Cable TV coax doesn't carry stereo signal to TV

I've noticed that whenever I've listened to my TV with the cable coax going to the cable box and then from the box to the TV, the signal is mono. However, if I use RCA phono jacks from the cable box to the TV, the signal is stereo. So, why doesn't the coax carry a stereo signal from the cable box to the TV?

 

I assume your TV isn't "cable ready"?

 

My cable ready stereo TV receives stereo signal through the regular old coaxial cable.

 

Yep. Depending on if your TV is absolutely cable ready, the box itself is the problem but unfortunately may be the only way you get cable to your TV.

Someone else might have to chime in, but I believe if you've got HBO or other pay subscriptions, the box is still something you have to have, right? The TV alone does not filter what the cable company wants you to receive....

 

From what you describe, I'd say the problem is that you are using the rf coax to get from your cable box to your tv. Unless you cable box has a MTS stereo output you will only get mono from the rf out of the cable box. Most boxes don't support MTS. Besides not having stereo, this is the lowest quality way to watch the cable box. Video and stereo audio through the rca jacks would be better, and Svideo would be even better for the video. Finally HDTV cable boxes and some digital cable boxes support component video outputs, which is the best of the 3 methods.

Btw, if you turn your cable box off and use the tv tuner to tune to stations broadcasting in stereo, you will still get stereo on the rf. The reason for this, is that most cable companies have stereo channels and use mts modulators in the cable head end. The TV will accept these and decode the stereo audio. But once you go through the cable box, there will no longer be stereo on the rf cable.

Sorry.