Stereo sound to one sound jack? (1 Viewer)

[ChaimKeller]

I just got a new TV. Until now, I was using a coaxial cable to connect my DVD/VCR to the old thing. Now that I have a TV set up for genuine video and audio inputs as my DVD/VCR seems to be intended for, I want to try using those cables.

HOWEVER: The DVD/VCR has place to plug in three cables: a yellow for video, and a red and white for each of two audio - presumably with stereo in mind (they are marked "R" and "L", which makes this more than an idle presumption).

The new TV has two - the yellow for video and a single white one for audio.

Should I plug the white one only into one of the DVD/VCR plugs and the other end into the TV? Will that lead to my not getting half of the audio that is expected to come through the "red" speaker? Or will it just put all the audio through that one plug, like the coaxial does? Should I plug in both on the DVD/VCR and just the white one on the TV? Should I ignore those audio outputs and use the yellow video cable but use the "coaxial audio" plug in the back of my DVD/VCR? (I think that's there mainly for playing music CDs, though. Or maybe it's for all audio?) Or perhaps the regular coaxial plug will deliver the audio to the TV while the video is delivered by the yellow video cable?

As you can see, this situation has me a bit confused. All help will be appeciated. For the time being, I'm sticking with the familiar...but no doubt inferior...regular coaxial connection.

 

[Jack Briggs]

You might want to tell us the makes and models of the equipment involved (the display and the combo player). From what you describe, your TV appears to be monophonic only. What kinds of other inputs, if any, does it have (component? S-video?)? Does your combination DVD/VCR machine have S- or component-video outs in addition to the standard A/V outs?

To get stereo sound to the TV, the TV must be capable of such.

 

[ChaimKeller]

The combo player is a Sylvania DVC850C. It does have component video and S-Video outs as well as the standard outs.

The TV is a KLH Digital KT2406. It does have an S-video in, but not component video in.

I do understand that I will only get monophonic audio out of this TV. My concern is, that I'm not sure if I will lose any audio (vs. what I get from the coaxial) by plugging in just one of the audio plugs to the DVD/VCR (and the other end to the TV), or if what I should do is plug in both audio plugs to the DVD/VCR and only one into the TV. Or if I should use the yellow video cable but keep the coaxial for audio...? It's too darned confusing when the plugs on each end don't match precisely...I don't know which is the best thing to do. I'm functioning with the coaxial, but I'm sure I can get better with one of the others...but which?

Thank you all.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

You need to buy a Y-adapter. They can be had in most places, hardware stores, radio shack, any audio store or electronics place will have some. By only pluggin the L or the R into the TV, you can lose audio that pans to the opposite channel. The y-adapter, if you've never seen one, are very cheap, a couple bucks probably, they're just a little short thing with two RCA plugs on one end, and one on the other.

They are usually in either orientation, i.e. one male two female, or vice versa, either should work fine, it will just vary where it goes, right at the TV, or at the VCR, if you follow. Hard to explain, but I'm sure you'll get it once you get it home if'n you're confused.

That's all you need, probably cost 3 bucks or something.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I don’t know the specifics of your DVD player, but many players have a menu option that allows you to ouput mono. If this is available, you won’t have to buy the Y-adaptor.

 

[Iver]

Use an S-Video cable for the video connection.

For the audio, get a Y-adaptor with two RCA-plugs (male) on one side and a single RCA-jack (female) on the other side (base of the Y). Connect the two RCA plugs to your R/L audio out jacks on the video player. It does not matter which RCA plug goes into which audio out jack of the two (R/L) on the player.

Then just use an audio cable with a single RCA-plug on each end. Plug one end into your white audio input jack on the TV. And the other end into the RCA jack on the Y adaptor.

You can get the audio cable at most hardware stores. For the Y adaptor you might have to go to Radio Shack. If you happen to have a two-line (two plugs on each end) audio cable you an use that in place of the single audio cable. You just have to use the same color plug for the connection at each end.