Correct me if i'm wrong here (which i'm sure i am) but i just dont get it.
I have a Satellite box going to the TV via S-video (No HD) and its audio through composites going to the TV, I have an optical cable from the TV to a Denon receiver for my surround sound.
How come I could not get the sound to my receiver when watching Satellite and could only get the receiver to work if i'm watching my local HD channels (OTA). Isn't the TV pretty much just acting as a splitter? :confused:

Correct me if i'm wrong here (which i'm sure i am) but i just dont get it.
I have a Satellite box going to the TV via S-video (No HD) and its audio through composites going to the TV, I have an optical cable from the TV to a Denon receiver for my surround sound.
How come I could not get the sound to my receiver when watching Satellite and could only get the receiver to work if i'm watching my local HD channels (OTA). Isn't the TV pretty much just acting as a splitter? :confused:
Because the TV's optical output only passes what comes into the TV via it's built-in tuner (OTA).

And even if the TV could pass that which comes into it from your sat box, it would only pass a 2-channel signal, as you say that your sat box is connected to the TV via "composite" (I presume you mean by a L/R analog connection). You need to connect your sat box directly to the receiver via its optical output, not via a "composite" L/R analog connection, in order to enjoy true digital 5.1 surround sound from those channels that provide it.

If you want to use the receiver as a "switcher", you can run the S-video connection from the sat box, through the receiver, then out to the TV. Why are you using an S-video connection, btw? Does your sat box and/or TV not have component video outputs?

It's not an HD box, so S-Video and L/R analog is the best i could go.
I guess it does make sense that i should run a connection from the satellite to the receiver, I was just thinkig that the Audio out of the TV would be good enough to run all audio going to the receiver regardless of either im playing a DVD or just watching TV. The TV would just act as a splitter. Is it not the same concept? hehe. Thanks.

It's not an HD box, so S-Video and L/R analog is the best i could go.
It doesn't have to be an HD box to have a digital audio output or component video connections. Are you sure it doesn't have either an optical audio outout or a digi coax audio output? You may want to check with your satellite provider about getting a new, more capable box.



I guess it does make sense that i should run a connection from the satellite to the receiver, I was just thinkig that the Audio out of the TV would be good enough to run all audio going to the receiver regardless of either im playing a DVD or just watching TV. The TV would just act as a splitter. Is it not the same concept?
No. As I said, and as you discovered, the TV will not "pass-thru" audio. So you need to, at the very least, connect your sat box's audio output directly to your receiver. You should like-wise connect the DVD player's audio directly to the receiver, preferably via a digital connection.

I don't know what you are using to connect the DVD player's video (S-video, component?), but if it is component, there is a very good chance that your receiver will "up-convert" the S-video connection of your sat box to component video so that you can use a single component video connection to your TV, connect both your sat box's and DVD player's video connections to your receiver, and use the receiver as a "switcher".

If you must use a L/R analog connection for your sat box's audio, then make certain that you are applying Dolby ProLogic II or some other DSP in order to get pseudo-5.1 sound from your sat box.

Cool. Thanks.