adding toslink to receiver

[mizzl3]

Hi,

I have a DAV-HDZ235, more specifically for the receiver HCD-HDZ235. It works great but has no optical inputs and my new tv only has one output, optical toslink.

I started taking it apart and sure enough theres a place on the io-s-o printed wiring board for optical toslink. Heres a pic:

http://nuwavehardware.com/sony/io-s-out%20board.jpg

and heres the whole service manual pdf if needed:

http://nuwavehardware.com/sony/HCD-DZ230DZ231HDZ235.pdf

Through limited various research it seems very feasible to solder in a new torx147L, which is what is used on the closest model to mine with optical input, the HCD-HDZ273. On that model the optical input is on the main board, so I couldn't just look at it and see whats different, because on my HDZ235 the optical input is on the io-s-o board.

Any help on things to consider for this mod would be greatly appreciated. I've read about the following things that might come into play:

jumpers
capacitors
providing 5v power
firmware

If it worked would I just use the tv/video setting that the analog RCA input is on to hear the sound?

Thanks,
Nick Mahl

[dangus]

Firmware is the big question. It's quite possible that even if the Toslink receiver is installed, the firmware won't allow access to it. Unless, of course, it automatically overrides the analog input. Best not to drill any holes in the case until you can confirm this.

Is there a coax digital input you could use instead? If so, wire up the TORX as an outboard optical to coax converter. (From viewing the Sony support site, maybe not.) (It strikes me as completely brain-dead to produce a digital surround processor/amp that doesn't allow for external digital audio inputs. DVD isn't the only source of digital audio: cable and satellite tuner boxes, computers, Minidisc, DAT, Laserdisc, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, media players, game consoles. I won't say anything about the customers who buy such a system without considering the lack of inputs.)