Any one know if a Dolby 5.1 digital input via the HDMI connection can be passed through a Samsung HLR5067W DLP to the TV's optical digital ouput? I hooked up a TiVo HD (set to Dolby digital audio out) via HDMI; on the Samsung HLR 50 there is no direct way to change sound "output" on the HDMI connectin from PCM to digital. There is no indication in the Samsung manual that Dolby digital input via HDMI is "passed" thorugh the TV to its optical digital output. Regular audio on HDTV via the Samsung ATSC tuner outputs digital sound just fine.
Problem is that my Sony 5.1 audio receiver has only 2 digital inputs (coax and optical) and both are used; can't easily take the separate digital optical audio output of the TiVo HD into the Sony without disconnecting something. Are Optical "splitters" (like coax splitters) made for multiple optical inputs???
Tnx!

Most (but not all) TV's will not pass-through 5.1 audio via their optical output. They will only pass 5.1 audio from their OTA tuners.


Are Optical "splitters" (like coax splitters) made for multiple optical inputs???
You don't need to "split", you need to "merge". But, yes, there are devices made for doing so.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2946&seq=1&format=2

Thanks for the input and clarification on optical "merging" (makes sense that for an input you "merge" not "split"!)

Further serching seems to indicate that the HLR50 DLP (like a lot of sets) does NOT pass through the 5.1 signal to the optical output. Wish the Samsung owner's manual made that clear from the start!

Hi,
Many of the first HDTV's did not pass 5.1 digital through the HDMI and only passed PCM which is 2CH audio. I know the Sony KDL 52W4100 will pass 5.1 digital and I suspect many other new sets will also pass 5.1 digital through the HDMI connector.

Hi,
Many of the first HDTV's did not pass 5.1 digital through the HDMI and only passed PCM which is 2CH audio. I know the Sony KDL 52W4100 will pass 5.1 digital and I suspect many other new sets will also pass 5.1 digital through the HDMI connector.?? The HDMI connectors on TVs are inputs, not outputs. Also, PCM is not 2CH audio. It can be any number of channels. But, the optical outputs of most TVs are limited to two channels of PCM when transmitting audio from external components.

TVs have optical outputs so that people using ATSC or QAM tuners can feed DD 5.1 to surround processors. Very few TVs are designed to function as audio switchers for attached devices. For the most part, set top boxes, disc players, and game consoles need to be connected directly to a receiver for multichannel audio.