Need help on setting up the HTiB and TV and HD Cable Box (1 Viewer)

[spyder]

Hi all. I'm new to this forum and I'm new to home theater. I recently bought a HD TV (JVC 61" FC97) from Costco, a Samsung HTiB system (HT-TX75) and have service from Comcast for HD+DVR.

When I connect the HD+DVR cable box to the TV directly through HDMI, everything is great. I can watch regular SD channels and HD channels without any problem. However, I have problem involving the HTiB for watching TV.

The basic connection works:
* Cable Box HDMI Out to TV HDMI In-1.
* HTiB HDMI Out to TV HDMI IN-2.
Result: I can watch TV w/o problems. I can watch DVD from HTiB w/o problems too.

However, I can't get it to work with the following connection:
1) * Cable Box HDMI Out to HTiB HDMI In.
* HTiB HDMI Out to TV HDMI In-1 (TV HDMI In-2 is unused).
Result: I can watch High Def channels with Audio coming out from the HTiB. However, I can't watch SD channels because there is only sounds from the HTiB but no pictures.
No Problem watching DVD.

2) * Cable Box HDMI Out to TV HDMI In-1.
* TV Optical Audio Out to HTiB Optical Audio.
* HTiB HDMI Out to TV HDMI In-2.
Result: I can watch either HD or SD TV w/o problems. However, the audio is still coming out from TV's speakers. The HTiB doesn't do anything.
No Problem watching DVD.

3) * Cable Box HDMI Out to TV HDMI IN-1.
* Cable Box Optical Out to HTiB Optical Audio.
* HTiB HDMI Out to TV HDMI In-2.
Result: Same as #2. Basically the HTiB doesn't do anything.

Would you please provide some suggestion on how to set these units up? Thank you for your help.

 

[Ed Moxley]

Double check page 12, of your owner's manual, on the left side, under "If you select tv" and "If you select theater". If you do exactly as it says, and it don't work, something may be wrong with it..................
If you don't have the owner's manual, you can see it here:
http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co..._TX75T_SEA.pdf
Good luck!

 

[spyder]

Thank you for the suggestion. I re-checked the manual, but the section you refer to is about Anynet+ which is a Samsung specific function to allow Samsung's TV remote to control both a Samsung TV and a Samsung HTiB.

However, my TV is a JVC, so it is not Anynet+ compatible and this function is not usable.

What I don't understand is how come the Optical output from TV to the HTiB doesn't work. It is weird. I followed the instructions on both the TV manual and the HTiB manual, but still got no luck.

 

[Ed Moxley]

In most component piece systems, you have to go into the receiver's setup menus, and assign the digital input (optical, in your case) to what you're plugging in to it. You may need to do that too...........

Saw this on page 13.........
OPTICAL : Connecting an External Digital Component
Digital signal components such as a Set-Top Box.
1 Connect the Digital Input (OPTICAL) on the Home Theater to the Digital Output of the external digital
component.
2 Press the AUX button on the remote control to select .
You can also use the FUNCTION button on the main unit.
The mode switches as follows : DVD/CD ➝ DIGITAL IN ➝ AUX 1 ➝ AUX 2 ➝ HDMI IN ➝ USB ➝ FM ➝ XM.

It's got to be something in the setup isn't quite right. Sit down and read the manual, front to back. You have missed something, somewhere.
You don't live in eastern NC do you?

 

[spyder]

I live in the Bay Area in CA.

I have read the manual many times. As you can see from the pdf manual file, the instruction was pretty simple. As you quoted, the manual only instructed me to connect the Optical cable, press the AUX button on the remote until the Digital In feature is selected. I did that and it didn't work.

I hooked up the TV Optical Out to the HTiB Optical In. So since the set up is so simple on the HTiB, I actually suspect either the HTiB is defective and hence it didn't work, or I suspect I am missing something on the TV side.

I am confused. But in any case, I appreciate your help.

 

[Ed Moxley]

One more thing I've noticed. In all your posts, you've gone from tv to HTIB, with the optical cable. Try this, if you haven't already:
Cable box HDMI out to tv, for video
Cable box optical out to HTIB, for audio

HTIB's HDMI out to tv, for DVDs

If this doesn't work, I think I'd contact Samsung.
Good luck!

 

[provider]

Spyder, it looks like you optical cable is bad, or optical input on TX75 is not working. Can you test optical cable on the other system or try to use a cable which works for sure. Try also testing optical connection from another DVD player - they all even cheap ones have optical output.

I also own TX75 and its optical input works fine for Dolby Digital, DTS and LPCM audio from TV and another DVD player. I am having other problems with my TX75, but not related to optical input.

I also live in Bay Area (Antioch) so if you are close let me know.

 

[spyder]

hey Provider, I just connected the optical cable that was provided by the Comcast people. Hum...it may be it.

Let me go to radio shack tomorrow and get another optical cable and see if it solves the problem.

I tried the Optical cable between tv and HTIB as you suggested, but it wasn't working. I will let you guys know if it works after I get a new optical cable tomorrow.

 

[spyder]

hi everyone. I got another optical cable. I connected the TV and the Samsung HTiB with it but still no luck. I called the TV tech support (JVC), turned out this TV unit only output audio via optical cable if the signal source is over the air. Since I am using digital cable, there is no optical cable output from the TV. It sucks. The tech said the alternative is to request comcast to provide a cable card instead of the cable box.

Before I called comcast to request for a cable card, I tried to connect the cable box and the HTiB with the new optical cable, while a HDMI cable connects the cable box and the TV at the same time. The funny thing is it now works. I have video to TV via HDMI and audio to HTiB via optical cable. That means the origianl optical cable was really not working, because I tried this set up before but didn't work. The new cable works out and I'm a happy camper.

Thank you for all your help.