HDMI/Digital Audio Help (1 Viewer)

[joethastud]

I am trying to set up Digital sound while only having to use 1 optical cable. I have 3 HDMI inputs on the back of my television all being used - HD-DVD, satellite, and XBOX360. It was my understanding that with HDMI cables, all you need to do is connect them to your television and then use the Digital (fiber optic) out on the back and connect it to your receiver/amp. My receiver is a little bit older and doesn't have an HDMI input in the back. It's a Sony 7.1 90watt per channel. My television is a Samsung DLP 55" 720p. I get sound from all of the components, but the receiver is not recognizing it as digital 5.1. I can't find a setting on the TV's sound settings that has anything that switches it over to digital. And when I connect everything individually with a fiber optic cable directly to the receiver output 5.1 without a problem. I have my receiver set to fiber optic only too. So I get audio (PCM 48 I believe??), it's just not Dolby Digital 5.1, anyone know why my receiver wouldn't recognize that any of these are putting out digital 5.1 sound?

Sorry for the run-on sentences and thanks for any help!

A

 

[Echo42987]

Whats the model # of your TV?

-Nick-

 

[joethastud]

hl-s5686w

and I rechecked, it only has 2 HDMI cables inputs on the back of the tv. My XBOX 360 is hooked up through Component cables.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Usually, going from the TV back to the receiver with digital audio only yields downmixed 2.0 channel PCM, unless the TV's internal HD tuner is used. In other words, the optical out on a TV will only send a DD 5.1 signal from the internal tuner. If you are trying to route the (HD-DVD, satellite, and XBOX360)->HDMI out->TV->optical out->receiver and you want DD/DTS surround from the HD-DVD, satellite, and XBOX360, 9 times out of 10 you aren't going to get it. You will probably just get the same stereo signal that you would have gotten from the TV speakers. What you need to do is run an optical or coax from each of the HD-DVD, satellite, and XBOX360 directly to the receiver.

I know it sucks, but that's the way it is.

 

[joethastud]

So really, is there even a point to those digital audio outs on the backs of tv's?

 

[troy evans]

From my experience, to use them for what I need to get from my audio sources, no there is no point to them.

 

[troy evans]

Yes Jeff, that does truely suck I had the same experience as Joe and couldn't believe they would even put them on a tv without the basic intention of transferring the 5.1, etc. signals. Oh Well, that's the way it is as you say.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

There is a point, but most don't need it. The real use for a digital audio out on a TV is to get DD 5.1 out to a surround receiver from the built in ATSC/QAM tuner. Some get HD from OTA sources and others may get HD from basic cable with no box. They use the internal TV tuner to receive this content and the only way to get DD from reception like that is the digital audio out from the TV.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

As I said above, they are used to transfer DD 5.1, but only from the internal TV tuner.

 

[troy evans]

I understand that Jeff. I don't currently watch HD channels and would much rather them pass through my dvd players audio signals. Which, as you've stated, they can not. So, for a great many they are pointless. Just seems to me that for as much as these HD tvs cost and the purpose alot of people buy them for, sound decoding transfered from other sources would be a given.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Well to be fair, all it really means is you transfer the optical cable from the TV to the DVD player. It's not really that bad. Personally, I've always hooked my stuff up like that and using the TV's optical never really crossed my mind.

 

[troy evans]

You're right, I guess I just like bitch'n over something.