Digital Optical Cable Help...

[deac4ever]

I just got a Sharp Aquos BD-HP20U player and I'm having trouble getting the audio to play through my home theater. I have a Samsung HT-X50 receiver that only has 1 HDMI output. I have the Samsung 5054 and it has 3 HDMI inputs. Currently I have an HDMI cable going from my cable box to the tv. I also have an HDMI going from my home theater to the TV, and I have an HDMI going from my Blu Ray to the TV. I've read others situations like this and it appears I need to get audio through a digital optical cable. The problem with this is that my home theater only has 1 digital optical input, and I have a digital optical cable running from the receiver to my cable box. Do they make digital optical splitters? I've looked on Best Buy's, Circuit City's, etc. websites and they don't appear to sell them. Is this what I need and how do I get one? Thanks for any help!

[bageleaterkkjji]

you are suppose to hook your blu ray player to your reciever not to the tv
it has an hdmi in right?

[deac4ever]

My home theater only has 1 HDMI output, and the cable for that is running from the home theater to the tv. I have an HDMI switcher, but that didn't help me with my audio problem.

[blindcat87]

What you are saying doesn't make much sense to me. If you have a switcher, why do you not hook up all of your devices to the switch, the switch to the reciever, then the reciever to the TV? Does this not work for you?

Chris

Originally Posted by deac4ever

My home theater only has 1 HDMI output, and the cable for that is running from the home theater to the tv. I have an HDMI switcher, but that didn't help me with my audio problem.

[Blu-Raider]

Pardon my ignorance...

Why don't you just use three HDMI cables?

1. Blu-Ray to A/V-R Input
2. Cable Box to A/V-R Input
3. A/V-R Output to Aquos

Everything is taken care of. What am I missing?

[deac4ever]

Originally Posted by blindcat87

What you are saying doesn't make much sense to me. If you have a switcher, why do you not hook up all of your devices to the switch, the switch to the reciever, then the reciever to the TV? Does this not work for you?

Chris

My receiver doesn't have an HDMI input.

[Brain Sturgeon]

Does your receiver accept audio (PCM or bitstream) through HDMI? If so, then you want to run all of the audio from your sources (cable box, BD player, etc) through your receiver, and what you need is an HDMI switch. If your receiver only does HDMI pass through, then there is no need to run any of your sources through the receiver-- your should just run them straight through to your monitor for the video feed. If this is the case, and you want to use your receiver for DD, DTS, and 2 channel PCM, then you need to run the TOSLINK outputs from your sources to a switch, and then from the switch to a receiver.

if you need an HDMI switch, you can't go wrong with this one:

Radiient HDMI switch

If you need a TOSLINK Switch, this 4-in 1-out component video/TOSLINK switch by Zektor would work for you:

Zektor HDS 4.1

Here's a pic of the back panel

[Brain Sturgeon]

Originally Posted by deac4ever

My receiver doesn't have an HDMI input.

Ok.. so I presume the HDMI output on your receiver is only for setup menus and such. If so, then you need the TOSLINK switch I mentioned above... Or a new receiver. Given the cost of a TOSLINK switch, you might want to consider a new receiver with a 2 or 3 in and 1 out HDMI.

[blindcat87]

I have never heard of a reciever with HDMI outputs and no inputs. That is very weird. Anyway, they do make optical switches. I got one to use with my LD player. I searched for digital optical switch at Amazon. I think it was through Parts Express, so you could probably get it directly from partsexpress.com.

Chris

Originally Posted by deac4ever

My receiver doesn't have an HDMI input.

[deac4ever]

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

Ok.. so I presume the HDMI output on your receiver is only for setup menus and such. If so, then you need the TOSLINK switch I mentioned above... Or a new receiver. Given the cost of a TOSLINK switch, you might want to consider a new receiver with a 2 or 3 in and 1 out HDMI.

So an HDMI switch won't help me?

[deac4ever]

Originally Posted by blindcat87

I have never heard of a reciever with HDMI outputs and no inputs. That is very weird. Anyway, they do make optical switches. I got one to use with my LD player. I searched for digital optical switch at Amazon. I think it was through Parts Express, so you could probably get it directly from partsexpress.com.

Chris

Yes, it's a Samsung HT-X50. It only has 1 HDMI output.

[blindcat87]

After looking up your setup I now get it. It is one of those all in one sets with multi DVD player and reciever all together. I couldn't figure out why on earth a reciever would have HDMI out and no inputs. Makes sense now. Does make things harder on you. Chexk out Parts Express or Amazon for a optical digital switcher. Note, you cannot get the new lossless audio codexs through optical. That is only available through multichannel analog inputs or HDMI.

Chris

Originally Posted by blindcat87

I have never heard of a reciever with HDMI outputs and no inputs. That is very weird. Anyway, they do make optical switches. I got one to use with my LD player. I searched for digital optical switch at Amazon. I think it was through Parts Express, so you could probably get it directly from partsexpress.com.

Chris

[Edh63]

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

Ok.. so I presume the HDMI output on your receiver is only for setup menus and such. If so, then you need the TOSLINK switch I mentioned above... Or a new receiver. Given the cost of a TOSLINK switch, you might want to consider a new receiver with a 2 or 3 in and 1 out HDMI.

Not intentionally trying to hijack this thread, but since we're talking about this, my question is similar.

Having a Bose Lifestyle 35, I do not have a HDMI port on the back of my receiver. I also have my Blue Ray connected to the TV by HDMI cabling and then have an optical cable from the Blue Ray to the receiver.

Would I benefit from having the Bose VS-2 Video Enhancer incorporated into my mix?

Sorry for the hijack.

[Brain Sturgeon]

Originally Posted by deac4ever

So an HDMI switch won't help me?

