How do I output AC3 from Fortech Lifetime Ultra (for PBS@AMC3)

[reallyfly]

Hi all,

I just biught FTA equipment 1 week ago, This is my equipments:
90cm Dish
Invacom LNBF SNH-031
Fortec Lifetime Ultra

I tune ths dish pointing to AMC3, but I got no sound. Some channels did have audios. Did a seach on this forum, it turns out that the audio is AC3.

Because I don't have Home Theater system, how do I get the AC3 audio output from my TV ? Is there any AC3 decoder that converts AC3 back to analog audio and mux with the coax ouput ? Any suggestion is welcome.

James

 

[neil_kc1]

reallyfly,
Hello and welcome. AC3 is another name for Dolby Digital, NOT DOLBY PROLOGIC, There is a jack on the back of your Fortec LIfetime Ultra that you must feed to some type of decoder. I use a cheap RCA home theater I bought at a pawn shop. You can purchase enexpensive Home Theatre Systems but make sure it is for "DOLBY DIGITAL" If not it still will not decode the signal. I talked to the guys the mojor electronics store (read radio S) and they didn't even know what AC3 was. Some of the guys run it into a computer card and have it decoded there. Good Luck.

 

[Stefan]

A good cheap AC3 decoder is a creative labs sound blaster Extigy 24 bit. This was sort of like a external usb soundcard for your computer, but it's a little known fact that these units can also be used in a standalone configuration (No PC required) as an AC3 decoder. I use one with my pansat 2500a and a cheap set of durabrand speakers. You simply connect the digital audio out from your reciever to the digital in on the extigy and then connect your speakers to the analog audio out of the extigy. Of course you also have to connect the Extigys power adapter. Anyway, you can find these on ebay for around $50. It's about the cheapest solution you'll find that's guaranteed to decode AC3.

 

[reallyfly]

Thank for the reply.


I wan think about connect the SPDIF out from Fortec receiver to my PC (my PC has SPDIF in), and let the PC does the AC3 decoding. So I can verify the AC3 setup is working or not. If that works, I am planning to get cheap Home Theater from Walmart.


James

 

[Mr Tony]

I got a cheap system from Wally world a while back and it decodes AC-3

 

[Alec]

Some of those lessor cost systems still seem expensive. I was doing some google searching for s/pdif , the jack on the back of my Pansat 2700a. I had found a guys site where he shows how to build a DAC, digital to analog converter. Looks like it will do stereo, not the 5 or 7 channels the costly home theaters will do. The circut doesnt look to complicated. I had searched for some time trying to find a supplier that would sell just one chip or even had them in stock, DigiKey didnt even have the chip. Link 1 is prodject, Link 2 is supply house having single chip for sale. (1) http://sound.westhost.com/project85.htm (2) http://www.mcmelectronics.com/

 

[snathanb]

I'm going to add a related question... I use the Fortec Lifetime Ultra, as well. I keep it in my den, but I also use a distribution amp to run it to other rooms in my house over RG6.

Any thoughts on how to get the AC3 audio converted to something I can send to the other rooms in my home?

 

[Stefan]

"I am planning to get cheap Home Theater from Walmart."

If you go that route be careful and makes sure you get a system that will accept an spdif digital intput and will decode AC3 through it. Not all of them will. The durabrand speakers I use with my Extigy came from walmart and were sold as a "home theater" system that supposedly supported "surrond sound" but the speakers don't have any kind of digital input (only analog) and definitely cannot decode ac3. So if you buy such a system as this, especially a cheap one, makes sure it specifically states that it has a digital SPDIF input and handles AC3. Otherwise you may wind up buying something that won't do what you want it to. Also some of those really cheap systems come with a DVD player and the DVD player does the AC3 decoding internally and sends it out analog outputs to the speakers. A system like that may technically support AC3 surrond sound when you play a DVD but would be useless for decoding it from your satellite reciever. That's why I recommended the Extigy. I bought a couple of these cheap home theater systems from walmart thinking they'd do what I wanted only to get burnt. That's when I decided just to pick up an Extigy because I knew it would do what I want. Anyway, my advice if you go the "cheap" home theater system route is to be careful and makes sure you research and know that the particular one you buy will do what you want it to or keep your receipt and be prepared to return it if it doesn't.

 

[Stefan]

Some of those lessor cost systems still seem expensive. I was doing some google searching for s/pdif , the jack on the back of my Pansat 2700a. I had found a guys site where he shows how to build a DAC, digital to analog converter. Looks like it will do stereo, not the 5 or 7 channels the costly home theaters will do. The circut doesnt look to complicated. I had searched for some time trying to find a supplier that would sell just one chip or even had them in stock, DigiKey didnt even have the chip. Link 1 is prodject, Link 2 is supply house having single chip for sale. (1) http://sound.westhost.com/project85.htm (2) http://www.mcmelectronics.com/

I can't say for sure as I'm not familiar with the circuit your reffering to, but if it's just a DAC and just does stereo then I doubt it will work for decoding AC3.

 

[Alec]

Dac

The DAC will convert the AC3 to stereo only, Its just a another dirt cheap way of getting the sound rather than buying a high priced sound system. Some of the lowest priced systems are not nessessaryily cheap.

 

[snathanb]

A good cheap AC3 decoder is a creative labs sound blaster Extigy 24 bit. This was sort of like a external usb soundcard for your computer, but it's a little known fact that these units can also be used in a standalone configuration (No PC required) as an AC3 decoder. I use one with my pansat 2500a and a cheap set of durabrand speakers. You simply connect the digital audio out from your reciever to the digital in on the extigy and then connect your speakers to the analog audio out of the extigy. Of course you also have to connect the Extigys power adapter. Anyway, you can find these on ebay for around $50. It's about the cheapest solution you'll find that's guaranteed to decode AC3.

Sounds like this could solve my distribution issue... I could run the digitial audio out to the Extigy, then run the analog audio and composite video from the fortec into an rf modulator, then run the coax out from the modulator to my distribution amp.