I'm not sure if this is the right place to post but i thought i'd give it a try. i just recently signed up for comcast again and got the basic cable package which means the local channels and nothing else. So i have the comcast cable running from the wall to the back of my tv.

How do i get surround sound to go to my 7.1 speaker setup? It's working when i watch movies on my ps3 and i think i know how to get it to work for my wii.

I have an Onkyo 605 i think :) i have a spare hdmi cable lieing around. So do i just need to run an hdmi out from my tv (Sony sxrd A2020 50 inch) to my onkyo 605 and turn it to the right setting on my receiver? Or do i need to run an optical out from my tv to my receiver?

Please help and thanks in advance :)

Also, help on hooking up the wii would be nice. right now i just have component cables running from the wii directly into the tv. i think i just need to run the component cables into the receiver and then an hdmi cable from the receiver to the tv.

thanks!

Red/white analog audio cable from the TV to the AVR. Set the AVR to DPLIIx. You can try optical/coax out from the TV to AVR, but you will still be required to use DPLIIx for "surround".

Most TV's do not passthrough "dolby digital" audio. Only PCM stereo.

EDIT:
My bad... missed the "no box" part. Digital audio (optical) out from the TV to the AVR will provide DD when available.

Yes, you'll run the component cabling to the AVR, and then run the HDMI to the TV. You'll also run your PS3 to the AVR with an HDMI cable, and this will give you the surround sound for that input. For the Comcast, you will only simulate surround from the stereo signal as posted above. You'll need a cable box and premium service to get more than that.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post but i thought i'd give it a try. i just recently signed up for comcast again and got the basic cable package which means the local channels and nothing else. So i have the comcast cable running from the wall to the back of my tv.

How do i get surround sound to go to my 7.1 speaker setup?Your basic cable package should include the HD versions of the local broadcast stations. Many of them have DD 5.1 soundtracks. Since you are running the cable input directly into your TV without a set top box, you must be using the TV's internal QAM tuner for reception. Run an optical or digital coax cable from the TV's digital output to your receiver. That will get you DD 5.1. That's the reason the TV even has a digital output in the first place. It's the only way that people using OTA antennas or direct cable feeds can get 5.1 sound.

If you want 7.1, you will need to apply a DSP like PLIIx in your receiver to matrix 2.0 and 5.1 into 7.1.

I have an Onkyo 605 i think :) i have a spare hdmi cable lieing around. So do i just need to run an hdmi out from my tv (Sony sxrd A2020 50 inch) to my onkyo 605 and turn it to the right setting on my receiver? Or do i need to run an optical out from my tv to my receiver?The HDMI ports on a TV are all inputs, not outputs. Use the digital audio output instead.

Most TVs only send stereo from the digital output, or at least in the past.

When using ATSC (OTA), all digital channels are DD. Depending on the program it could be DD2.0 or 5.1

When using QAM/NTSC (digital/analog cable), usually the digital channels can be DD2.0 or 5.1. Typically, analogs get converted to PCM stereo by the TV's tuner.

Both DD and PCM stereo should be output via the optical out.

Guys! Thank you so much for your responses!!! I wasn't home last night until really late so I'll try this all out tonight. Now that I think about it, I used to have an optical cable back there and then put it in storage when I cancelled cable for a while.

Right now I'm getting basic cable for free and I get a few channels in HD through my tv tuner so I don't want to sign up for a $60/mo plan plus the monthly charge to have the HD box, etc.

So, just to be clear: I'm going to run my wii component cable into my avr and then an hdmi from my avr into my tv. that is the same setup that i have my ps3 set to and it has perfect surround sound (except i have hdmi from ps3 to tv instead of just component). Then i'm going to run my optical cable from my tv to my avr and i should get sound out of my speakers while watching tv.

Thanks guys! this has been most helpful. I'll report back if it works :)

Most TVs only send stereo from the digital output, or at least in the past.That's true for externally attached equipment such as set top boxes and disc players. But, most TVs will output DD 5.1 from TV signals received using the set's ATSC or QAM tuners. That's the reason that TVs even have digital audio outputs in the first place. Andross77 is using his TV's QAM tuner instead of an STB.

Andross - you will need to run the audio for your PS3 direct to the AVR instead of routing it through the TV. Even if you have the rare set that routes DD 5.1 from an HDMI input to the optical output, that will not work for DTS tracks. About half of the BDs these days have DTS tracks and no Dolby alternatives.

Andross - you will need to run the audio for your PS3 direct to the AVR instead of routing it through the TV. Even if you have the rare set that routes DD 5.1 from an HDMI input to the optical output, that will not work for DTS tracks. About half of the BDs these days have DTS tracks and no Dolby alternatives.

Am i doing that already? i have an hdmi running from ps3 to avr and then from avr to tv. i seem to be using all 7 speakers when i watch movies on the ps3.

Yes. You are fine. That's the best way to go with your PS3.

Here is my promised update :) Everything works as it should now thanks to you all. I was originally worried because my onkyo 605 only has 1 hdmi "out" but 2 hdmi "in". I thought i needed an "out" for the ps3 and a separate one for the wii.

wrong.

So here is my hookup:

1) Comcast cable with no box
--------I have cable running from wall to tv and then an optical cable running from tv to the optical 1 jack on my avr.

2) PS3
--------I have an hdmi cable running from the ps3 to my hdmi "in" 1 slot on the avr and then an hdmi cable running from the hdmi "out" slot on the avr to my input 6 which is my hdmi "in" 1 on my tv.

3) Wii
--------I have a component cable running from the Wii to the component cable "in" slot 1 on the avr and then the same hdmi cable running from the "out" slot on the avr to the hdmi "in" 1 which is input 6 on the tv.

So for my tv settings i have blocked out 8 of the 9 inputs and only recognize the number 6 one. So when i press "input" on the remote which changes inputs it only cycles from input 6 to the comcast cable. If i'm watching cable, i switch over to the "cab/sat" button on my avr. If i'm playing the ps3 or watching a movie on it, i switch over to the "dvd" button on my avr. If i'm playing the wii, i switch over to the "game" button on my avr.

Now each one uses all 7 of my speakers. Sure the wii might be simulated and same with most of what i watch on comcast but the ps3 has the full surround effect that any movie can offer and i obviously am VERY happy about using my external speakers rather than my tv's 20 watt ones :)

I just wanted to write this to thank you guys so you know your comments and words aren't wasted, but acted upon. Plus, now the post is here for anyone that does a search in the future.

I'm super happy with my setup now :) Thanks.