How Do I Get Cable TV Out Of My Speakers?

Allen Marshall · 11-08-2003, 06:15 PM

what do i have to hook up and such so i can get sound to come out of my speakers from tv, HBO etc.

further more how do i do it so i dont have to go behind my tv and unplug things so i can still have my speakers hooked up to the dvd/vcr player

Drew_W · 11-08-2003, 08:42 PM

Use the analog digital outputs of your TV and connect them to your receiver. Or if you use your VCR to change channels, you can connect from there.

Or if your TV has a front headphone jack, you can use a stereo mini to rca cable to connect from the headphone jack to your receiver (even its front mounted inputs, if it has them)...this is a rather ugly solution though.

Michael Reuben · 11-08-2003, 10:30 PM

Since you have HBO, you probably have a cable or satellite box. Either one should have left and right analog outputs that you can connect to your receiver.

M.

Allen Marshall · 11-09-2003, 04:12 AM

if i hook that left and right analog output stuff up, how am i supposed to get dolby digital?

Fred G · 11-09-2003, 05:52 AM

You can't, you need to use the digital out from your cable box to get Dolby digital. This should be either an optical out, or, more likely, a coaxial out (usually an orange-colored output).

Naturally, either optical or coaxial inputs must be present on your receiver.

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Michael Reuben · 11-09-2003, 09:49 AM

Quote:

if i hook that left and right analog output stuff up, how am i supposed to get dolby digital?

That's not what you initially asked. You wanted to get "sound to come out of my speakers from TV". Getting a Dolby Digital signal from a broadcast is a different question and a more complicated one.

First of all, you should be aware that many of the Dolby Digital signals on broadcasts are 2.0, which won't give you any better sound than the analog 2.0.

Second, to get Dolby Digital sound from a TV broadcast, you need a number of things:
[list=1][*]A provider (cable or satellite) that actually supplies a DD signal (not all do);[*]A program that is broadcast with a DD signal (not all are);[*]A cable or satellite box that can process a DD signal (not all can);[*]A digital output from the cable or satellite box (not all have them); and[*]An HT setup that can process Dolby Digital.[/list=1]
If all of those factors apply, just follow Fred's instructions above. Note, however, that this digital connection will not get you sound from channels and broadcasts that don't come with DD. For that, you must have an analog connection.

M.

Allen Marshall · 11-09-2003, 02:30 PM

alright, i got a coax and optical on my reciever and since im usin optical from the dvd player to reciever im gonna get a coax, i checked the back it has a coax out, it says dolby digital on the cable box...digital cable so i guess we'll see.

JayL · 11-11-2003, 08:26 PM

I have a similar question and looked through the FAQ for the answer but didn't find it. Here's my problem...I don't have any sound coming from my front speakers when watching cable TV, just from the center.

I have my cable hooked through a set top cable box. From the box I have connected RCA cables to my reciever (Onkyo TX-SR600). Right now I have a center and two fronts hooked up to the reciever (Sub on the way and surrounds pending). When I watch a broadcast TV on ANY station I only get sound from the center speaker and not the fronts. This is with the receiver in Dolby Pro Logic II-Movie or Neo Cinema-Movie modes. I know the speakers are hooked up correctly. If I switch to a stereo mode or one of the DSP modes I can get sound from the fronts.

My understanding is that if a channel broadcasts in Dolby, my reciever should be able decode it to present me a 5.1 sound field. Why can't I get sound from the fronts in this mode when watching cable TV? If I watch a DVD (which is hooked up to my reciever via digital coax) I get great DTS or Dolby Digital to all speakers.

Please help! Thanks.

Jay

Drew_W · 11-11-2003, 09:00 PM

Because you are using DPLII, in its emulation, it will send all the dialog through the centre channel, because thats where it should come from in a true 5.1 track, like in movies. You'll be happy to know that, albeit strange at first, there is nothing wrong with this.

JayL · 11-11-2003, 09:29 PM

I know that dialog will be from the center...I don't think I'm THAT much of a newb...

My problem is that ALL sound is just from the center...I get no sound at all through the fronts...no music, no off screen sound...nuthin'.

Like I said, my DVD's play just fine. It's just cable tv that's the issue with DPLII.