Stupid Noob question: Is my receiver working OK?

Jeff Chatterton New member Username: Boogie711 Kitchener, ON Canada Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-04	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 19:21 GMT OK - I am a member and moderator of several other message boards, and I hate dumb people asking stupid questions too, but sometimes, you don't have a choice. I tried a search function, but I couldn't find anything there, either. So, my apologies in advance. Here's the deal - I'm just trying to set up a dirt simple surround sound system. I wouldn't even call it "home theatre..." More like "better than watching on a 19" mono tv." Anyway, I bought an RCA RDT155 "Home Theatre" system from my local trusty Wal-Mart, which has 5 speakers and a sub. I hook up the TV, and discovered that if it's on the front 3 channels, all is well. But when I try to put it on all 5 channels, the sound only comes from the centre channel. In other words, I've not been able to get the rear channels to work at all. Is there a really simple solution to this that I'm too dumb to figure out? I've read the manual cover to cover 3 or 4 times now, and I'm convinced that everything is hooked up correctly. Again, apologies in advance if this question just makes you cringe. Please be gentle.
Johnny Silver Member Username: Johnny Missouri Post Number: 432 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 19:54 GMT Jeff, I know nothing specific of that system you speak of, but what listening mode were you using? If you were in "stereo" mode, i.e. only 2 channels, then that would explain why only the front speakers are playing (but it is odd that you say the front 3 speakers are playing). To get all 5 speakers playing, you must have the mode set to Dolby Pro Logic II or some other surround mode. Check to be sure which sound mode you are trying and post back.
Jonathan Bronze Member Username: Jonmoon Post Number: 93 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 20:34 GMT Jeff, surround sound either comes from a surround sound signal or is created by a listening mode in the receiver that emulates surround sound. So, if you are just watching a regular tv show without a surround sound signal, you are going to have to set the receiver (as Johnny says above) to a mode to create the surround sound.
Jeff Chatterton New member Username: Boogie711 Kitchener, ON Canada Post Number: 2 Registered: Sep-04	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 20:50 GMT OK, that makes sense. It's hooked up to recieve the audio from my Satellite receiver directly, which boasts of having 100% digital signal... but I suppose if the originating station wasn't broadcasting in surround sound, then it wouldn't show up that way, right? Now the next step - figuring out how to change the mode. Believe it or not, I don't believe there's anything in the manual on that particular subject. I appreciate your help, folks. Thanks.
Johnny Silver Member Username: Johnny Missouri Post Number: 433 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 21:06 GMT Jeff, You seem to be on the right track. Look for a button on the remote or receiver that says something like "surround mode", "surround effect", or just "mode". Press that button, and the receiver should cycle through the various listening modes.
Jeff Chatterton New member Username: Boogie711 Kitchener, ON Canada Post Number: 3 Registered: Sep-04	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 22:26 GMT Yes, there's the rub, Johnny. I can cycle back and forth between "Stereo" (with two front speakers and the subwoofer) and "Dolby ProLogic" where all 5 speakers are supposed to be in use (according to the display on the front of the machine.) When it goes into the second mode, the sound only comes from the centre channel. I get hissy, garbled sound from front left and right, and nothing at all from the rear. It works just fine in "stereo" mode, but again, I only get sound from front left and front right, (and maybe the subwoofer.) I'm off to go stick a DVD in and see if that changes things.
Jonathan Bronze Member Username: Jonmoon Post Number: 94 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 00:04 GMT Jeff, which button are you using to toggle. I found the manual on-line here: http://www.rca.com/documents/RTD155_EN_702476_25.pdf On page 6, it describes the remote. I would think that you would use button #17 to toggle between surround modes. If you are using button #12, you might have the problems you described. Have you done the test tones? That will tell you if all speakers are hooked up ok. In looking at this closer, I'm not sure that it is able to make a tv signal into a multi speaker signal. Maybe someone else can decipher this.
Jeff Chatterton New member Username: Boogie711 Kitchener, ON Canada Post Number: 4 Registered: Sep-04	Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 03:45 GMT Thanks everyone... it appears you may be correct - it's just not transferring the tv signal into multi-speaker. That's what I get for buying at Wal-Mart, huh? Anyway - stuck in the DVD, ran some test signals, and it appears that's the big problem. It works fine off the DVD signal, which is Dolby Digital. For Dolby Pro-Logic, it only wants to run off the front. I appreciate your help guys, thanks.

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