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Samsung B6000 LED Optical Aud Out = no DD?

post #1 of 7
6/28/09 at 2:10pm
Thread Starter 
I recently picked up one of the new Samsung LED TV's, the 6000VF. I currently have digital audio coming via coax from my DirecTV box, and my Receiver shows it receiving a DolbyDigital signal. The HDMI from my DTV box is going to my TV.

I noticed that the Samsung will output Optical Audio from an HDMI source (unlike my old Sharp AQUOS) so I thought I'd see about that. To my disappointment, when pulling the Optical signal from the TV while tuned to the HDMI from the DTV, my reciever shows only a digital signal, not Dolby.

Any idea if this is a setting on the TV that can be altered so I can get all my sound from the TV as the source instead of switching inputs on my receiver for each video source I have? Or if this is just another one of those copy-protection deterrents that they've put in place?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 7
6/29/09 at 7:25am
I don't know about your particular model, but the behavior you describe matches that of my Samsung LN46A650 LCD. You might look to see what it says in your manual. In mine, under its description of connecting to a Digital Audio System, they wrote:

Quote:


When the receiver (home theater) is set to On, you can hear sound output from the TV's Optical jack. When the TV is displaying a DTV(air) signal, the TV will send out 5.1 channel sound to the Home theater receiver. When the source is a digital component such as a DVD and is connected to the TV via HDMI, only 2 channel sound will be heard from the Home Theater receiver. If you want to hear 5.1 channel audio, connect the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL) jack on the DVD player or Cable/Satellite Box directly to an Amplifier or Home Theater, not the TV.

Although I've seen suggestions that this is related to copy protection, I've also seen some confirmation in these forums that the new LG sets provide expanded audio output regardless of the input source. So LG, at least, does not think this is required by HDCP.
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post #3 of 7
6/29/09 at 7:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mitchell View Post

I don't know about your particular model, but the behavior you describe matches that of my Samsung LN46A650 LCD. You might look to see what it says in your manual. In mine, under its description of connecting to a Digital Audio System, they wrote:



Although I've seen suggestions that this is related to copy protection, I've also seen some confirmation in these forums that the new LG sets provide expanded audio output regardless of the input source. So LG, at least, does not think this is required by HDCP.

great info, thanks.
I like the concept they delivered the TV with - an "e-manual" on a USB drive that u plug in to the TV's USB ports - but it doesn't lend itself quite to the readability that a good ol' paper one does

I'll see if i can find a manual PDF on the web and check to see what mine says about this.
I'll post up with i find for future users
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post #4 of 7
6/29/09 at 7:47am
Thread Starter 
Here's what I found in an online manual:
Quote:


DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL)
Connects to a Digital Audio component such as a Home theater receiver.
  • When a Digital Audio System is connected to the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL) jack: Decrease the volume of the TV and adjust the volume level with the system's volume control.
  • 5.1CH audio is possible when the TV is connected to an external device supporting 5.1CH.
  • When the Home Theater receiver is set to On, you can hear sound output from the TV's Optical jack. When the TV is displaying a DTV(air) signal, the TV will send out 5.1 channel sound to the Home theater receiver. When the source is a digital component such as a DVD / Blu-ray player / Cable Box / Satellite receiver (Set-Top Box) and is connected to the TV via HDMI, only 2 channel sound will be heard from the Home Theater receiver. If you want to hear 5.1 channel audio, connect the digital audio out jack on DVD / Blu-ray player / Cable Box / Satellite receiver (Set-Top Box) directly to an Amplifier or Home Theater, not the TV.

Kind of confusing between points 2 and 3 if you ask me, but whatever looks like I have to keep using my receiver's inputs
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post #5 of 7
6/29/09 at 9:55am
I'm not surprised you cannot forward audio from HDMI to Optical - the same way you cannot do it for video (HDMI to Component), manufacturers are not supposed to do that I think.

The intention of the optical out is to get audio to your receiver for content that is being played by the TV (i.e. over-the-air or video files played by the TV from a computer multi-media storage). That is what I use my 8000 optical out for. Any signal that you feed to the TV from external box, you're supposed to pass through the receiver where the receiver will get audio and forward the video to the TV (i.e. HDMI cable box to receiver and another HDMI from the receiver to the TV; or if you're not using HDMI, use separate video cable box to TV and separate audio cable box to receiver)
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post #6 of 7
6/29/09 at 11:50am
Thank Hollywood for the extra cabling. When they wrote the standards they insisted that HDMI not pass DD when the device is only 2 channel. You have to remember, HDMI has nothing to do with quality and everything to do with copy protection --That is the only reason it exists.
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post #7 of 7
6/29/09 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by st_o_p View Post

I'm not surprised you cannot forward audio from HDMI to Optical - the same way you cannot do it for video (HDMI to Component), manufacturers are not supposed to do that I think.

While it makes not much sense to have the display convert the incoming HDMI video signal to an outgoing component video signal it does make very much sense to "loop" the incoming HDMI audio data to the optical output (still digital, though perhaps recoding has to be done)!

The reason being using the TV as a very convenient channel/input switchbox for the surround sound amplifier - the audio wouldn't have to be switched at the amp and it would always be lip-sync, regardless of the TV's settings.

Now we have the situation that your audio system may have to provide a different lip-sync setting for each input (sat receiver, game console, PC etc.) as each device may have/require its own video settings that increase or decrease the TV's input lag. Modern LCDs with LED local dimming like the Samsung A950 or Sony XBR8 can have a very high input lag when all bells & whistles of the display electronics are activated!

Furthermore you now have to either use at least three remotes (source device, TV set and audio system) or buy a universal remote to cope with the input switching alone!

The industry fully well knows all of this and they gladly sell you extra after extra if you aren't satisfied with 50ie-style stereo sound anymore...

Quote:
The intention of the optical out is to get audio to your receiver for content that is being played by the TV (i.e. over-the-air or video files played by the TV from a computer multi-media storage). That is what I use my 8000 optical out for.

Correct - because on most TVs this output is unnecessarily limited.

Quote:
Any signal that you feed to the TV from external box, you're supposed to pass through the receiver where the receiver will get audio and forward the video to the TV (i.e. HDMI cable box to receiver and another HDMI from the receiver to the TV; or if you're not using HDMI, use separate video cable box to TV and separate audio cable box to receiver)

You still may have the lip-sync problem and you don't really need more than a single HDMI input at the display then (it truly becomes a monitor in this situation).

This isn't optimal by any means, IMHO.

bye
Benny42
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