HDMI in to TV, optical audio out to receiver, is this setup optimal?

I've heard that many TVs do not repeat their HDMI incoming signal over the digital out. You may have to connect the digital out of the players to your receiver without going through the TV instead.

Conect the HDMI outs from your HD cable box and dvd player to your TV but conect the optical outs for sound from your cable box and dvd player directly to your receiver.

I have mine set up as mdrums describes. However, you will typically need to switch both inputs, TV and receiver. A remote control that can be programmed or let you create macros will let you do this with a one button push. If your cable box is a Motorola 64xx or 34xx the remote can be programmed for macros. If this applies, you may want to check the Wiki for the 6412 remote.

It should work so long as the DVD player & STB can output 5.1 out of their SPDIF connections while the HDMI outputs are sending out 2 channel audio to the TV.

One other possible option: does your TV have a SPDIF (coax or optical) output? Some TVs have this, and you could then connect that to your AVR just fine.

For those of us that have A/v pre-pro's or Receivers that do not have HDMI inputs then why can't we just use HDMI for video and optical of audio? I know we will only be able to process Dolby Digital and DTS but still right now we will be able to get a better picture...correct?

Anyone?

Correct. Although it is possible for source device manufacturers to screw this up, most of them get it right and you will be able to get a full 5.1 bitstream over the optical cable from the source to the receiver while also sending video over HDMI direct to the TV -- even though the TV may insist that only stereo audio be sent on that HDMI cable (which audio you don't intend to use anyway).

The problem, you see, is that if the TV insists on only stereo over the HDMI cable, and if the source is badly designed, then the source will ALSO only send stereo to your receiver over the optical cable.

But odds are you will not have that problem.
--Bob

I'm getting my Sony XBR2 this weekend.

I was told that I needed to hook up an HDMI cable from both the new SA 8300 HD cable box to the TV as well as an HDMI cable from the DVD player to the TV and then connect optical cable from the TV out to my rcvr.(which doesn't have HDMI capapbility) for sound and use my remote to choose the source.

Is this incorrect info?

'mdrums' mentiones that optical cables should be hooked up from the DVD to the rcvr as well as from the cable box to the rcvr.

Why can't I be connecting HDMI cables from the HD cable box as well as my DVD to my HDTV and then optical out from the TV to my receiver?


Am I missing something here? I'm pretty new to this and want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

More likely than not you're going to get stereo-only in this case: TV is going to tell STB/DVD that it's only capable to receive stereo-only sound, so they will downmix audio to 2 channels, and that's what TV will pass to your receiver.

So am I reading this correctly?

Instead of running HDMI from both my cable box and DVD to my TV, and then an optical cable to carry the sound from my TV to the receiver, ....
I should still run HDMI cables from my cable box and DVD player to my TV, but for the best audio, I should run optical cables from the cable box as well as the DVD player directly to my receiver to carry the audio signals and forget the optical out from the TV to the rcvr?

Please help me understand this properly!!

All your help and input is greatly appreciated. I don't know where else I could find such great advice

Thanks,
Brentski

Yes, forget optical from TV to receiver. The only reason to run such connection if you have CableCard or direct basic coax cable to TV.
If you had receiver with HDMI inputs, than you could connect STB and DVD to the receiver and HDMI output of the receiver to the TV. In this case you don't need any other connections, depending on capabilities of your equipment.

ptsenter, I really appreciate your advice.

So, as it stands now, I'd need 2 HDMI cables( to run from my HD-STB and DVD to the TV) as well as 2 optical cables,( to run from the STB and DVD to Receiver) correct? (and forget about the opt. cable from the TV to the rcvr.)

In regard to your point about a new HDMI receiver, where I could run everything through it, as opposed to my current equipment, would I really notice a tremendous difference in the audio?

Obviously, if I also purchase a new rcvr., I'd be able to hook everything up as it should be, ease of use would be a big plus, however, that's a big chunk of change if I'm not really going to notice any difference in the audio.


Again, Any and all advice is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks,
Brentski

With equipment you have - Not a single bit. When, eventually, you move to hi-def audio you're going to revisit this issue again. If your receiver has 6-channel analog input you're safe.

The receiver I'm considering is a Denon 3806 for HDMI switching.

Having a Sony 40-XBR2 is being delivered this weekend.
My current receiver's an Onkyo TX-SR800 ( THX-Select 7.1) Polk speakers, SVS sub.


Not sure what you mean by "when you move to hi-def" ?

There is no point in investing in Denon for the sake of HDMI switching, I'd rather invest in a universal remote control, e.g., Harmony or its clone (up to $150.00).
I mean hi-def audio: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Optical or digital coax is not enough to pass them. But you would need to step up to HD DVD or blu-ray for that.

I got a ps3 and am planning on buying optical to go to my yamaha receiver (DTS)....if optical can't carry 'high def audio', what does.

Thanks

HDMI.

I keep getting mixed information...Any help would dbe great...I have a 52" Sony 4100W TV, a HD cable box and a Blue ray player. The receiver I want to buy is the Yamaha rxv445 or 665 (not to sure whih one yet)...

I want to hook up the HD cable box and blue ray player to the rear of the TV using HDMI and use 1 optic cable from the rear of the TV to the rear of the receiver...WILL THAT WORK?

