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Connect both PS3 and Xbox 360 for 5.1 sound?

post #1 of 8
2/6/09 at 7:11pm
Thread Starter 
How we all doing?

I just want to say first that my level of expertise on this area is very little so all the help would be appreciated!

This question is more out of curiosity than anything.
I own a 360 and I might get a Playstation 3. I know that both systems require that optical cable to get 5.1 surround sound. I've looked into several home theater systems and their receivers only have one optical input. Is it possible to get 5.1 sound out of both systems without
1. Buying some selector switch of some sort
2. Unplugging and plugging it again for each source each time I use it?

Also I haven't realized how complex receivers are nowadays with HDMI inputs/outputs and what not, which I really don't know what they're used for.
Can I just connect all the video inputs to the TV and all the audio inputs to the receiver to get 5.1 for both the PS3 and Xbox 360?
Also how about getting 5.1 for just watching regular TV?

Thanks everyone!
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post #2 of 8
2/6/09 at 8:53pm
You should really invest just a few $$ more and buy a system that has a receiver that supports HDMI audio also. That way you can just plug in your 360 and your PS3 with one cable (HDMI) and get all your audio and video without running optical. FOr instance, I use an Onkyo TX-SR606 in my system that has 4 HDMI inputs, and I have a 360, PS3, HD DVD player and my Comcast cable box all connected with HDMI cables in to the receiver, then one cable to the TV. No separate cables for audio

If that's out of the budget, there are several entry level systems that have at least 2 optical inputs.

If you're looking for a Home Theater in a Box, I've always like the Onkyo packages.
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post #3 of 8
2/6/09 at 9:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 257Tony View Post

You should really invest just a few $$ more and buy a system that has a receiver that supports HDMI audio also. That way you can just plug in your 360 and your PS3 with one cable (HDMI) and get all your audio and video without running optical. FOr instance, I use an Onkyo TX-SR606 in my system that has 4 HDMI inputs, and I have a 360, PS3, HD DVD player and my Comcast cable box all connected with HDMI cables in to the receiver, then one cable to the TV. No separate cables for audio

If that's out of the budget, there are several entry level systems that have at least 2 optical inputs.

If you're looking for a Home Theater in a Box, I've always like the Onkyo packages.

Thanks for the reply.
That clears things up much better.
So I should make sure the receiver supports audio through HDMI and video (same cable?), plug everything into the receiver, then use another HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV.
Yes I am looking for a home theater in a box that comes with everything. My budget is pretty tight and I've been looking into one of those Sony Bravia Home Theater Systems.
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post #4 of 8
2/7/09 at 8:53am
This would be my personal choice for a HTIB....

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S6100...4025215&sr=8-1

It comes with the 606 Receiver which will do everything you need and will be fairly future proof for years to come. Also has 4 HDMI inputs, 3 component inputs, 4 digital audio inputs (2 coax, 2 optical) and will convert analog video into HDMI so you can hook up devices with component cables and still just run the one HDMI into the TV. That is a very cool feature, IMO and not all the HTIB systems you look at will have it.
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post #5 of 8
2/7/09 at 11:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by STLfan92 View Post

Can I just connect all the video inputs to the TV and all the audio inputs to the receiver to get 5.1 for both the PS3 and Xbox 360?

Although I agree with 257Tony's suggestion (and I've looked at the package he recommended and that is a very capable receiver for the price), to answer the above question, yes you can do that. That's how I have my system set up because my receiver doesn't have HDMI inputs.

Quote:


Also how about getting 5.1 for just watching regular TV?

If you have a cable box that provides an HDMI or digital audio out, you can run a lead to your receiver to get the 5.1 sound. Again, that's how mine is set up.
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post #6 of 8
2/7/09 at 4:46pm
Thread Starter 
thanks everyone.
1 question.
does connecting to the receiver and then to the TV have any negative side effects?
downgrade in picture quality, maybe even a slight lag?
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post #7 of 8
2/7/09 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by STLfan92 View Post

thanks everyone.
1 question.
does connecting to the receiver and then to the TV have any negative side effects?
downgrade in picture quality, maybe even a slight lag?

I think any negative side effects would depend on the receiver. For example, I've heard some negative things about using the Yamaha RX-V1800 to pass through the HDMI signals.

As for lag, that would only be noticeable if the audio and video were not synchronized. Because you're sending both to the receiver on the HDMI cable, I doubt that would be an issue.
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post #8 of 8
2/10/09 at 12:09pm
I had a similar problem when I realized that my yamaha receiver didn't pass audio thru the HDMI. The solution for me was to buy a optical to digital coaxial adapter. Works very well with 5.1 sound and $12+shipping.

See it here: http://www.monoprice.com/products/se...d=2948&x=0&y=0
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