AC3 on only one channel

[minkbarn]

I have a Fortec Lifetime slaved to a 922. I am having difficulty getting AC3 audio on most channels. I have the Lifetime hooked into a JVC RX-884V rceivier which takes dolby digital devices. Here is the strange thing: I get AC3 audio on the T7 Soundtrack channel, but I do not get it on the AMC3 PBS's, XY, Tech TV, or anywhere else. I have manually entered the pids on these stations, so I have the correct settings scanned in. Why would I get AC3 on one channel and not the others?
Also, I have yet to get a dolby digital signal from the 922. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[wejones]

Originally Posted by minkbarn

I have a Fortec Lifetime slaved to a 922. I am having difficulty getting AC3 audio on most channels. I have the Lifetime hooked into a JVC RX-884V rceivier which takes dolby digital devices. Here is the strange thing: I get AC3 audio on the T7 Soundtrack channel, but I do not get it on the AMC3 PBS's, XY, Tech TV, or anywhere else. I have manually entered the pids on these stations, so I have the correct settings scanned in. Why would I get AC3 on one channel and not the others?
Also, I have yet to get a dolby digital signal from the 922. Any suggestions?

Thanks

You don't say if it is a Lifetime or Lifetime Ultra. My regular Lifetime didn't come with the advertised firmware enabling it to get AC3 audio, and I had to use the uploader software to upgrade it. I got audio out of the digital output, but it wasn't AC3.
After the upgrade, it got the PBS AC3 fine, however some times, when an AC3 channel scans in, the receiver doesn't recognize it as AC3, and puts a zero in for the audio PID. Hit the info button for the PBS channels, and see what audio PID is in there. If it is zero, you may have to try scanning it in again, or delete each and manually enter the PIDs.

[minkbarn]

Originally Posted by wejones

You don't say if it is a Lifetime or Lifetime Ultra. My regular Lifetime didn't come with the advertised firmware enabling it to get AC3 audio, and I had to use the uploader software to upgrade it. I got audio out of the digital output, but it wasn't AC3.
After the upgrade, it got the PBS AC3 fine, however some times, when an AC3 channel scans in, the receiver doesn't recognize it as AC3, and puts a zero in for the audio PID. Hit the info button for the PBS channels, and see what audio PID is in there. If it is zero, you may have to try scanning it in again, or delete each and manually enter the PIDs.

It is a Lifetime, not a Lifetime Ultra. Yes I experienced the same situation with getting zero on the audio pid after a scan. I then manually entered the pids and received the audio pid.
But, I still do not get the AC3. Could it be that I also have this earlier firmware, and need an upgrade? Can you do this with a Mac?

[wejones]

What firmware version do you have? I think I'm now using 2.19, and the version that didn't work had something earlier, like 2.17 or something.
Re MAC, no. I think you'll have to find a PC with either WinXP or Win2K.
Most of the Fortec software doesn't even work on Win98, which is dumb. No reason for that at all for something that works through a serial port.

EDIT.... one other thing. When the receiver sucessfully scans in an AC3 channel, it indicates that it is AC3, I think in the info screen.

[minkbarn]

Originally Posted by wejones

What firmware version do you have? I think I'm now using 2.19, and the version that didn't work had something earlier, like 2.17 or something.
Re MAC, no. I think you'll have to find a PC with either WinXP or Win2K.
Most of the Fortec software doesn't even work on Win98, which is dumb. No reason for that at all for something that works through a serial port.

EDIT.... one other thing. When the receiver sucessfully scans in an AC3 channel, it indicates that it is AC3, I think in the info screen.

That's the problem then. I have firmware 2.11 4,22,2003. I don't have a PC, just a Mac. I guess I'll either have to try and download the firmware elsewhere or live without it. It's not that important at the moment as I have a big dish C and KU system, and get lots of PBS. But it would be nice to have AC3 in the future.

Also everything else works great, so I don't want to take any risks I don't have to with downloads.

Thanks for your input, as you have cleared up the mystery for me.