Listen TV / Laptop in 5.1 HTIB (1 Viewer)

[rkavyareddy]

Hi guys,
I need some help/guidance in how to listen to TV shows/movies in 5.1 surround sound. I have explained below what I have done so far to connect everything I have:

I have a Samsung 39" LED tv (Model # UN39EH5003F) and a Sony DAV DZ170 HTIB system. I have connected all speaker wires to appropriate ports on the rear of dvd player. I have connected the optical audio (TOSLINK) out from TV to the optical audio in on the DVD player. I have an at&t Uverse box which is used as wireless internet as well as streams tv channels. I have also connected a HDMI cable from the at&t uverse box to the samsung TV (to stream channels in HD).

The issue is When I insert a DVD in the DVD player to watch movies, I am able to listen from 5.1 Speakers. However, when I watch TV channels/movie I am able to get sound only from the front speakers. Surround system does not work even when I change the audio setting to external speakers and mute the internal TV speakers.

I also connect my laptop to the TV via HDMI cable to watch movies. The same problem happens - front speakers work and no sound from the surround speakers.

Please let me know if there is anything I am connecting incorrectly? or do I need any additional device/cable to listen from all 5 speaers?

I do know if I use an AV receiver, the problem would be solved. However, I would like to know if it is possible to avoid using an AV receiver by all means and still get the sound effect I need.

I primarily would like to listen in all 5 speakers when I connect my laptop to TV to stream movies online. Please help me out in achieving this. I appreciate any help/suggestions.

Thanks,
Kavya

 

[schan1269]

Thread 45 on this very subject...this year.

Your TV is NOT meant to be an AV hub.

The way you have it set up, it is working the way it should be...and the way it works for every single other person that attempts to use the TV as the hub.

Connect all your devices to your HTiB, like it says to do in your various owners manuals(and since your HTiB only has one toslink...)
.http://www.amazon.com/Nyrius-SW100-Digital-Selector-Compatible/dp/B000812QC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1366662840&sr=1-1&keywords=toslink+switch

Your Laptop hopefully has a toslink(or minitoslink) as Craptastic HTiB can't accept 5.1 over HDMI...just toslink(just looked, this one doesn't even have HDMI inputs...so you are stuck with a direct toslink).

More questions though...

What is your source of "TV"? The internal tuner of the TV, a cable/sat box?
If a cable/sat box, it connects its toslink to the HTiB, not the TV.

If you are using your internal TV tuner...turn the DD on.

 

[rkavyareddy]

Thanks for the reply. I am new to this forum. Can you please post the link to thread 45 so that I can read more about it?

My source of TV is a cable/sat box. I am not sure if it has an toslink audio output though. Couple of doubts?

1. Is there a way at all to hook up my Tv to HTIB and listen in 5.1 speaker system?
2. Can you please explain in detail the connection circuit?

I am not familiar with all these and am a newbie to this. Please help me out with some suggestions. Let me know what I would need to make this work. Again, I appreciate your time andhelp in helping me solve this.

Thanks,
Kavya

 

[schan1269]

1. No.
2. Run a toslink.

I assume(but you haven't said) you have a cable box made since 1995. DD became the worldwide(as far as I know) broadcast audio standard at least 15 years ago.

Connect a toslink(assuming your cable box isn't more than 18 years old) to your HTiB.

For your computer...haven't got a clue since the only thing you've shared is it has a HDMI.

 

[rkavyareddy]

Thanks for the quick response schan1269. IF I run a Toslink, woud I be able to listen to all 5 speakers? For my computer, I have only HDMI port. I do not have a toslink port. I guess I might need a sound card that supports 5.1 surround sound.

 

[schan1269]

You could also buy a HDMI switch that has an optical output. But...not all of them will send 5.1 when connected to a TV.With your current computer...you might not get 5.1 with any HTiB.