No HDMI input in Receiver, What now? Update: Fixed

[jgaepi]

I know that similar questions have been answered in reference to the Sony BDP-S1 but I am really frustrated with my problem. I may have some money to throw around but not Ft. Knox type money. I own the Onkyo 870 Home Theater in a Box system. Good system but no HDMI input. I just purchased the multi-region KLV-V40A10 television with only one HDMI input. I also just purchased the BDP-S1 with brilliant picture but no audio solution.

If I use HDMI into the TV, then I only get TV sound. If I go Component, I am losing HDMI quality. Sony stuck the optical input there for a dirty joke?

Has anyone figured out a way to solve my type of predicament? Perfect world, HDMI into TV, program no sound via HDMI into TV. Running optical cable into HTIB system. Woa La!!! No dice right now.

If my only solution is Component, am I missing out? What brand component do you recommend? And how would you do it to maximize my current purchases?

Thanks much!!!

[Iceman_II]

Works GREAT for me, Route the HDMI to the TV for picture, and Optical to the Reciever. If you have more than one device, use this device:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...0063#post40063

Works great for me!

You probably have to go into the setup for the BD player to activate the optical out

[jgaepi]

IceMan,

But that still entails purchasing another $300 piece of equipment. And this equipment knows to cut out the audio signal and send it to my receiver via the optical cable? Why can't sony just have created an option to send the audio signal via the optical input. The optical input is there for *@&#$'s sake. Or are they just forcing us to buy an HDMI receiver?

[jgaepi]

Iceman,

Hold on. Just read the last part. How do you active the optical out?

In the instruction manual, it clearly states that if you are using HDMI, you either have to route it through the receiver first, or send the picture via s-video, component, etc to the TV.

[Iceman_II]

Sorry for the confusion, I thought you had problems routing the signal, in my edit I pointed out that there is amost assuridly a switch in the set up to turn the optical on.

[jgaepi]

Ok, so there is or there isn't a way to send the video via HDMI to a TV and optical via optical cable to the receiver? Without having to buy anymore equipment?

[coolmilo]

Now that HDMI 1.3 is out all the hardware manufacturers will start releasing their new audio products to accept HDMI 1.3. Until then you have two options: optical and/or analog.

I have my Sony Blu-Ray BDP-S1 connected to my LCD via HDMI and both optical and analog for the audio. It's amazing to listend to those Blu-Ray titles that are released with a lossless audio via the analog connection (6 RCA cables).

In a perfect world the Blu-Ray player would come with HDMI 1.3 outputs and all audio receivers would come equipped with HDMI 1.3 inputs. The receiver will also have HDMI 1.3 outputs to the TV and switch at the receiver. I guess we are a year or so away from this solution.

[Iceman_II]

Make sure your downmixing is set right, I am not familiar with the reciever, probably best to have the signals downmixed to PCM till you get it up and running.

If that isn't the problem, only two things come to mind, either:
1) The optical out is non-functional - take it back
2) The system sees that the TV is accepting a sound signal over the HDMI and is turning off the optical out because the HDMI is OBVIOUSLY functioning properly. - you can check it by unplugging the HDMI while the optical is plugged in, if you get sound this is what's happening.

Cure for 1) take it back for a replacement
Cure for 2) try turning off the TV sound through the set up for the TV, not turn down the volume, but turn the speaker OFF. If this doesn't work, you can always get a couple of dongles, one a female HDMI to male DVI, and a female DVI to male HDMI - by routing the hdmi signal through a DVI and back, you keep all the video functionality, and strip out the audio component... in either case, the idea is to get the player to see that the HDMI audio is NOT working, when the player sees that the HDMI audio is not functional, the optical should turn on.

[Iceman_II]

one other suggestion, does the TV have DVI input? if so, just use a male HDMI to a male DVI cable and be done with it.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by jgaepi

Ok, so there is or there isn't a way to send the video via HDMI to a TV and optical via optical cable to the receiver? Without having to buy anymore equipment?

The answer is yes, you can send the video to the TV with the HDMI cable, and the audio to your receiver with the optical cable. That is how I have mine set up, so unless as previously suggested your optical output is not working correctly, it should work.

[_MattB]

I've done the same thing without problems. HDMI to TV, optical to receiver. I don't remember having to activate anything.

[jgaepi]

I will try a few more solutions and possibly call Sony but after reading the instruction manual, it clearly states that by using the HDMI cable, it is sending the audio to the TV. It says the only solution is sending the video via S-video, or component to the TV, while sending the audio via optical cable.

[jgaepi]

Holy Schnikees,

It was the Optical Cable. My $60 Impact Acoustics optical cable. That I dropped the extra cash on for optimal quality. A junky $10 optical cable is coming through crystal clear. What a waste of money for the Impact Acoustics cable.

[Iceman_II]

Interesting, I have read where optical cables can be "problematic"... if at anytime during production packaging, shipping or after you get it, the cable pulls into a loop with too tight a radius, it can crack the fibre.

Glad to hear you got her up and running! Congrats!