I am capturing AC-3 WAV files from the RCA Digital Out on my cable box.
By selecting Surround as opposed to Digital Surround, I get an uncompressed PCM audio which is a valid AC-3 wav from the Digital Coax connector. Motorola cable box.

The problem is an intermittent static and occassional short silences in the audio. I hear this in the original audio as well as the captured file, both before and after conversion. These defects are not present in the analog sound output, and they are present about 50% of the time. I have recorded 90 minutes or more without error, but that's not common.

My only playback device is my computer, however, and I am concerned my cable provider will insist that is the problem. I hope soon to get a 5.1 amp setup but budget is extremely limited.

I should note that the static usually continues for an hour or more, the silences are one or at most two seconds or less, I don't think I have had any silences when the audio is not clear so they seem to be linked. Have turned off all appliances and/or made sure no changes occur when problem starts or stops.

Has anyone experienced similar problems with Digital Audio or a Philips Acoustic edge, or suggest any testing/diagnostic/repair options?