No, from what it sounds like your receiver does, you need an TOSLINK switch-- see the link I posted above. Or, as I mentioned, spend the money on new receiver that will accept audio by PCM or bitstream via HDMI inputs.

Originally Posted by Edh63

Not intentionally trying to hijack this thread, but since we're talking about this, my question is similar.

Having a Bose Lifestyle 35, I do not have a HDMI port on the back of my receiver. I also have my Blue Ray connected to the TV by HDMI cabling and then have an optical cable from the Blue Ray to the receiver.

Would I benefit from having the Bose VS-2 Video Enhancer incorporated into my mix?

Sorry for the hijack.

From what I can tell of that unit, it only acts as an integrated video switcher, upscaler. It won't do any audio input/processing, so you'd still have to run an audio connection (analog, S/PDIF, or TOSLINK (like you are doing now)) to the receiver. It might make your setup a bit "simpler" with centralized control, but it won't improve on the video or audio quality you have now.

[blindcat87]

There is no way to get surround audio to your reciever via HDMI without an HDMI input. The ultimate solution would be to get a reciever that has both HDMI in and out. Since HDMI carries both video and audio, you could then hook it up the standard way with the sources going to the reciever and the reciever out going to the TV. But the HDMI switch will do you no good for audio without an input at the reciever, which is what processes the audio. I know that the parts express optical switcher cost under $20, a much cheaper solution, but as I said before, there is no way to get advanced audio, Dolby True HD and DTS Master HD without a new reciever. Even with the optical switcher, the best you can get is standard Dolby Digital and standard DTS.

It all depends upon how much you want to spend and whether or not DD and DTS are enough for you.

Chris

Originally Posted by deac4ever

Yes, it's a Samsung HT-X50. It only has 1 HDMI output.

[Edh63]

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

No, from what it sounds like your receiver does, you need an TOSLINK switch-- see the link I posted above. Or, as I mentioned, spend the money on new receiver that will accept audio by PCM or bitstream via HDMI inputs.




From what I can tell of that unit, it only acts as an integrated video switcher, upscaler. It won't do any audio input/processing, so you'd still have to run an audio connection (analog, S/PDIF, or TOSLINK (like you are doing now)) to the receiver. It might make your setup a bit "simpler" with centralized control, but it won't improve on the video or audio quality you have now.

This is what I thought. The picture quality is still very nice and sound, not having heard the 7.1 because of 5.1 limitations, still is of nice quality too. I just want to make sure I get the most out of the Bose that I can, and it sounds like I am.

Thanks for the input, and sorry for the hijack.

[blindcat87]

Yeesh, that switch is expensibe. I got a plain, manual toslink switch from parts express through amazon for something like $20.00 incl shipping.

Chris

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

Does your receiver accept audio (PCM or bitstream) through HDMI? If so, then you want to run all of the audio from your sources (cable box, BD player, etc) through your receiver, and what you need is an HDMI switch. If your receiver only does HDMI pass through, then there is no need to run any of your sources through the receiver-- your should just run them straight through to your monitor for the video feed. If this is the case, and you want to use your receiver for DD, DTS, and 2 channel PCM, then you need to run the TOSLINK outputs from your sources to a switch, and then from the switch to a receiver.

if you need an HDMI switch, you can't go wrong with this one:

Radiient HDMI switch

If you need a TOSLINK Switch, this 4-in 1-out component video/TOSLINK switch by Zektor would work for you:

Zektor HDS 4.1

Here's a pic of the back panel

[Edh63]

Originally Posted by blindcat87

There is no way to get surround audio to your reciever via HDMI without an HDMI input. The ultimate solution would be to get a reciever that has both HDMI in and out. Since HDMI carries both video and audio, you could then hook it up the standard way with the sources going to the reciever and the reciever out going to the TV. But the HDMI switch will do you no good for audio without an input at the reciever, which is what processes the audio. I know that the parts express optical switcher cost under $20, a much cheaper solution, but as I said before, there is no way to get advanced audio, Dolby True HD and DTS Master HD without a new reciever. Even with the optical switcher, the best you can get is standard Dolby Digital and standard DTS.

It all depends upon how much you want to spend and whether or not DD and DTS are enough for you.

Chris

You are correct. At least we've got the optical line for surround and that still sounds great.

One question. Why would the surround sound more prominent and defined coming through the cable box than it would coming from the Blue Ray? I find that most HBO or rented movies from Time Warner off the TV sound much more defined in the surround than the Blue Ray.

[Brain Sturgeon]

Originally Posted by blindcat87

Yeesh, that switch is expensibe. I got a plain, manual toslink switch from parts express through amazon for something like $20.00 incl shipping.

Chris

Yeah, it is a bit more than the OP actually needs. It is IR remote controlled, and Zektor does make some nice switches-- completely transparent pass through.

[blindcat87]

Yeah, there is nothing wrong with DD and DTS. We get caught up in the lossless sound, but really, it is just another level of amazing over a previous level of amazing.

I wonder if the programming you are noticing the difference in is material that is not actually 5.1, but stereo or prologic surround going through the prologic processor? Often prologic is not processed as perfectly as DD since it is extrapolating the surround channels rather than decoding discrete surround channels. A lot of time this leads to a boost in volume for the surrounds. Higher volume often leads to a perception of greater detail whether the sound actually has more detail to it or not. Even if it is DD, it is still possible that tthe cable sources are boosted in volume, leading to a different perception.

Not sure that this is it, but it makes the most sense to me.

Chris

Originally Posted by Edh63

You are correct. At least we've got the optical line for surround and that still sounds great.

One question. Why would the surround sound more prominent and defined coming through the cable box than it would coming from the Blue Ray? I find that most HBO or rented movies from Time Warner off the TV sound much more defined in the surround than the Blue Ray.