet, just feel that way sometimes.

I tried other HDMI and Toslink cables just for the sake of it. Talked to my installer (friend) at lunch. He's going to try and drop another refurb off at house, he say's I did nothing wrong and sometimes hates his job because of crappy (mainly HD)equipment. Says never a problem out of std or just DVR boxes.
Question: Did I miss the statement line in the policy book that said Advanced Reciever (IE: HR2X series) = Guinea Pig.

[ChrisWyso]

I have mine hooked up just as you describe. HDMI to a Panasonic Plasma TV and Toslink to a Yamaha Receiver and it works great. I do noticed that if I have the reciever on first, then turn on the TV, the sound does drop in and out briefly when the TV comes on, but only for a second. It sounds like you might have an issue with the HR20.

+1

[rudeney]

I have mine hooked up just as you describe. HDMI to a Panasonic Plasma TV and Toslink to a Yamaha Receiver and it works great. I do noticed that if I have the reciever on first, then turn on the TV, the sound does drop in and out briefly when the TV comes on, but only for a second. It sounds like you might have an issue with the HR20.

Same setup here – optical out to my Denon receiver, HDMI out directly to my Panasonic Plasma (Denon has no HDMI ports). I also have noticed that when I switch the power on the TV on and off while the HR20 and Denon receiver are on, I get a brief audio dropout. Of course I normally wouldn’t be doing this, but sometimes I record from the HR20 to DVD-R overnight, and when I do this, I switch the TV off.

My guess is there is some sort of handshake going on between the HR20 and the TV audio, and when that gets in initiated or interrupted, the HR20 resets its audio circuits.

To the OP: do you get audio on the TV speakers via HDMI? If not, maybe it’s something specific to your TV’s HDMI handshaking.

[Lee L]

My guess is there is some sort of handshake going on between the HR20 and the TV audio, and when that gets in initiated or interrupted, the HR20 resets its audio circuits.




I think you are right. Just like some receivers, the Xbox 360 or TV's will reset when switch inputs with an HDMI switch box.