Can't get Onkyo HT-S3500 to work with Optical Cable.

This is my setup:

Onkyo HT-S3500 sound system: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077V88V8/ref=oh_details_o05_s01_i00
VIZIO E500i-A1 50-inch HDTV: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LG6B1G/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00

I want to get sound to play from my TV to the Sound System in 5.1. I tried to achieve this using an Optical Cable that I bought here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TH7GSW/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01

I could use an HDMI cable to get the sound to work with my satellite, but if I'm watching something from the TV I can't get sound to to work without the Optical cable.

I've set the Digital Audio Out on the TV to Dolby Digital (because I read somewhere that PCM won't work for some reason. I tried both, but neither work.)

I connected the audio cable to the TV (it did light up) and then I connected it to the sound system in the second optical port labeled TV/CD.

Then I set the Input Selection on the sound system to TV/CD but it doesn't work. I've tried just about everything and I can't think of any technical reason why it shouldn't be working.

I also tried turning off the TVs speakers using the TV settings and I've looked through all the settings on the sound system and I can't find any reason at all why it shouldn't be working, does anyone have any ideas what is wrong?

SOLVED: It only wasn't working because I didn't take the plastic tips off the Optical cable, it doesn't even say on the box that you're supposed to take them off. I only figured it out because I did a Google search on why Optical Cables are so loose.
Edited by Mark Kramer - 1/23/13 at 12:06pm

The cable isn't the issue. I have DirecTV which uses an HDMI cable that I can plug directly into the Onkyo receiver. That gets 5.1 sound.

I want to get sound from my TV to the receiver. It's a smart TV so I'm taking about like if I'm watching Netflix on the TV or if I plug a USB drive into the TV.

The cable box doesn't have an optical port on it. I think my computer does, though. I'll test it tonight after I get out of work.

Yeah, I tried it with my computer too. Everything should be working because I know the sound from my computer works, the cable is lit up red, the sound on the receiver is set to 30 and not muted, the receiver is set to TV/CD with the cable plugged into the correct port, and all the setting seem correct. Yet it's still not working. I know the receiver works because it works with my Satellite and the radio, but the optical ports don't seem to work at all, I think they might be broken. I seriously can't find any logical reason why it wouldn't be working except that the optical ports on this receiver are broken.


At this point I'm just trying to get my receiver to work at all with an optical cable.


Do you really think I would have checked online before reading the intructions? And I'm not trying to listen to the Satellite through the sound system, I've said that twice on here already. That works fine, I have it hooked up with an HDMI cable. And the satellite box doesn't even have an optical port, I already said that too. I'm trying to connect the TV itself to the sound system because it's a smart TV and I watch Netflix, Amazon Instant video, and Crackle on it. And what do you know, I already said that too. Did you read any of my posts?


The only thing I haven't tested is the cable itself. I'll go to BestBuy later today and get another Optical Cable for testing purposes.
Edited by Mark Kramer - 1/23/13 at 5:23am

Thanks, you're right about that stuff, but I already read the manual and verified the settings. I know that stuff isn't the problem. I inspected my optical cable and noticed a small chunk missing from the clear rubber on one of the ends, so I think that's the problem. I'm gonna buy a new cable and see if that fixes it.

It doesn't work with a new cable either. I just don't know what the problem could possibly be. The only conclusion I have left to draw is that the Optical pots on the receiver don't work.

I actually just got it to work, but I have to hold the cable in in order to get sound. Are Optical cables supposed to be this loose? Is it just me or is it always like there's nothing holding them in, they fall out so easily.

Really? No one thought to mention that those plastic tips aren't supposed to be on the cables? I have two packages for Optical cables here and neither of them say the plastic tips aren't supposed to be on there. I just wasted 5 days and thirty dollars on a cable I don't need because of this -.-

I've seen thousands of Optical cables before, but I've never used one. I only ever saw them in packages, so I always thought those plastic tips were part of the cable.

This is a support forum, shouldn't you be able to mark a problem as solved?