Hi,

I posted this question in the LCD T forum, but didn't get a specific answer. Hopefully somebody here can help.

I currently use a PS3 as my Blu-Ray player in my home theater. I have the PS3 set to PCM for the audio to try to get the best sound in the home theater (I currently have an Onkyo TX- SR606).

I also have a Monoprice HDMI splitter/distribution box that I use to simultaneously send the PS3 output to other tvs in the house (A Vizio LCD and a Plasma TV).

I've noticed that on my Vizio LCD TV (a couple years old), the audio doesn't play correctly. The side channels (music, effects) are at normal volume, the the dialog (what would be the center channel) is very muted - barely detectable) I'm assuming this is because the Vizio and the other TV can't properly decode the PCM audio formats from the PS3.

At this time, I'd like to buy an inexpensive LCD TV (Vizio or similar) for a room just off our home theater. We want to use this room as a place where moms or dads can still watch the movie, but remove their noisy/misbehaving children so they don't disturb the rest of the people in the home theater.

I don't want to reduce the audio quality in the home theater (PS3) in order to feed the audio to the TV in this side room. Are there inexpensive TVs (Vizio or similar) that can decode the PCM signal from the PS3? I'm not too concerned about the video or audio quality of this TV.

If there aren't any inexpensive TVs that decode PCM, what would be an inexpensive A/V receiver or similar device that could work with an LCD TV to make this all work?

Thanks,

Ryan

It sounds like to me you are sending a 3 channel or more signal to the TV and it doesn't know how to play back the center channel. Your TV is stereo (two speakers), so you most likely are going to have to tell the PS3 that it's sending to a 2 channel playback device.

Hi,

That's what I'm trying to avoid. I don't want to lower the audio quality of the PS3 output because I'm wanting to simultaneously play the movie in the home theater (Onkyo A/V Receiver) and I want the sound to be as good as possible in the home theater.

I'm looking for an inexpensive LCD TV that can decode the LPCM surround sound and play it the TV speakers.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ryan

I'm not an expert on this kind of stuff, but from what you've presented, I don't think any tv will solve your problem. It sounds like you're sending a 5.1 (or 7.1) signal to your vizio tv. It's not necessarily the quality of the sound you need to change, but rather you need to tell your ps3 (in the audio options) that the vizio only has 2 speakers, not 5.1.

Try this first and let us know the results. I used to play my ps3 on an hdtv that had a great picture, but only "ok" speakers, and it sounded great still. You shouldn't notice too much of a difference. From everything I've read, there aren't too many TV's that deliver a great picture and the same superb sound you'll get from your surround sound system.

If you're really interested in getting better sound on your vizio, I'd look into an inexpensive HTIB or a receiver and 2.1 system. It will likely be cheaper than trying to buy a new tv.

I doubt you'll find a cheap TV that does this.

So either re-think your plans or up your budget.

I'm not worried about the sound quality on the inexpensive LCD TV. I was just hoping that some of the cheaper LCD TVs could at least interpret a PCM 5.1 or 7.1 audio and downgrade it to stereo and play it out the TV speakers.

Again, I can't tell the PS3 to downgrade the sound to 2 channels because I will be playing the movie in the home theater (which has a 7.1 system). I need the PS3 to output the best sound possible. However, simultaneously, an LCD TV will be playing a movie in another room (via and HDMI splitter/repeater). I just need an LCD TV that can decode the audio.

If no inexpensive LCD TVs are capable of this, I may have to buy a cheap A/V receiver that can decode the audio from HDMI and play it out a couple of external speakers. I was just hoping to avoid this route. It would be so much easier to be able to simply plug the HDMI cable directly into the LCD TV and get 'normal' sound out of it even though the PS3 is outputting PCM 5.1 or 7.1

Does anybody know of any particular models of LCD TVs (maybe a little more expensive) that can decode 5.1 or 7.1 and output it on the built-in speakers? I've searched for specs on a lot of LCD TVs, but even the manufacturers often don't specify if the TV can handle it or not.

Any other thoughts?

Ryan

I don't know if I'm reading this right. But can't you send a optical signal to your other tv? The ps3 will output optical and hdmi simultaneously now with the newest update. So you have hdmi to your Onkyo, and optical to your other tv.

Just send the audio to the TV by the RCA connectors! It is just crappy 2 channel stereo out of the TV's speakers (that are probably worth about 50 cents each)...

I'm not worried about the sound quality on the inexpensive LCD TV. I was just hoping that some of the cheaper LCD TVs could at least interpret a PCM 5.1 or 7.1 audio and downgrade it to stereo and play it out the TV speakers.

What sound field options do you have on the Vizio? Most TV's give you the option to try and create surround sound (ei. SRS) with the two speakers it has. You might want to try turning any post processing off that the TV may have.

I just need an LCD TV that can decode the audio.
The audio is already decoded. You need a TV to downmix 5.1 to 2ch PCM


If no inexpensive LCD TVs are capable of this, I may have to buy a cheap A/V receiver that can decode the audio from HDMI and play it out a couple of external speakers.
Again LPCM is already decoded it just needs to be D/A converted and amplified.


Does anybody know of any particular models of LCD TVs (maybe a little more expensive) that can decode 5.1 or 7.1 and output it on the built-in speakers? I've searched for specs on a lot of LCD TVs, but even the manufacturers often don't specify if the TV can handle it or not.

They all do it. NO tv is capable of taking a 5.1 or 7.1 sounds and playing it without some down mixing (the tv doesnt have 6 or 8 discrete speakers to NOT do this so it has to do some down mixing) What you found with the Vizio is either A it does a bad job of down mixing or B it has some funky post processing going on that affects the play back of the discrete center channel.

I think the only way you're going to get it is if your TV will downmix it (as ndskyz suggestged). Or perhaps as someone else suggested, run RCA cables (I think the PS3 will kick sound out of both, but not sure based on having the PS3 set up for 5.1)

Alternatively (rather than buying a TV), it would be much cheaper to buy a second blu-ray player (like $99) for your TV. Yes, you wouldn't be able to watch the same disc simultaneously, but man, it would be a lot cheaper and hassle-free.

One final thought to go with my post above:
I may have to buy a cheap A/V receiver that can decode the audio from HDMI and play it out a couple of external speakers. I was just hoping to avoid this route.

Again, a "cheap" AVR that would do HDMI would be more expensive than the second Blu-Ray player, but if you would go this route, you could probably just get an cheap center speaker for your TV (making it Left-Center-Right) which would be a step better than stereo, I would think. No sense buying an AVR to do stereo sound, right?