I have absolutely no idea why Sony does anything. I think "reducing" the features of the A50 was a HUGE mistake. Yes, the A50 works. It does NOT integrate very easily in a home theater (mutli-source) setup where a universal remote is used.

BTW, I'm guessing you actually have a SAT-A3 and a SAT-A50. My SAT-A4 does dolby digital with either optical or coaz outputs. I'd suggest trading your SAT-A50 back in for a SAT-A4.

Perhaps someone who has both an A50 and an A4 can tell me what improvements, if any, are on the A50?

Dave