HDMI converter to VGA video out AND optical audio out (1 Viewer)

[Landru]

Hello - Old school trying to live in the new world!
I need to be able to take a HDMI signal and spit out the audio to optical audio and the video to VGA video.
I have a HDMI to VGA converter and that works great - (720p no problem) but there is no digital audio out on it, nor have I been able to find a converter that will do that.
Any recommendations on that one?
Can not afford a new amp /receiver that takes in HDMI.
Thanks for any advice!

 

[Jason Charlton]

Does your source not have a separate digital audio output? If it does, you should just use that directly rather than try to strip audio out of the HDMI signal. You won't gain anything by pulling digital audio out of the HDMI. Converting digital coaxial to digital optical is easy and cheap.

Pulling digital optical out of HDMI (while preserving the 5.1 multichannel data) requires much more than a "dumb converter". Here's an example of a box that will do that: http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI%201x1%20Audio%20Converter.html but at $170, you're already approaching the cost of a modest HDMI capable receiver.

Any other low-cost HDMI to VGA converters, as you discovered, are limited to providing simple stereo output like this one.

 

[Landru]

Thank's Jason. The problem I have is all new Blu Ray players ONLY have HDMI out with no digital audio out.
My receiver/amp - a Pioneer elite series does NOT have any HDMI inputs. Further more I am sending the video signal out to my NEC projector that does NOT have any HDMI's IN.
Up to now my old Blu Ray player had BOTH a component video out and digital optical out, so I was all set with a great looking 720p 100" image!
The problem is my Blu Ray is starting to crap out - so I need a new one and am finding out that I need a new receiver and that is $800 I don't have!
See my dilemma?

 

[Jason Charlton]

Lots of Blu-ray players have digital optical outputs... I would think that more would have digital audio outputs than do not.

Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMP-BDT220-Integrated-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B00752R4PK/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355863931&sr=1-5&keywords=blu-ray+player

I went to the Sony website and compared the first 4 models of Blu-ray players and all 4 had at least one digital output:

The BDP-S790 and BDP-S590 both have one coaxial and one optical on the rear
The BDP-S390 has one coaxial on the rear
The BDP-S185 has one digital audio output, but the type and location is unspecified...

Same thing with Samsung...
The BD-E6500 has one optical
The BD-E5900 and BD-E5700 both have one coaxial

Not sure where you're looking, but finding a player with a digital audio output should not be a problem.

 

[schan1269]

It is a mystery to me why people think BD players are losing digital outputs. Every single one I've seen still has composite, analog, digital and HDMI.
So this "I can't find digital" is people just not looking for one.

 

[Landru]

I had looked and teh more expensive ones do, but that is a good list Thanks!!

 

[schan1269]

If you need cheap...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-DMP-BD35-Blu-Ray-Player-/181045746928?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item2a272adcf0
There are less expensive, but that was the lowest price one where they showed a pic of the remote.
This one has the remote and the guy is including an SD card so you can do the BD-Live stuff...and is throwing in some cables you probably don't need...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-DMP-BD35-Blu-Ray-Player-LNIB-/110990304170?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item19d789a3aa