Hi Jim Thompson,
Good to know that one of our esteemed expert helped you and problem has been solved.
Kindly accept the solution to close question thread if there is no additional question.
Thanks for coming to Fixya.com
Instead of connecting the red and white RCA cables out of the converter box and into the Sony connect them out of the converter box and into the television or into a sound bar because with this set up it doesn't always work when connected sound from external tuner into the Sony and then the sound being passed through to the television when connected out of the Sony into the tv. The Sony just will not pass the sound through.
So disconnect the red and white RCA from the tv that is going into it from the Sony and connect them from the converter box directly to the tv instead.
I had another thought. Even when connecting Sony Playstation equipment to televisions it will sometimes happen that there is no sound. Then I tell customers to change the audio output setting in the Playstation to pcm 2 ch 48khz/96khz. If this RDR-VX555 has audio output settings them try to change/adjust them accordingly.
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Hi,
It doubt if anything is faulty and I should be able to help you get it working, but I need to know the brand/model of the converter box so I can check the audio output types and socket configuration. Please post back with this asap and I'll get straight back to you.
Regards,
BElectric
Hi Jim
Thanks for the info. Connecting the audio outs from the converter to another receiver, e.g. an amplifier would be a very good test to do for starters. I need to read through your messages and have a quick think about what the problem might be, but I will post back very shortly. I'm slightly confused by your comment about Line 1 and Line 2 inputs on the Sony - as far as I'm aware there is only one set of audio-inputs on the RDR-VX555.
Try the audio outs from the converter to another device and I'll get back to you asap.
Regards,
BElectric.
OK, I have to admit I'm slightly puzzled now!
The fact that you referred to Line 1 and Line 2 inputs on the Sony unit has caused me to question whether it's all connected properly. There are only 1 set of Audio OUT sockets on the Motorola converter and 1 set of Audio IN sockets on the Sony.
Please make sure your audio connections are set up as follows:
Motorola DCT6412 Audio OUT (highlighted yellow)
Sony RDR-VX555 Audio IN (highlighted yellow)
If your audio connection are set up as above, please run a test by trying to record the football game to the VCR/VHS. If you have sound when recording to video tape, this eliminates the set-up and the audio sockets on both machines as the cause of the problem.
Please let me know the results of this - I await your reply.
Regards,
BElectric
Hi Jim.
I did get myself a copy of the manual in order to post the pictures of the audio inputs, etc. I apologise for failing to notice the Line 2 inputs on the front. You are also correct about it not being copy protection, as you can record the picture have a picture.
I think I may have found the problem though. It may be that you haven't correctly selected the sound input source on the Sont unit. This is detailed in the first paragraph on page 47 (Recording main and sub sounds) with further details in the left hand column on page 100.
Basically, you need to make sure you have "Line Audio Input" selected as the audio source. To do this, please follow the steps below:
1. PRESS SYSTEM MENU ON THE REMOTE
2. SELECT "SETUP" AND PRESS ENTER
3. SELECT "AUDIO" AND PRESS ENTER
4. SCROLL DOWN TO "LINE AUDIO INPUT" AND MAKE SURE IT IS SET TO "STEREO".
Please try this and let me know what it was set for. If it's already set up as above, then I'm lost for ideas and I'll dig out the relevant Sony Support number for you. Alternatively, you can reject my solution as ask for help from another expert.
Regards,
BElectric
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your kind comments - you are under no obligation to accept my - or any other - "solution" unless your problem is solved. The phone number you need for Sony Support is 239-768-7547, however it's worth clicking on the link below, as there are other option for support available from this page, including live chat where you can "talk" online with a Sony support representative via instant message. The advantage of this is that you can get a transcript of the whole conversation afterwards to save writing everything down.
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/support...
I wasn't busy this morning, so I took the trouble to contact them myself in case there was something really obvious that we were both missing. I have a few more suggestions for you to try before contacting them, which I will post in another message below. I am more than happy to continue assisting you until this problem is resolved.
Please see my next message for a list of further suggestions.
Regards,
BElectric
Process of elimination! Please try these before contacting Sony support:
1. Try playing a pre-recorded (bought) DVD. If there is no sound, press the "AUDIO" button on your remote control while the DVD is playing to cycle between options "-RWVR", "-RVR" "DVD" and "VCD". If there is still no sound, it's likely that you have not connected the RCA plugs from the Sony Audio OUT to the TV Audio IN correctly.
