Beginner's HT question
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New member Username: NotbobPost Number: 1 Registered: May-08 | Ok guys, I'm a newbie in this area, so I would appreciate some simple help. I have/am getting: HDTV HD Cable service Xbox 360 5.1 surround system The surround setup has one optical input and one digital coaxial audio input. And the xbox 360 will need to take the optical input. Now here's my question. Will I be able to get 5.1 from my TV by using an HDMI cable to go from cable box to TV, and THEN using the TV's coaxial output into the home theater system? Thanks in advance for any clarification I can get on this issue. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 236 Registered: Feb-08 | I have to assume that your 5.1 AVR does not have HDMI capability, correct? If not then you are on the right track as far as this particular hook up. Your cable box should have an orange, or digital coax output on it that would be better to use to connect to the AVR than the TV's digital out. If the cable box doesn't have coax out then the TV's output will work as long as the all signals to it are carried via HDMI. In other words, signals from say a VCR hooked up directly to the TV will probably not be converted to digital and therefore output from your TV via digital coax. Hope this helps, |
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New member Username: NotbobPost Number: 2 Registered: May-08 | Ahh that does help thanks. Yeah the only wild card was that I don't know what output the digital cable box will have when I get it set up (other than HDMI). So I wanted to make sure that if it didn't have coaxial, that I would still be okay to send it through the TV first. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 239 Registered: Feb-08 | That would explain it, you do not have the cable box to look at yet! It will more than likely have a coax out that you can use. Enjoy! |
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New member Username: NotbobPost Number: 3 Registered: May-08 | So will this work? It's the HT-DDW790. Here's a link to the specs page where it says: Inputs and Outputs * Analog Audio Input(s) : 4 (Rear) * Digital Media Port (Input) : Yes (no OSD) * Optical Audio Input(s) : 1 (Rear) * Coaxial Audio Digital Input(s) : 1 (Rear) http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=1055 1&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665061026 I actually went to an Electronics Expo (store) and the salesmen there says it doesn't work like that and I won't be able to hook up the stuff as I described above...despite the fact the box says on it opt/coax digital in. Was he just trying to sell me a higher priced system or was he telling the truth? I know it's a pretty cheap-end system, but I live in a small apartment and just looking for something to get into the game. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 240 Registered: Feb-08 | If you haven't bought the 5.1 system yet please reconsider buying a Sony. The sales guy is correct in that what you are trying to do will not work with ANY Sony because every Sony I have ever worked on dictates that a DVD player is hooked into the digital coax. I would recommend an Onkyo HT-SR800 as an alternative. It has 2 HDMI inputs that would simplify the heck out of everything. It may cost a bit more but this will get you in the game and keep you there for a lot longer. If you haven't bought the HDMI cables yet you can probably make up the difference in price between the two systems by buying your cables from www.monoprice.com You can learn more about the cabling from here: http://customconnectionsonline.com/faq7.html |
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New member Username: NotbobPost Number: 4 Registered: May-08 | thanks again for your help, i obviously need it ;) i havent bought any cables or sound system yet as i wanted to get this all sorted out. Ill definitely check that one out. I |
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New member Username: NotbobPost Number: 5 Registered: May-08 | how bout the logitech z-5500? It seems to be up my alleyt |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 243 Registered: Feb-08 | The logitech system is for a computer system!  Worried about the cost of the Onkyo? |
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Silver Member Username: MccambleyBREEZY POINT, NY USA Post Number: 499 Registered: Jun-05 | Just my 2 cents. We have seen this question before about using the digital out on a TV. This connection is only for the digital over the air tuner in the TV and nothing else. Send the optical wire from the 360 to the receiver and the coaxil from the the cable box to the receiver. Send Video to the TV from bothe devices using the best connection that is available. In order good to bad HDMI, Component (red green blue), S-video, Composite (yellow). |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2279 Registered: Feb-04 | Casey, even though you were a participant on that thread, you apparently did not read the results of an experiment I ran on one of my TVs. https://www.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/show.pl?tpc=3&post=1545896#POST1545896 So I got audio from the optical output on some of the cable channels the display's QAM tuner picked up on my basic cable. My optical output showed DD 5.1 or 2.0 on all digital channels regardless of whether they were OTA or cable. I have read where some people have gotten audio on all cable channels via their TV's digital output on basic cable, even though it is hard to believe any TV would convert analog audio into digital audio and output it on its optical/coax jack. My point here is that I don't believe all TVs act the same way regarding their digital audio outputs, and I believe it is wrong to make a blanket generalization about them. In this instance, Bob is hoping his TV (of unknown brand/model) will route the digital audio coming in on HDMI from the cable box out via the TV's digital out. Who knows if that will work? I can guarantee you that, whatever the display in question, the owner's manual will be of no help in explaining what exactly the TV's digital output will or won't do. Whatever that reality is, I do agree with you that the best hookup is to use the cable box's audio output into the receiver. This would eliminate all doubt. My  |
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