No center channel (1 Viewer)

[marksbury]

Good afternoon!
My son recently got us an older surround sound system from working a job. I believe it's a Philips MX3600, with the DVD Player. It may be older, but considering we don't have one, it's an upgrade! Almost all of our TV watching streams through our PS4 which goes into the TV via an HDMI cable. I got a new Y audio splitter to run into the back of the sound system. After playing around with it a bit, I've figured out that the TV/AV won't give me a center channel doing that, even with the "matrix" sound selected (which results in muffled voices sometimes) - per the display, it will only output to FR, FL, SR, SL, and the Sub. In fact, it appears that the only time it will output to the center channel is when a DVD is being played (and sound indeed comes out of the center then).

Is there a way to force it to put sound out the middle speaker on TV/AV? Maybe there's another way to hook it up, but there are not a ton of options in the back:

 

[David Norman]

I'm not sure I see a way to do it. It feels like you need some way to feed the audio signal from either the TV or PS4 (the digital output would be the normal way), but the Surround Receiver doesn't appear to have a Digital Audio Input. With only a R/L composite input you're only going to get stereo (or some sort of artificial surround).

A plain Dolby Pro-Logic Surround seems like it should be possible from the R/L inputs, but I'm not sure from your description when that audio input originates. You mention a Y-splitter, but I'm not sure where that signal originates and if the signal is appropriate to let the receiver process that.

A digital to composite converter might work (digital out from PS4 or TV to the converter then R/L to the receiver) then set your receiver to ProLogic but I'm not 100% sure those type converter convert to an analog signal with that can be used by the receiver to produce all the channels. Most of them seem to be used to convert the signal so it can be used by a 2.1 system. Those basic converters are only $10 at Walmart/BBY/Amazon so at least a cheap thing to try and return if it doesn't work

 

[JohnRice]

Your best and probably only option is to keep it the way it is and select Dolby Pro Logic Surround (DPL) instead of Matrix. You'll get a center channel and an old form surround sound. When you're playing a DVD in the internal player, then you'll usually be using Dolby Digital or DTS, and sometimes DPL.

 

[John Dirk]

This device has the ability to output digital signals to compatible equipment or the included speakers via it's built-in DVD system. It does not, however, contain any digital input capability.

It might be helpful to have a little more detail regarding your current connectivity. Specifically, where are the input and output of the Y-adapter connected and how does the PS4 factor in for TV viewing?

 

[Lord Dalek]

It seems to me the only way you can connect that to anything is with an old RCA Red White. Those old HTIBs are pretty horrible.

 

[marksbury]

Thanks! I will try this.

 

[marksbury]

I'm not sure I see a way to do it. It feels like you need some way to feed the audio signal from either the TV or PS4 (the digital output would be the normal way), but the Surround Receiver doesn't appear to have a Digital Audio Input. With only a R/L composite input you're only going to get stereo (or some sort of artificial surround).

A plain Dolby Pro-Logic Surround seems like it should be possible from the R/L inputs, but I'm not sure from your description when that audio input originates. You mention a Y-splitter, but I'm not sure where that signal originates and if the signal is appropriate to let the receiver process that.

A digital to composite converter might work (digital out from PS4 or TV to the converter then R/L to the receiver) then set your receiver to ProLogic but I'm not 100% sure those type converter convert to an analog signal with that can be used by the receiver to produce all the channels. Most of them seem to be used to convert the signal so it can be used by a 2.1 system. Those basic converters are only $10 at Walmart/BBY/Amazon so at least a cheap thing to try and return if it doesn't work

Thanks! I will try this.

 

[marksbury]

Your best and probably only option is to keep it the way it is and select Dolby Pro Logic Surround (DPL) instead of Matrix. You'll get a center channel and an old form surround sound. When you're playing a DVD in the internal player, then you'll usually be using Dolby Digital or DTS, and sometimes DPL.

Unfortunately, under TV/AV mode, it only gives me a stereo option or a matrix option. Only the DVD side has multiple options.

 

[marksbury]

This device has the ability to output digital signals to compatible equipment or the included speakers via it's built-in DVD system. It does not, however, contain any digital input capability.

It might be helpful to have a little more detail regarding your current connectivity. Specifically, where are the input and output of the Y-adapter connected and how does the PS4 factor in for TV viewing?

We use the PS4 for all viewing, streaming services like Hulu, Amazon Prime, Pluto TV, etc. We've also used it for DVD/BluRay viewing, and also obviously for gaming. The HDMI output comes straight into the TV. Sometimes, we'll use the digital antenna on the TV for local stations, but we are usually just streaming.
The Y comes from a single port on the back of the TV (it might be a headphone jack, it's not labeled but that's what I figured it was, or an aux port). We just have the red and white connections of the Y coming into the TV connections on the back of the system. The TV does have a digital output, but the surround sound system doesn't have a digital input, as you noted.

 

[JohnRice]

Unfortunately, the bottom line is that "All-In-One" unit is ancient & very limited, and not designed to really use any source other than the internal DVD player. If you can't select DPL using the TV input then you have two basic options. 1) Live with it. 2) Get an actual surround receiver and disc player. With #2 you might also have to buy all new speakers. I need to look at it again to know for certain.

 

[John Dirk]

The Y comes from a single port on the back of the TV (it might be a headphone jack, it's not labeled but that's what I figured it was, or an aux port). We just have the red and white connections of the Y coming into the TV connections on the back of the system. The TV does have a digital output, but the surround sound system doesn't have a digital input, as you noted.

I'll assume you're referencing the cable shown below. This is a stereo only cable, capable of splitting out the left and right channels from a single output. In order to get sound from the center speaker using this cable, the unit would have to be capable of matrixing the two channel input from the TV into something like "All Channel Stereo," which it is not.

As such, @JohnRice is correct in that your options are, unfortunately pretty limited and will likely involve either living with the current situation or some additional expense.

 

[JohnRice]

It's occurred to me why DPL is (probably) not available for analog sources. DPL processing is done in the digital domain, so with an analog source, it has to be converted to digital, processed, and converted back to analog. That head unit probably just doesn't have any A/D (analog to digital) circuit to keep costs as low as possible. It can process DPL with DVDs that have two channel soundtracks because their soundtracks are already digital.