If you have sound when playing back from a bought DVD, try this next:
2. Try the DVD you recorded in another DVD player or on your computer's built in DVD player - if it has one. If you don't have another DVD player, is there a friend or neighbours DVD player that you could try it on? If there is sound recorded on the DVD when played back on another DVD player, then you have not connected the RCA plugs from the Sony Audio OUT to the TV Audio IN correctly - or the settings in the Audio menu on the Sony are incorrect.
If there is sound when played back on another DVD player, do this next:
3. Go into SYSTEM MENU / SETUP / AUDIO again and try changing the options in the "Digital Out" and "Downmix" sections, one at a time while playing your recording of the football.
If you get sound from the bought DVD, but there is no sound from your DVD when played back on another DVD player, try this:
3. Check the volume setting on the cable box. This should be set to about 75% of maximum. If the volume is set very low and you use the volume control on the TV to amplify the sound, this could be why there is no sound recorded onto the DVD.
If the volume setting on the cable box is set correctly:
4. If the cable box is connected to the Sony using the Line 1 audio IN on the back of the sony, press the "INPUT" button on your remote control until the display shows "LINE 1". If you are using the Line 2 inputs on the front of the Sony, press the "INPUT" button on the remote until the display shows "LINE 2"
If you've done all of the above, try recording and playing back again.
If nothing works, let me know the results of the above tests and I still have some other suggestions for you. Also, give Sony support a try, but they usually just resort to telling you to check your connections and, if all else fails, to reset the DVD player to factory settings. I only advise doing this when all other options have been exhausted as it doesn't always solve the problem and you were probably on the factory settings anyway when you first tried to record.
I hope this helps. I will be here until the problem is resolved if you need me.
Regards,
BElectric
Hi Jim,
That's great news! Glad you got it sorted and that I was of some assistance to you. I'm not quite sure what you did, but this request has been returned to the "unsolved problems" list and you are now probably recieving advice from another expert. If you are not in need of further assistance, please can you indicate that your problem has been solved. I'm not quite sure how you do this, but it should be somewhere on this page.
Hopefully you haven't changed any settings/configurations that were already correct as a result of the tests I asked you to do. If you find that something else isn't functioning correctly, just post another message on this page and I will be notified.
Bye for now!
Nick / BElectric
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It is a digital cable box, Motorola DCT6412. And I think I forgot to clarify that what I'm trying to do with the football game which is recorded onto that DVR is to make a DVD of the game with the Sony RDR-VX555. It's very frustrating now that I know it's recorded just fine on my DVR but I may never ever be able to get it off there onto a DVD for posterity. I know that Sony is very funny about copyright stuff, and maybe that's the problem, but if that WERE the issue, what's supposed to happen is that it would stop recording and give me the error message that it can't copy copyrighted stuff, etc. Since that doesn't happen, and I do seemingly get the video recorded with no problem (but not the audio), I'm suspecting that the RCA plugs on the converter box may not be enabled. I plan to try and check that hypothesis soon by plugging them into something else if I can figure out how I might could test them. The only other explanation is that there's something I'm not doing right with the Sony dvd recorder, but I don't think so--I've tried everything. Could the solution be that I have to go out and buy and new DVD recorder? If so, if I had to go and do something that drastic, I might do it, but I have no idea what WOULD work and what I should buy.
Yes, I'm sure the cables are connected on the back of each unit correctly (the diagram you sent of the converter box does not match exactly with the placement shown on the actual unit which I own itself, but essentially it is the same. The diagram you provided of the Sony hook-up is EXACTLY the same as the unit itself. (I'd take a picture of the back of the converter to show you if I knew how to attach a jpeg here, but it's probably unnecessary as I'm sure it's connected to the only audio out R & L plugs that are back there.)
I have not been successful in finding something else to hook up to the converter to test out those plugs--and I DO wonder if they work. I'll go to Best Buy tomorrow and see if I can buy something not too expensive to check them with.
By the way, the Line 1 and Line 2 inputs are, indeed, both there on the Sony, but that's not probably relevant as I have it hooked up to the Line 1 inputs as shown in your Sony diagram anyway. However, if you have a copy of the manual to the Sony RDF-VX555, and if you're curious, p. 27 shows the Line 2 inputs on the FRONT PANEL of the unit, and also on p. 114.
