I have a Samsung TV & Home Cinema and would like to know how to get the TV audio through the Home Cinema speakers.
My set up consists of;
UE40C6510 LED Samsung Television
HT-C6500 Samsung Blu-ray Home Cinema
Sky+HD Box
Everything works just fine, including Sky though the Home Cinema Speakers, but I can't get the TV audio through the Home Cinema speakers whilst viewing Freeview.
I have connected the Home Cinema Aux In (red & white) to TV AV Audio In (red & white).
What is confusing me is that they are both 'IN', I would have thought that the TV would have been 'OUT'?
The only 'OUT' on the TV is optical, and the only optical on the Home Cinema is occupied as it is connected to the Sky box.
Any ideas please?
CURRENT CONNECTIONS
• Skybox to TV = HMDI (sky) to HDMI1(DVI) (tv)
• Skybox to Home Cinema = Optical Out (sky) to Audio Digital IN Optical (home cinema)
• Home Cinema to TV = HDMI out (home cinema) to HDMI2 (tv)
• Home Cinema to TV = Red/White Audio Aux IN (home cinema) to Red/White AV Audio IN

That's your problem, it's an INPUT, not an OUTPUT - looks like there's no output phonos on that set. Presumably the phonos are the audio inputs for the Component input?.

Assuming you have a free SCART socket?, at least one of them should provide audio out from the Freeview tuner - but usually ONLY one will.

You are quite correct that you need an OUT on the TV. All connections must go OUT to IN never IN to IN and most certainly never OUT to OUT.

If you only have one Optical in on the Home Cinema system then buy a switch such as this.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35241

You can probably get similar devices cheaper on line.

Only pain is that you need to get up and switch the thing manually when changing from Sky to Freeview.

There is one thing you could try first however. If the Sky box is connected via HDMI to the TV it may pass audio through to the TV's optical out when viewing Sky. But I have a feeling you might not get surround sound this way however. I think I have read on other threads that the Sky boxes may only output surround from the Optical audio output not over HDMI. But might be worth a punt anyway. If it works you have saved the cost of a switch. Just be aware that it may only give you stereo however.

I've got a 2009 LED tv and they do not pass through surround from HDMI to optical which is a shame so it's possible that this tv could also have the same problem.

I had a sneaking suspicion this was the case. Probably because the TV can't natively handle a surround signal so maybe the two negotiate a stereo only one?

So either use the optical via a switch or Nigel's method of adapting the SCART. Oh and I have seen various through connectors on sale that let you connect a DVD player or whatever to the SCART socket while at the same time breaking out the audio & video outputs of the TV. So may not matter if all the SCART sockets are in use.

Something like this might do the job?

http://cpc.farnell.com/_/8237b/scart...36?Ntt=AV08236
Last edited by chrisjr : 03-09-2010 at 15:52

It seems that an Optical Switch is required, which'll be a tad inconvenient.

How about an 'Optical Splitter', do they work in both directions?

Could I conect 2 'OUT' optical cables to a single 'IN' socket using a splitter?

I don't believe so, if both devices are on and one is not being viewed, the other one will still be outputing audio on the optical.

Right now, if you want 5.1 from all of your devices I can see your options as being
- Get a optical switch
- Get a new amp
- Get a new TV

You can but it has one serious limitation. For it to work properly only one device at a time can be on and outputting a digital audio signal.

These devices are entirely passive, they have no mechanism to select only one source device at a time. So if both are on you get an unholy mess.

It is very likely that the Blu-Ray player will mute the optical output when it is in standby but I am not so sure about the Sky box.

There is no reason to suspect that it outputs anything when idle in standby. However that might not apply if it is recording. I stand to be corrected but I think there may have been other threads where it mentions that the Sky box outputs from the digital audio out while recording, even when the recording is started from standby. Not having Sky I can't confirm that.

But if there is any output from both at the same time a splitter used in reverse will not work.

You can get a more expensive switch box from various suppliers online that has a remote control. Bit less hassle than having to get out of your seat to change channel but still not as simple as having the TV/AV system do it for you.

I ran my old Amp. for some years this way, the splitter works both ways you just have to remember to turn off the one you are not using otherwise both signal collide & you get no sound at all. Sky HD does not send a signal via optical when off

i suppose this is whay AV Receivers have so many inputs.

You now see 4 or 5 HDMI's in, and 2 optical audio's in on many receivers.

A lot of them have TV sound auto feedback (via the HDMI) also, to solve the issue the OP is talking about, I think


does routing signals in/out the TV degrade them at all?

Not as such; HDMI via ARC (Audio Return Channel) is fine but not all TV's will allow 5.1 surround via optical to pass through the TV, usually changes to Stereo.