I was told by the local store NO WAY, it wont send the surround sound to the receiver. Then I was told by Crutchfield that it will work perfectly, and the audio will sound great and be able to get all the audio formats availabel.

Before I buy either receiver I need to know if this application will work with one optic cable?

GREAT FORUM
Jeff

Question asked and answered a few times in this thread alone. Crutchfield's people usually are very knowledgable, but there is no way optical can carry all available audio formats, e.g., hi-def audio.
I cannot understand why you insist on one optical cable and why your decision depending on it.
I couldn't find rxv445 manual anywhere, but if it has only one optical input you could use coax. And if you used receiver to switch HDMI why you would need anything else at all.

Hello, I am not sure what Crutchfield is thinking, but I wanted to point out that optical out from Blu-ray is better than DVD.

DTS, for example, is typically 1.5 Mbs from Blu-ray over optical. On DVDs, it was about half that.

DD for example, is typically 640 kbs from Blu-ray over optical. On DVDs, it was lower. It varied, but it can be lower than 400 kbs from DVD.

So, while you can't get LOSSLESS multi-channel audio over optical, you can get very good audio. You might not even be able to tell the difference between lossless and the high quality audio over optical from Blu-ray. There's a listening test you can find via google (I also have a link to it in the stickied AVR FAQ in the AVR sub forum.)

I'm working on a setup right now for a friend. The hdtv is an Insignia NS-LCD42HD-09 42" 1080p and i have the PC and PS3 running to HDMI inputs. I then have a digital optical audio cable running from the tv's optical out to the recievers optical in. I'm only getting Stereo to the Reciever. I've adjust the audio settings in the TV's menu from PCM, to RAW and Surround Sound On/Off which all have no effect on the STEREO bitstream coming from the tv. I have determined the TV is so crappy it doesn't support Dolby Digital like most decent LCD HDTV's. I was thinking i could run the HDMI cables from the pc and ps3 to the reciever and have it output in 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1. Although the reciever doesn't support HDMI inputs.
Now I'm thinking my only proper alternative is to run Digital Coaxial from the computer straight to the reciever and get 5.1 and run Digital optical from the ps3 straight into the reciever. The funny thing is my friend doesn't care if it's stereo or surround, so i may just tell him to be happy with stereo. Otherwise he would have to adjust the input on the reciever for the device he will be using. Coaxial for pc and Optical for ps3.

I have a 50" LG Plasma, HD Freesat, Bluray player and a Yamaha RX-V350 AV Receiver.. My Setup is as follows :- HDMI from Freesat box to TV and HDMI from Bluray to TV... Optical cable from TV to Yamaha receiver and everything works in DD and DTS 5.1 surround, Whats the confusion here ??

The confusion is whether the TV will output 5.1 on the optical output. Some TVs do not and, if so, then you would want to run the optical to the AVR directly from the source.

For example, my Samsung HDTV outputs 5.1 for over-the-air signals. But it will only output 2-channel stereo from any HDMI source such as a cable box or BluRay player.

The easiest way to test this, I think would be to connect your Bluray player to connect it to the tv via HDMI then connect your TV to AV receiver via toslink. If you then play DVD which is recorded in DD or DTS 5.1 surround, the display on your AV unit should say either Dolby surround or DTS whichever soundtrack your listening to.. Thats how you'll know.. if it say's stereo the it is in fact 2chl.. good luck..

You would think you should be able to run HDMI from STB and DVD Player to TV and then have TV digital out be the same as the sources. I don't know why that is not always the case but I know it isn't.

I have my STB output HDMI to my HD TV. The digital out from the TV (coax) to amp does give me Dolby Digital 5.1 watching HDTV.

On the other hand I have my DVD player also run through HDMI to my TV. Now through the same digital out on the TV to amp, I do not get Dolby Digital 5.1 watching my DVD movies. I only get stereo (and my amp then can do Dolby Pro Logic with it). For the DVD Player, I have to run an additional optical out to amp to get Dolby Digital 5.1.

So I guess this means that sometimes only stereo is run through the HDMI cable instead of Dolby Digital (or DTS).

I wish the manufacturers who implement this stuff would get on the same page.

^^^

nope, it means the tv is downmixing the 5.1 channel mix to 2 channel before sending it out over it's optical port...

That doesn't make sense because the same digital out from the TV is passing Dolby Digital fine (from the STB to TV). When it's switched to HDMI 2 (through same TV digital out) is when I don't get Dolby Digital.

STB to TV - HDMI (1)
DVD to TV - HDMI (2)

Only one TV digital out.

By HDMI standard Sink (TV) let Source (STB, DVD) know that it's stereo device:
"HDMI Sources are expected to read the Sink's E-EDID and to deliver only the audio and video
formats that are supported by the Sink. In addition, HDMI Sinks are expected to detect
InfoFrames and to process the received audio and video data appropriately."
These two sentences completely cover your situation.
DVD player knows it talks to stereo device and is required by HDMI to downmix its audio signal.
On the other hand TV is very complicated device. If you receive your HD programming via OTA or CableCARD then TV sends 5.1 audio over digital out unmolested. If you use TV's speakers then TV will do downmixing.
So, your STB manufacturer knows that and does not follow the letter of the standard precisely: it forgets to downmix the audio signal. And now TV, as a good citizen - the second sentence - processes the signal appropriately.