Listen, I really don't think you'll be able to troubleshoot this problem for me from way out there, despite your great efforts. Maybe I can call some number at Sony and ask them tomorrow (you would not know the number to call, would you?). But I don't hold you to this task any longer as it's just too impossible--you've been great, though. If you have some kind of evaluation to send me, I'll give you top ratings. Your task, I think, was impossible, however. Too many possibilities, too many unknowns.
P.S. Oops...I forgot to address one of your last suggestions. Yes, when I try to record from the converter to the video component of the Sony (as opposed to the DVD), I also get no sound. I've even tried to record a few minutes onto a VHS tape (like I did to the DVD earlier), and all I got was the video. No audio.
Well, I sure had my hopes up! What you found this last trip sounded so promising, so logical, etc. In fact, I DID have the "Line Audio Input" set instead to "Main/Sub" instead of "Stereo"! So, I did as you suggested, and changed it to "Stereo," and repeatedly tried to get sound. No luck. Then I switched to "VIDEO" instead of "DVD," to see if that made a difference. It didn't.
I'm going to call TECH SUPPORT at Times-Warner Cable tomorrow and ask them if they can check remotely if my AUDIO OUT R & L RCA jacks are activated (the video jack certainly is, but I'm beginning to wonder about the audio jacks. If they can't do anything for me, and confirm that they're supposed to be enabled, then I'll continue to try and figure out a way to test them.
Also, at some point in time, I'll try to call some kind of Sony HELP or TECH ASSIST phone number to ask them about the problem. (Yes, if you can find a number, I'd certainly appreciate it. You seem to be quite capable of obtaining all kinds of resources. You've impressed me very much.)
In all, I feel my $8 for your service was well spent. (At first I wondered if this service was some kind of flim-flam, but decided to risk $8, and I'm glad I did.) I feel like I've benefited by having a knowledgable and capable 3rd party think it through. No, I don't need to talk to anyone else there. I feel like if you could not find a way, no one else at FixYa can either. You were most resourceful and energetic.
If you have an evaluation form or survey to send me, don't hesitate. I'll grade you top notch, as you deserve it. However, if you are able to find a working SONY telephone for me (or whatever), I'd certainly be obliged.
Thanks ever so much,
Jim Thompson
Millbrook, Alabama
Dear BElectric (I'd call you by name if I knew it)--
Good news! IT WORKS NOW! I tried your latest suggestions (the best suggestion among them all was probably your advice to check the input chosen, but as it was, I had already chosen the correct one), but that didn't fix it. Since you had repeatedly asked me to check the converter box's audio out jacks on some other unit (but I couldn't quite figure out how), I wanted to check them out before reporting back to you this last time.
So I called the cable company's customer support line (today was the first day I could call them as they've been closed since the holidays) and asked them for help. THEY DID NOT KNOW QUACK about the RCA jacks in back nor any hidden menus which I had once accessed before--guess I got a new rep. But he DID volunteer to remotely "reset" the cable box which he did. I asked him if that was something I, myself, could have done by turning it off for a certain period but he said no, that he had to do it. So I thanked him, hung up, and went to check it! IT WORKED! For some reason, apparently, the RCA audio out jacks had stopped working.
Testing out those jacks was one of your FIRST suggestions, so you should feel proud! I just didn't know what machine around here I could test it with. So you had the answer all along! Congratulations!
So thank you so much! I'm thankful this nightmare is behind me, and I'm so glad that the Sony RDF-VX555 can successfully copy a football game (the Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl on Friday...WAR EAGLE!) without copyright problems!
Thanks again,
Jim Thompson
Hello bshldn--
About an hour and one half ago, I sent a message back (presumably to "BElectric," the first expert to help me) but apparently he did not receive it. (I have no copies here of my replies so I can't copy it and send to you exactly.)
However, please know that my problem is already fixed! One of the things he (BElectric) was trying to do was to get me to first check the right and left audio out jacks of the converter box to make sure it was exporting sound. I delayed doing so because I did not know how exactly. Then this morning I contacted customer support of my cable company (they had been closed over the holidays so this morning was the first chance I had to call them) and asked them to "reset" my converter box. They did, and that fixed the problem.
So the first fellow was right all along (BElectric?). If you could please convey that to him I would appreciate it.
And also, thank you for undertaking the task for BElectric to finish up, but it appears that it won't be necessary. Thanks again, very much. You both apparently work for a very solid company and I'll not hesitate to use you again.
Sincerely,
Jim Thompson
Nick/"BElectric" really did do a thorough job in solving my problem. My hat is off to him! Thanks very much!
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