Home Theatre Hookup with Cablebox and PS3 (1 Viewer)

[Wasabijim]

I thought this would be easy but I'm find that it's far from it. How can I hook up my Sony DAV-IS50 HT so that I can listen to the TV or watch a blu-ray and on my PS3 and hear the sound through the speakers?

My TV only has 2 HDMI hookups. My Time Warner HD DVR cable box is hooked up to the TV via HDMI and my PS3 is also hookup to the TV using the other HDMI.

I can listen to music right now but I can't seem to figure out how to watch TV and hear it through the HT. If I use the optical cable will that bring sound for any of the inputs? This is very confusing. I don't want to watch DVD's on the HT system I just want to be able to listen to the TV or the PS3 through it.

SONY BRAVIA KDL40S3000
DAV-IS50
Time Warner HD DVR Cable Box
PS3

I have 2 HDMI cables, 1 component video cable and I will be getting an optical cable. Is there something else I need to make this work or is this just not possible? Or how do I atleast watch TV and hear it throught the HT system?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Al.Anderson]

The DAV-IS50 is a very basic HTIB; it doesn't have very many connection options. Usually you'd want to run all your inputs to the receiver and then make a single connection to the TV, but in your case you'll have fake it. The lack of connection options is a big reason you often hear generic recommendations away from HTIBs.

You can watch TV and listen from the HT by simplely connecting an optical cable from the TV-out to the DAV-IS50. (Looks like it's the 5th connector from the right on the HT; I didn't look up the TV).

If the TV passes through an HDMI audio signal from its HDMI input, then you aren't in too bad a shape. You can connect 2 of the 3 inputs (Bluray, cable, PS3) to the TV and use the previous optical connection to the HT to hear those sources also.

 

[Ed Moxley]

Sony's site shows you have one optical input, and one digital coax input. I would connect the PS3 to the tv with HDMI, and optical to the A/V receiver. Then connect the cable box to tv with HDMI, and digital coax to the A/V receiver. You may need to go into the setup menus of the cable box, and set the audio output to Dolby Digital. Then, in the PS3's setup menus, set the audio output to "Bitstream". Since your receiver can't handle the HD audio from blu ray movies, you'll just have to enjoy DD and DTS. You may also have to assign the inputs, to what you plugged into them. Your owner's manual will walk you through that step.

The optical output on tvs is for getting 5.1 surround from the built-in HD tuner, and HD channels from an antenna. It is not for a piggy back connection, for your equipment to run through the tv. If the tv even allows the pass through of the audio, through the optical output, it will be downconverted to 2.0, so all you'll hear is Pro Logic (simulated surround), at best.

In case you don't already know, the only channels that broadcast in 5.1 surround are HD channels, some premium movie channels (HBO, Starz, etc.), and some PPV channels. All the other channels you can hear in Pro Logic, which isn't bad, but not as good as 5.1 surround.

If you want to hear the Dolby TrueHD or dtsHD Master Audio (lossless audio tracks) soundtracks from blu ray movies, you'll need to get a receiver that can handle the HD audio, such as the Onkyo TX-SR606 or Yamaha RX-V663. These two seem to be the cheaper ones, of the ones that can do this.
Good luck!