NF - Hooking up a home theater

[dustink]

We recently moved, and I hooked back up my Philips Dolby Digital receiver to my TV & DVD player.

 

In our old house, I had the TV running through a VCR, and the sound from the 5 speakers worked fine. In the new place, I got rid of the VCR, and ran the Red/White audio cords directly from the back of the TV to the TV input on the back of the receiver. No sound from the 5 speakers.

 

I changed cords....no luck. This seems to be a simple connection, but something isn't right. I'm on hold right now with philips, so I thought I'd see if any OFC'ers have an idea.

 

Thanks!

dk

[danc]

Gerritt will fix you up when he sees this.

[SlowPoke]

List your components for me...

 

example:

Cable box

DVD

Playstation

TV

Stereo

 

I might be able to help you if I know what you're trying to install.

[Dutch]

Do you have a cable box?

 

If no:

 

Audio doesn't go straight into a TV from coax cable (the one that carries your TV signal) and out to an AVR - TV's don't generally "pass" audio signals. Does the sound work on the TV's built-in speakers?

 

Before you probably had audio going into your VCR and then out to the AVR, that would have worked.

 

If yes:

 

The red/white cables should go directly from the cable box into the AVR, not through the TV.

 

You should always try to use optical audio inputs on your AVR vs. the red/white composite cables. You will not get Dolby Digital sound without digital cables - optical (passes light) or digital coax (usually purple or orange).

 

I could go on, and on, and on....but you are probably already confused enough.

 

Good luck with it.

[dustink]

Here's everything I got:

 

1. Antenna coax coming from the antenna to the TV.

2. Audio (Red/White) cable from TV OUT to TV IN on the receiver.

3. DVD video (yellow) cable from DVD to TV.

4. Digital audio cable from DVD to receiver.

 

DVD sound works on receiver - Dolby Digital 5.1 - No problems with the surround sound.

TV sounds works ONLY out of the TV - No sound from the surround speakers.

 

Dutch....my situation falls under your "IF NO" case. So my TV isn't passing on the sound to the recevier...but the speakers on the TV do work fine. BUT, if I hook a VCR up, and run the TV through it, then (I think that's what your saying), the sound will work.

[Deano]

Your sound input is on digital, it has to be switched to analog. Then you'll here sound from your TV. You should be able to switch it with remote. Not exactly sure on your system, how to switch it.

[Deano]

The reason it works on VCR is because VCR are analog by default because they didn't have digital VCR's.

[dustink]

Your sound input is on digital, it has to be switched to analog. Then you'll here sound from your TV. You should be able to switch it with remote. Not exactly sure on your system, how to switch it.

 

So, on the receiver I need to switch the sound input to analog? I'll check the guide and see what I can find out.

 

Thanks!

dk

[Deano]

If that didn't solve your problem, some TV's (such as RCA) have audio output select, external speakers would need to be turned on.

[Dutch]

Dutch....my situation falls under your "IF NO" case. So my TV isn't passing on the sound to the recevier...but the speakers on the TV do work fine. BUT, if I hook a VCR up, and run the TV through it, then (I think that's what your saying), the sound will work.

 

VCR's will pass audio - as I said, some TV's don't. Many TV's have audio inputs - so you can hear sound from a DVD player through your TV built-in speakers if you don't have an AVR, but few have audio outputs (as the sound would not be digital). If they do have audio outputs, the sound is usually mono anyway. (i.e. you will not get sound out of 5 speakers, only 2, unless your AVR can decode and upgrade the sound, which most can, but you would never get true digital sound running audio through your TV).

 

Try what deano said about the external sound switch on the TV - it should be in an audio menu - great idea.

 

Another issue - Depending on the video inputs of your TV any cable other than that yellow one will give you a better quality picture from your DVD player. PM me if you have any questions on that. You will get digital sound from your DVD player as it is going straight into your AVR (and not through the TV).

[dustink]

Thanks guys for all the help. Upon further review, my TV does not have Audio ouput, only input. So, I guess I need to convince the wife for a new TV (bigger of course), or a VCR until then.

 

Thanks again.....

Dustin

[wallyboss]

Make sure you tell the wife that the bigger the TV the better the audio will be.

Edited June 12, 2007 by wallyboss

[Gerritt]

Looks like you found your answer... sorry I was late in replying

 

 

Gerritt.

[ccmtcanada]

I hear plasma and LCDs are on sale at Futureshop and Best Buy......and...Father's day IS just around the corner.....LOL