How to get Home cinema sound on a TV?

stuzhunter

Wow..some great responses here..thanks.. I will find out about the outputs of my TV, Virgin box and inputs from the surround system and report back tomorrow.. I will also try the various suggestions

stuzhunter

Marty_J wrote: »

What outputs does your Virgin box have, and what inputs does your surround system have?

Ok this what I have:

Look at a typical picture of the rear of a virgin box here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filevdrive_rear.jpg

My virgin box has only two euro scart sockets, one SPDIF (I think this might be the same as the optical audio output on the picture), the ethernet & test port. The euro scart sockets connect to my TV & video player respectively.

My home cinema system has two audio/video outputs, that is red & white cables.

so I cannot connect my virgin box to my surround system.

My TV has audio/video output (that red/white/yellow cables). Since my TV is outputing in the scart socket then when I select the audio/video output I do not get any TV but I can only get home cinema sound on the DVD/CD player.

However my TV has got a digitial audio optical output. It is a single 'square shape' socket (similar to the digitial audio optical output shown on the picture). Is there a kit/plug which can be used to branch out from the digitial audio optical output/SPDIF to pick up the red & white cables from my surround system?

stuzhunter

Ha..ha I think this would do the trick (after checking on other forums): http://www.lindy.co.uk/analogue-stereo-to-spdif-digital-audio-converter/70409.html

I can either plug this directly to my Virgin Box or TV to receive the red/white connectors from my home cinema

Marty_J

stuzhunter wrote: »

Ha..ha I think this would do the trick (after checking on other forums): http://www.lindy.co.uk/analogue-stereo-to-spdif-digital-audio-converter/70409.html

I can either plug this directly to my Virgin Box or TV to receive the red/white connectors from my home cinema

That goes the wrong way. You want something that will convert the digital output from your TV or Virgin box to an analogue input for your surround system.

That box is an A/D converter (i.e. it takes in analogue sound - your white and red cables - and outputs the digital). You want something like this instead.

However, just be aware that you're only going to be getting stereo from your surround system. Your red and white cables can only carry one channel of audio each.

Are you certain your surround system has no optical input?

ETA: your Virgin box has two audio outputs:



Can't you just connect these to your surround system, and hook your TV up to the component cables (the red, green and blue ones)?

Basil1234

would be helpful if you put down the model number and brand etc of your cinema system model as most manufacturers on there websites have pictures of the back or downloadable pdfs we could look at.

stuzhunter

Marty J, thanks. It looks like I will have to get the SPDIF Digital to Analogue Stereo Audio Converter. I am not sure exactly what you mean that 'I'll be getting only stereo from my surround system'. Does that mean the quality of the sound won't be too good?

My surround system has no optical input. It is an Alba AS122 100W 3.1 Home Theatre Speaker Kit. It is a fairly cheap system but decent quality sound.

My virgin box does not have audio outputs. It must be an old model compared to the picture posted here.

Marty_J

What I mean is your TV is being fed a stereo signal from your Virgin box, so it will only output a stereo signal. It's not a big deal, I was just making you aware of it. Your surround system will probably sound better than the awful speakers they put in TVs nowadays anyway.

aliEnRIK

stuzhunter wrote: »

Marty J, thanks. It looks like I will have to get the SPDIF Digital to Analogue Stereo Audio Converter. I am not sure exactly what you mean that 'I'll be getting only stereo from my surround system'. Does that mean the quality of the sound won't be too good?

My surround system has no optical input. It is an Alba AS122 100W 3.1 Home Theatre Speaker Kit. It is a fairly cheap system but decent quality sound.

My virgin box does not have audio outputs. It must be an old model compared to the picture posted here.

being in stereo for you is fine then as you dont actually have a proper surround sound system

Options are buy something like Marty has posted or ask virgin for a more up to date virgin box (The one posted was a V box which you dont have anyways). The problem with a new box is that audio is very low out of the stereo outputs (Ive no idea what thats all about)

stuzhunter

I got a SPDIF Digital to Analogue Stereo Audio Converter and 0.5m SPDIF Digital Optical Cable - TosLink to connect straight to the TV box.. Works fine & sound quality from TV is brilliant.

poppy10_2

trets77 wrote: »

these are the optical leads that [STRIKE]the real home cinema geeks[/STRIKE] gullible mugs use . myself included .

http://www.hificables.co.uk/11628/True-Colour-Industries-Coral-Optical.html

Fixed that for ya.