I've just taken delivery of a new Humax Foxsat HDR to replace a Sky+ as I want to save the subscription. I simply unplugged all the connectors from the Sky+ and plugged them into the equivalent sockets on the Humax. There seem to be two audio problems.

1. If I fully plug in the optical then it doesn't work: there's light coming out the end but no audio. If I slightly pull out the optical connector from the Humax then it works fine (but is obviously liable to fall out).

2. If I use analogue audio through the SCART then only one channel works. And not always the same channel: sometimes the left channel works; sometimes the right.

Plug all the cables back into the Sky+ and everything works correctly just as it has done for years. I usually use digital audio from the Sky+ but I also tested analogue audio from it via the SCART and that works fine.

It sounds (pardon the pun) to me as though the Humax is faulty but before I return it to Amazon does anyone have any thoughts?

Hi, are you using the HDMI on the Foxsat?

If yes, and the HDMI is going via your amp or you are just using the TV audio the legacy optical cable is not required.

I must admit I have not used a scart plug / cable in quite a while but do recall they could be very cranky

I only use the HDMI output on my ones.

Automan.

Thanks for the thoughts. No, I don't use the HDMI as I don't have an HD TV.

The optical port on the TV is most likely an output not an input, if this is the case it will never work. The scart audio problem is typical problem of scart connection. Firstly turn up the Hdr's volume using the hdr remote. Push the scart sockets firmly into the hdr and the TV. If that doesn't work try a different scart cable.

Thanks for the suggestions.


It's definitely an input: the TV has an inbuilt DD5:1 decoder and associated left/right/rear speakers. I've used this setup for about ten years with Sky+.


Already done. As I mentioned, all cables work perfectly when plugged into the Sky+.

Did you turn up the volume on the Foxsat ?.

Thanks for the reminder (I also have a 9300T and that feature often catches me out there too, especially after a reset). Yes, the volume is fully turned up. Of course, it only affects the SCART not the optical - that's expected.

Further investigation suggests that there are two separate problems each with their own cause.

On the SCART, it looks as though the sound problem is caused by a faulty SCART cable. I wouldn't have known about this when using it on the Sky+ box because I always use the optical for the sound. I'm still testing with other cables/inputs on the TV.

The problem with no sound on the optical when it's fully plugged in continues. I think I need to try another cable but I don't know if I've got one. A search in the loft is required.

Just to round this off...

The SCART problem was indeed a faulty cable. I plugged the original cable back into the Sky+ and it gave the same symptoms as on the Foxsat though it required more movement and as I said I wouldn't have noticed it because I always used the optical. Another SCART cable works fine.

I did have another optical cable in the loft. This one also has the same problem but to a much lesser degree and it is actually usable. It looks like either a minor difference in tolerance in the socket or the Foxsat is faulty but as it works it's bad not enough to make me send it back.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

This must be an alignment problem with the plug/socket.
As you have the same problem with another optical cable, I would suspect that the Humax's optical connector is duff.

Frank