surround sound in general....

[StygShore]

the 360 thread got some interest... and the "techs" at best buy are lacking...

I need to knwo what I shoudl connect for th ebest sound quality with these components, and how I shoudl hook them up.

DLP television with optical, component, hmdi, DMI, and RCA jacks ( oddly no digital coax? ) - TV puts out Dolby 5.1

Sony DVD/Tape combo ( stupid disney movies ) Optical, Digital Coax, Component, and RCA jacks

Sony Dold 5.1 surround head unit with O[tical, digital coax, Component, and RCA jacks

Is it possibel to set this syetm up so my TV is coming out in tru dolby 5.1 Digital?


Before anyone says go with an upconverting DVD player and $100.00 HDMI cables - I hooked it up and the Sony player I have now actually looked better for 6 of the 8 movies I watvhed - I think my TV upconverts better than the upconverting DVD player was or something.

Sp basically - what cables, and how do I connect them to get digital audio out of my surround system?

Thanks


Styg

[Hexis]

Sound and video are separate issues (cept on HDMI).

For common video you have (worst to best)

Composite (lil ywllow RCA connector, analog)
S-Video (4 pin connector, analog) Separate color and luminance
Component (3 RCA connectors, analog)
DVI/HDMI (unique connector, digital. same thing signal wise, HDMI just has audio in the cable too)

For audio:
Stereo (2x RCA connectors, analog) also supports Dolby ProLogic matrixed surround
SPDIF (1x RCA, digital) a copper digital connection
TOSLINK (optical) a fiberoptic connection

SPDIF and TOSLINK can both carry multiple multichannel formats. Dolby Digital and DTS are common. Unless you are into way high end gear, SPDIF and TOSLINK are the same level of quality.

[ghostdog2019]

Optical is your best bet

Depending on where you plan to expand on with your system Optical will be your best option for that clear crisp sound. HDMI is only useful if you have a reciever capable of transmitting sound through HDMI. Otherwise it just feeds in a standard two channel sound. With you current system Optical is the best you can go for. If you want to go to HD sound eventually expect to buy a nice reciever and some HDMI cables.

-Mike Brothman

PS. My wife is still gets on my case anytime I play Black Hawk Down on Bluray with the uncompressed 5.1 sound. Friggin sounds like the helicopter is landing in our living room and thats only at -10 dbs. The reciever goes up to 35 dbs. One of these days I am going to see how high I can get it before the dishes in the kitchen start to break. Currently with the normal settings they have a little chatter. It is truelly amazing.

[rkjunior303]

First thing, is your TV HDMI or HDMI 1.3 - that's very important. How old is it? A lot of times they have HDMI but they might not carry the 5.1 audio track. My Samsung is like that. My optical out will only carry PCM.

What about Cable - what type of Box do you have?

This is what I have:

Samsung 40'' 1080p LCD
Yamaha Digital surround Sound
Comcast Digital HD/DVR Box
xbox 360

So, I have going into:

TV - HDMI from the Cable for VIDEO ONLY and COMPONENTS from the XBOX360.
RECEIVER - OPTICAL from Cable and OPTICAL from 360

VIDEO: HDMI > COMPONENT > RCA
AUDIO: OPTICAL > DIGITAL COAX > RCA

[StygShore]

cable

no cable box actually - just receiving standard cable for now until I figure out what I want to do. Leaning toward the dish or FTA satelite right now. ( Comcast is ungodly expensive )

Receiver does NOT have HDMI on it

TV is a DLP 1080p Samsung Slimfit - about a week old now. It shoudl be the newest HDMI connections on it. - but thats not really an option, because my other componenets dont have HDMI connections.

If I did toslink from TV to Receiver, DVD to Receiver... would that get me digital sound coming from everything? The TV itself does put out Dolby 5.1

Or do I have to runt he DVD to the TV and then TV to Receiver.... I just dont know how to wire things up to get the best sound


Styg

[rkjunior303]

you wont get digital sound from regular cable unless you have a digital box. you could feasibly get digital sound over the air if youre tv is receiving the local HD channels via the antenna.

[StygShore]

cable

you wont get digital sound from regular cable unless you have a digital box. you could feasibly get digital sound over the air if youre tv is receiving the local HD channels via the antenna.

I am receiving HD chanels with my antenna... and oddly enough, I am receiving Digital cable chanels without a cable box.... not sure how thats working, but I am getting a ton of digital stations, and even some on demand stations

Its almost like someone is broadcasting their on demand though... I am at the mercy of their fast forward or turning off the movie.... funny thing is they like to fast forward to the "good" parts


Styg