Vast and Dolby surround Sound

[RedXT]

I have a mediastar 8200s with a vast cam and have tried recording movies on different channels and the best I get is Dolby Stereo no 6 Channel surround sound

Can anyone tell me if it is a limitation of the mediastar 8200s and or firmware or is Vast not broadcast with surround sound at all

thanks thomo

[gordon_s1942]

I dont think it does but are the programs your watching recorded in 6 channel to begin with?

I have a 7 channel AMP and I thought that what ever you ran through it, you would get audio out of each speaker even if it was just a Mono recording but that doesnt seem to be the case.
With Mono you just get 2 speakers in tandem with a woofer if you have one but all the rest are silent if the digital surround signal isnt there in the recording.

Like Terrestrial TV, all you get is stereo at best.

[Tiny]

[mandc]

With FTA I have only seen Dolby surround on HD channels. If vast has HD channels try those.

My TV has an optical connect to the amp and when on HD channels all 5 speakers light up on the amps display (Yamaha amp)

I don't have vast so not sure if it's the same.

[gordon_s1942]

VAST doesnt have distinct HD channels like either Foxtel or Terrestrial TV does.

The UEC does have an Optical out but I have never connected it to a suitable Amp.

[Tiny]

VAST doesnt have distinct HD channels like either Foxtel or Terrestrial TV does.

The UEC does have an Optical out but I have never connected it to a suitable Amp.

It does actually Gordon, just not maybe the same as you city people are used to.

OneHD, SBSHD, 7Mate and 9GEM are HD. It could be better, a lot better. The rest should be HD as it's a HD platform.

[RedXT]

Thanks guys I am mainly interested in recording movies etc for later playback and if I can get HD with surround sound all the better.I tested the mediastar recording 9hd (terrestrial) and all good, HD with Dolby 6 Channels, and on vast channels Tiny mentioned found HD with mostly Dolby 2.0 but there were a couple of programes in 6 Channel

cheers thomo

[gordon_s1942]

Tiny, I have both VAST and Terrestrial channels and I was under the impression that VAST was an all HD Platform but much the programming carried isnt.
Compare two films like Avatar and Robin Hood with Errol Flynn made in 1938 and the differences between the two productions is noticable.
You might laugh but I notice the soapy 'Bold and the Beautiful' appears to be recorded in HD with their exterior shots sharp and clear even though its not broadcast on a HD channel Terrestrially.
I believe that if the recording is not of quality, then it doesnt matter what format its broadcast in, HD or SD, it shows that lack of quality.

[Tiny]

No Gordon, VAST is not all HD channels, however it should be.

I do understand that individual programs on HD channels may be of a different quality of broadcast. Some are SD & some HD.
I can tell you for sure that VAST SD channels, which is most of them (see quote below from the MYVAST website), are not bad picture quality anyway.

What channels are available on VAST?




ABC and SBS are broadcasting standard definition channels ABC1, ABC2/ABC4, ABC3, SBS1, SBS2 and the high definition channels ABC News 24 and SBSHD. For further information about ABC channels on VAST, click

For further information about SBS channels on VAST, click
Southern Cross Media, Imparja TV, WIN and GWN are broadcasting digital commercial television channels in standard definition with programming from the 7, 9 and 10 networks and the high definition channels OneHD, 7Mate and 9GEM.