Can't get sound from optical port on Samsung TV to Sony sound system. (1 Viewer)

[Jorge Y.E.]

Hello everyone.

I have an old LN32R83BD Samsung TV. It has a plethora of ports in the back, one of them is a Toslink optical OUT, so naturally, I want to connect said TV to an also old MHC-S7AV Sony sound system's optical IN. I thought it was pretty straight forward: OUT --> IN: done—no such luck. One would think the Samsung is refusing to send the audio signal to the Sony. I've checked the on-screen settings, and there's no way to select the output, only to turn off the TV's speakers, I tried that as well to no avail. I'm using the right Toslink cable, btw.

The TV gets the digital feed from my MacBook Pro through an HDMI cable, which, as far as I know, should carry both audio and video. Right now, I'm doing the old and tested headphones to RCA, and that is doing the analog trick. It just frustrates me that I can't get the digital signal out the right way, you know?

Any and all ideas are welcome. Stay safe and healthy!

 

[JohnRice]

When you are playing something, if you turn up the volume on the TV, do you get sound?

 

[Jorge Y.E.]

When you are playing something, if you turn up the volume on the TV, do you get sound?

Hi.

Yes, when I had the TV speakers on AND the headphone jack to RCA was OFF from the MacBook Pro, the sound came straight from the TV (being fed from the HDMI cable, I'm guessing), if I plugged in the jack, the sound would instead come from the Sony and not the TV.

 

[JohnRice]

OK then. Step one, clearly the headphones can’t be plugged in.

 

[Jorge Y.E.]

OK then. Step one, clearly the headphones can’t be plugged in.

Of course. Currently, this is the only way to get the sound from the MacBook to the Sony amp: Headphone 3.5 jack to RCA in the back of the Sony. When attempting to get the optical audio from the TV, I unplug the 3.5 jack, so the TV gives sound, still no joy from the optical out. So weird.

 

[JohnRice]

Just trying to think through the possibilities. There's probably a choice somewhere between "variable" and "fixed" on the audio output in the TV's setup menu. You want it set to "fixed".

Of course, the optical cable could be defective.

 

[B-ROLL]

Just trying to think through the possibilities. There's probably a choice somewhere between "variable" and "fixed" on the audio output in the TV's setup menu. You want it set to "fixed".

Of course, the optical cable could be defective.

It's not like optical cables are a thin piece of glass

If the menu on your Samsung is similar to mine, you might want to go to to Menu then Sound then SPDIF Output and change it to PCM. you may then need to change the settings in your Sony to decode PCM - Keep in mind Dolby Digital is the highest that you will get off of the TV this way.

 

[Jorge Y.E.]

Just trying to think through the possibilities. There's probably a choice somewhere between "variable" and "fixed" on the audio output in the TV's setup menu. You want it set to "fixed".

Of course, the optical cable could be defective.

I'll try another optical cable, it could be something as simple as that. Thanks!

 

[Jorge Y.E.]

It's not like optical cables are a thin piece of glass

If the menu on your Samsung is similar to mine, you might want to go to to Menu then Sound then SPDIF Output and change it to PCM. you may then need to change the settings in your Sony to decode PCM - Keep in mind Dolby Digital is the highest that you will get off of the TV this way.

The one menu option in the Sound section that indicates that could select an output, is greyed-out. =/

 

[Jorge Y.E.]

UPDATE. Haven't got around getting a new Toslink cable to run more tests, but did follow the advice to use the VIDEO input on the Sony receiver, with RCA AUDIO OUT from the Samsung TV and it sounds great. It may not be digital and all that, but it does the trick. Thank you, everyone, for your help.