Surround Sound Help

[funkx0r]

Hey guys, I have a question for you that I hope you can answer. I just bought a surround sound system/dvd combo. I connected it to my hdtv via hdmi, and although I'm able to get sound from the dvd, I can't get sound from the tv. Do I need to connect something else? I figured I had to set the tv to accept hdmi, but the dvd player works just fine. I'm not really sure what else I have to do. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[bjkrautk]

A/V cables are one-way in nature. You're getting sound off the DVD player, because the output from the DVD player (and subsequent input cable into the surround system) is internal.

 

With an HDTV, I'm guessing there's an coaxial / optical cable output which could be connected into the surround system (as an input). Regardless, you need some sort of audio output from the TV into your home theater receiver...a digital connection would be best (especially since the other connection is HDMI, which is also digital).

[funkx0r]

Thanks for the response, I'll try that today and will let you know. Thanks!

[Trombone482]

I don't know what kind of reciever you have, but I know know that not every reciever does sound through HDMI. If you want more help I might suggest going to a site that I frequent often www.avsforum.com. At least to me it sounds like you would have to get sound from another way.

[MHgb]

BJ is right. One-way transmission only. Hence all the OUTs and INs on the receiver and TVs.

What you have now:

HDMI OUT from the receiver to HDMI IN on the TV (Combo DVD and any other devices plugged into HDMI IN on receiver would play on TV)

What you have yet to do:

You must send the audio OUT from the TV/cable and IN to the receiver so it can send your TV's sound to the speakers. Do you have a set-top box? If you can go HDMI OUT from the set-top box and IN to the receiver, the receiver will send both video and audio to the TV via the cable you already have connected and you would watch TV and DVDs via the HDMI input on the TV. If you don't have a set-top box, you should be able to send audio out from the TV via the red/white RCA cables and into the receiver.

[funkx0r]

Ok, I plugged in the red and white cables, but I still don't get sound..... any ideas? So as of now, I have cable going directly into my tv...no box. I have an HDMI cable running from my receiver to my tv, and red/white audio cables running from my tv outs into the receiver.

[MHgb]

So with the audio cables, I would go (one of these four - whichever you have) TV OUT / MONITOR OUT / REC OUT / CABL-SAT OUT into receiver CABLE-SAT IN. Then select the Cable/sat source on your receiver to play audio coming from your TV. Whichever inputs your audio cables are plugged into on the receiver should be the source you choose on the receiver to play that audio.

 

If it doesn't work...

 

The speakers on your TV work with the just the cable hooked up to it right?

 

Do you have the model numbers for your TV and receiver handy?

[funkx0r]

Yea, right now I have the audio cables running from the TV output, Polaroid TLX, running to the Sony DAV-HDX275 input. I tried all the different settings on the receiver.

[bjkrautk]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i144/bjkrautk/ECSONDAVHDX275BK.jpg

That's the back of the Sony DAV HDX275 (lifted from Circuit City's website). I agree that the red & white audio cables should send the sound from the TV's output to the receiver's input. (Although it's located next to the video outputs, it does clearly say it's an input.)

 

What I can't find on CC's website is any information about the audio outputs from the Polaroid HDTV. Your receiver appears to have both a digital coaxial input (the orange-colored circle just beneath the fan) and digital optical input (the black square right next to the orange one); let me know if you can find a comparable audio output on your HDTV. (I'd recommend these two over the Left/Right audio cables, since they're digital and not analog.)

 

[funkx0r]

I do have a coaxial output next to the red and white audio outputs.....where do I get this cable?

[blatzlight]

I do have a coaxial output next to the red and white audio outputs.....where do I get this cable?

monoprice.com is the best bet. the big box retailers are a rip.

 

[funkx0r]

The digital coaxial cable isn't working...could the hdmi cable be screwing it up somehow? I'm so frustrated.

[funkx0r]

I finally figured it out you guys...thanks for all of the help. All I needed to do was find a menu that I had never seen before.

[funkx0r]

Another quick question......does anyone know why I'm only getting 3:1 channel sound while watching t.v. I'm running the digital coaxial cable and I'm not using a cable box. Can't seem to figure it out. Thanks!

[bjkrautk]

Another quick question......does anyone know why I'm only getting 3:1 channel sound while watching t.v. I'm running the digital coaxial cable and I'm not using a cable box. Can't seem to figure it out. Thanks!

 

Stupid question: are you sure that the program you're watching has 5.1 sound?

 

Easiest way to test that: try picking up an OTA (over the air) signal using your TV's tuner. (To do this, you may need to disconnect your cable TV connection, and plug in an antenna....and yes, an old pair of "rabbit ears" will do. Some HDTV's have separate inputs for cable and an OTA antenna, also known as an ATSC tuner.) Pretty much any of the prime-time shows on the major networks should broadcast in 5.1 audio, so that should give you a better idea of where your problem is.

 

(Alternatively, you might have to check the audio output settings for your TV....but I'm guessing the problem is with your video source.)

 

 

...out of curiosity, does your cable package include any HD channels? If not, you may find that you want to keep the OTA antenna plugged in. (I have an OTA antenna plugged into one of the two inputs on my TiVo.)

As long as I'm being all public service-y, the big, FCC-mandated conversion from analog TV to digital means that everyone is going to need an ATSC tuner to get over-the-air, broadcast TV starting in February 2009. It's not really an issue for you (since you have cable), but it might be for anyone else reading this.