Xbox360 / HMDI sound issue when playing DVDs

april_fool

We have a Panasonic TV that is about 4 years old, connected to a TV stand with sound via an Optical cable. Until recently, the Xbox 360 was connected to the TV via a composite/Scart cable, but due to freeing up of an HDMI port, we decided to connect with an HDMI cable. When first connected, there was no sound whatsoever from the Xbox, either from the sound bar or directly from the TV. After Googling the issue, a change to the Xbox settings appeared to resolve the problem (disabling the “detect display” option). The Xbox starting making the menu sounds, sound worked through the apps and it also worked when playing a game on a diskin the drive. However, when I tried to play a DVD, there was no sound from the DVD. I continued to Google the problem, and, although others had the same issue, there was no resolution. I tried different HDMI cables, different ports, re-booting, factory re-setting the Xbox, but nothing. I then found a cable on Amazon that could attach to the Xbox as well as the HDMI, that had the red and white sound cables which I plugged into the sound table and this worked – for a while! All sound from the Xbox was now routed to thesound bar via the red/white cable rather than through the TV, and the DVD played sound.

So far so good. I then thought about trying the red and white cables in the back of the TV, so I removed them from the sound bar and plugged them into the TV. This didn’t work, so I plugged them back in the sound bar. However, the Xbox continued to behave as it did with only the HDMI cable – ie playing Xbox sound through the TV/sound bar, and no DVD sound. Itook them out, wiggled them about and tried everything I could think of, but the cable was no longer working.

We are now unable to play DVDs on the Xbox unless we resortback to the original cable that came with the Xbox, with the poor quality graphics.

Is anyone able to help?

almillar

You want to have the HDMI cable going from XBox to the TV. And connect the little adaptor into the back of the XBox. Connect the optical cable into the adaptor, and into the soundbar.
That's the rigth settings for an HD picture on your TV, and digital sound out of your soundbar. You probably now need to go into the system settings on the dashboard and have a look. You want the sound going through optical digital rather than HDMI, if you have to make the choice. Tell me what settings are there if you get stuck.

april_fool

Thanks for responding, almillar

Current set up is:
-HDMI cable from Xbox to TV
-Optical cable from TV to soundbar
-Other adaptor in Xbox to soundbar using the red & white cables

The sound initially worked through the red & white cables to the soundbar, but now doesn't. If you are saying that the sound from the Xbox will work through an optical cable to the soundbar, then I will give that set up a go when I get home (by borrowing the one from the TV). If it works, I will buy an optical splitter and an additional cable so both the TV and Xbox can use it. I had expected the sound to work through the HDMI cable, but from what you are saying, that won't work?

almillar

You've already said the sound DOES work throught the HDMI, into the TV. Does the soundbar have HDMI? If not, the second best way to connect is optical. The third best (and not proper surround sound) would be the stereo phonos.
A soundbar with 2 optical digitals would have been better.
Basic rule for this stuff is source (XBox) -> sound (amplifier, or in your case soundbar) -> TV
The TV is at the end of the line. They're not good at passing through sound, amps pass through the sound AND picture - the TV is at the end of the line.
If you've no HDMI in the soundbar, and only one optical digital, you should have optical from XBox to soundbar, and stereo phono from TV to soundbar, with no extra money spent.