TV

[med8or]

Hello:

I would appreciate any advice from those in this forum familiar with the various ways to configure systems.

I am using the Explorer 8642HD box.

I have a Samsung HD TV (6300 series) with 4 HDMI ports, optical audio output, and component and audio connections (analogue).

I have a Samsung Digital Home Theater System (HT-C653W) that has HDMI out, but no HDMI inputs. It has an optical audio input and audio and vidoe inputs and component outputs.

I have an AppleTV that has HDMI out and optical out.

I am trying to find the best way to configure so that I can utilize the 5.1 Dolby for HDTV and AppleTV.

I originally had the optical audio output of the tv connected the Theatre System however couldn't get the surround sound working while watching HDTV and then found this in the manual: "if you want to hear 5.1CH audio, connect the digital audio out jack from your cable box directly to a home theater system".

Does the output of the TV not provide 5.1 CH? Is this normal? I had tried plugging the optical output of the cable box to the input of the Theatre system, however this does not bring sound from the Apple TV to the Theatre system.

This is what I've done, but I'm not sure if it's the best configuration:

AppleTV to Optical Audio In of Theatre.

Cable box using analog cables to Theatre system inputs.

I have not yet been able to get surround sound from HD box using this configuration, though this perhaps is because of the limited number of channels carrying 5.1 signal?

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!

[Chris]

The issue is the TV's optical out will not get the sound from the HDMI's and send it out. It is really only made for sending audio out from over the air signals or if you have cable run directly into the TV.

Unfortunately with your home theater receiver you do not have enough inputs to handle everything you are trying to do.

Besides getting one with HDMI inputs or more optical inputs you might want to look into getting an optical audio switch.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2946&seq=1&for...

That one is manual but you may be able to find auto switching ones...

With one of these I would run HDMI direct to tv for each device and optical audio from the HD and appletv to your home theater receiver.

[med8or]

Thanks for your help!

Would the audio (analog) from the cable box outputs to the Theatre box be 5.1CH?

[Chris]

No analogue outputs are not 5.1 capable. Your receiver may be able to simulate it but it would need to be a digital connection to get true 5.1

[RogersErin]

Thanks for helping out our community Chris!

[med8or]

Here is the whole section from the manual regarding Optical Audio Output: 

- When the receiver (amplifier or DVD home theater) is set to on, you can hear sound output from the TV’s

- 5.1 CH (channel) audio is available when the TV is connected to an external device supporting 5.1 CH.

optical jack. When the TV is receiving a DTV signal, the TV will send 5.1 CH sound to the amplifier or DVD

home theater. When the source is a digital component such as a DVD / Blu-ray player / cable box / STB

(Set-Top-Box) satellite receiver and is connected to the TV via HDMI, only 2 CH audio will be heard from the

amplifier or DVD home theater. If you want to hear 5.1 CH audio, connect the digital audio out jack from your

DVD / Blu-ray player / cable box / STB satellite receiver directly to an amplifier or home theater.

If the optical audio output of the tv does not transmit in 5.1CH, what is it's advantage over analog cables?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Chris]

Advantage is it will pass 5.1 if you have over the air HD or cable wired directly to the TV. Besides that it's a single cable vs multiple. But yes pretty useless port for what your trying to do.

[med8or]

Ok, one last question....I promise. And thanks for your quick replies!!!

The Rogers HD box has a coaxle cable output. Does connecting coaxle cable to the tv input of the TV get me an HD signal to the TV or does it have to be through HDMI cable?

[Chris]

No problem, ask as many as you like... Just click the like buttons if you like my replies

From the digital box you will have to use the HDMI cable to get HD on your TV. The coaxle cable out is only useful really for old non HD tv's. The coaxle connection on the back of your TV is more for attaching an antenna to get over the air HD.