can't get dolby digital,dts to work

I was hoping for some advise on a a problem with my home theater set up. I have a HK 225 receiver and am unable to get Dobly Digital or DTS surround sound to work. I am using a optical coaxial cable from my dvd player and s-video from DVD to receiver and then to TV. If I am playing a movie I can't select DD or DTS on the surround sound toggle and if I stop the movie and selet either and hit play the receiver sends me to "surround off" mode. Any suggestions? Thanks

Do you get any sound at all? If you do, then check to make sure Zone 2 (or B) speakers aren't active.

If you don't get any sound, make sure the DVD mode is properly configured to use the coax cable for audio.

(You said optical coax cable. Did you mean digital coax or digital optical?)

also check tha setup menu on your dvd player itself,you may have to make some adjustments there...ron

yes, digital coax... all the speaker are hooked up ok since they work in dobly logic and the various sound tests. The problem is that I cant select the DD or DTS modes, I have the coax selected at my digital channel for the DVD

Have you done this:
1) You have to setup your dvd to tell it to use digital out, or else, it will only output to the composite wire.
2) I am not familiar with your receiver, but for my denon 3802, I need to tell which digital input is for which channel switch. e.g. DVD use optical 1 input.
3) is your DVD outputting DD or DTS? Movies usually output DD or DTS during the movie and not the intro menu, they tend to only output two channel sound.

Also have you press the "Digital Select" button on the front panel of the receiver and select the correct Optical channel. My AVR525 has Optical 1-2-3 and I believe the AVR225 has only Optical 1-2.

thanks for the suggestions, I believe I did configure the correct optical channel. I guess to better explain the problem for HK owners i can select the DD and DTS modes when the DVD player is stopped (little green light is selected for those modes) but when I hit play I get "kicked" to a stereo two speaker mode.

Would not having a sub attached be a problem.

I will try messing around with the DVD player setting.

thanks all

You can't select DD or DTS with the receiver surround mode button while the DVD is being play. You do the DD or DTS selection within the DVD movie Setup option. Note: Not every DVD movie has the DTS soudtrack.

The lack of sub is definitely not the problem. I have a feeling your DVD player isn't outputting a digital stream.

the only audio line out of the dvd player is the digital coax---can a non digital signal be sent through this.

yep, made sure the DVD had DTS mix

What brand and model is your DVD player?

There are different formats of digital signal. My DVD player (Sony) allows me to select from a couple different types of digital signal.

Did you change the audio mode in your DVD player setup screen yet?

You're getting Pro Logic instead of D Digital because your DVD player is sending your receiver a simple 2 channel stereo signal instead of the DD signal. Forget about your receiver and focus on your DVD player. Access the set-up menu for your DVD player and enable DD. Access the start-up menu for the particular movie you're watching and select DD. Let the intro roll by (these are almost never in DD) and see what happens. After the movie has begun (not intro, credits or anything else) make sure your receiver is switched to DD. My Denon, kept in the Auto mode, usually switches to DD a couple seconds after the credits start.

thanks everyone for the help, you were rigth the problem was that I just need to set the digital signal output on the DVD player.

Also saw an option "night mode"- what are benifits of this, what does it do SP wise. Thanks again.

Night mode lessens the dynamic range of source material (the difference in volume between loud and soft passages). Therefore, you can watch a movie and have the dialogue audible without the chase scenes waking up sleeping children (or spouses!).

Mark