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Old 07-01-2015, 20:57
wbmkk
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Quite a few years ago, we purchased a Panasonic TV together with a matching home surround system, the Panasonic SC HT870.

For some reason, we could watch DVDs with sound coming from the 6 speakers, but the normal TV never worked through the speakers. It never really bothered us, so we never sorted it out.

Now we’ve bought a new ‘modern’ TV and have successfully wired up the ‘Virgin box’

We would like to join the surround system box, even just to use it as a DVD player through thr normal TV

Has anybody got a suitable wiring diagram for this ?

Of course, if we can get the full surround system wired up, that would be even better, although that’s not essential

Can anybody point me in the right direction to getting this sorted. Please … The ‘Mrs’ is getting a bit impatient.

thank you for any advice provided.
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Old 07-01-2015, 21:14
gomezz
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If the new TV has an analogue audio out (red and while RCA sockets) then the simplest way to listen to the TV and the Virgin box through the surround sound system is to connect that to its AUX in. You will only get stereo or Dolby ProLogic surround sound doing that but still better than listening to the TV's speakers.

You should still be able to play DVDs and get digital surround from that and connect to the new TV using a SCART cable as presumably you did with the old TV?
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Old 07-01-2015, 21:55
Chris Frost
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The new TV won't have stereo phono outputs. There's been virtually no mass market TVs in the last five years with phono outs. Many TVs have phono inputs still, but they're for sending a singla IN to the TV, hence the name INput

Quite why the world has a problem understanding the concept of Input and Output on AV electronics is baffling to me. If heading in to a sports stadium, and there's one-way turnstyles marked In and Out, which would one choose to go in to the stadium? Really, the principle with AV electronics is just the same. AV connections are, on the whole, directional.

The Panasonic 870 system has three sets of phono inputs for audio signals. These are marked Aux, VCR and TV. The labels are a matter of convenience; nothing more. They all do the same job. The new TV will not have a a set of phono outputs. It will be likely to have a digital audio output via an optical connection. The signal from this socket is a beam of light. It is not directly compatible with the phono socket inputs on the 870. What is required is a box of electronics to do two jobs. The first is to convert the light beam in to an electrical signal. The second job is to convert the electrical data stream (0's and 1's) in to an analogue wave form that the Panasonic's inputs can understand.

Fortunately, the box of electronics to perform this wizardry is small and relatively inexpensive at less than £20. Here's one from Amazon at £9.95. To complete the connections will require 1x Optical cable and 1x stereo phono cable.

Wiring couldn't be simpler. TV optical out socket > optical cable > convertor > phono to phono cable > 870 'TV Audio' phono input. Remember to plug in the convertor's power supply lead because the circuit requires power to work.

All that remains is to chech the TVs menu section to ensure that the Optical output is sending a compatible signal. This signal is PCM. It is not 'bitstream' or 'compressed'.

That's pretty much it. Switch on the TV, siwitch on the surround system. Press the surround systems input button that corresponds to TV Audio In. Use the Panasonic 870 remote control to adjust volume.
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Old 08-01-2015, 09:47
gomezz
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The new TV won't have stereo phono outputs
Not in my experience but perhaps the OP can tell us the make and model of their new TV as there may be alternatives such as a headphone output or a full wired SCART socket with audio out (my four year old Samsung has all three as well as an optical audio out).
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Old 08-01-2015, 10:17
Nigel Goodwin
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Not in my experience but perhaps the OP can tell us the make and model of their new TV as there may be alternatives such as a headphone output or a full wired SCART socket with audio out (my four year old Samsung has all three as well as an optical audio out).
Unfortunately it's VERY rare for the SCART to output audio other than the internal Freeview tuner.
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Old 08-01-2015, 15:53
wbmkk
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t perhaps the OP can tell us the make and model of their new TV as there may be alternatives such as a headphone output or a full wired SCART socket with audio out (my four year old Samsung has all three as well as an optical audio out).
Thanks !

Set up is ..

New TV ... Sony 40R483B
Home Surround / DVD ... Panasonic SC HT870
Virgin box .. TiVo box

At present, only Virgin box connected, using a scart lead.

I noticed there is only 1 scart socket on the new TV, the old TV had two. The DVD was connected using the second scart.

Does that me the DVD is now just too old to use ?

Regards !
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Old 08-01-2015, 15:55
wbmkk
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The new TV won't have stereo phono outputs. There's been virtually no mass market TVs in the last five years with phono outs. Many TVs have phono inputs still, but they're for sending a singla IN to the TV, hence the name INput

Quite why the world has a problem understanding the concept of Input and Output on AV electronics is baffling to me. If heading in to a sports stadium, and there's one-way turnstyles marked In and Out, which would one choose to go in to the stadium? Really, the principle with AV electronics is just the same. AV connections are, on the whole, directional.

The Panasonic 870 system has three sets of phono inputs for audio signals. These are marked Aux, VCR and TV. The labels are a matter of convenience; nothing more. They all do the same job. The new TV will not have a a set of phono outputs. It will be likely to have a digital audio output via an optical connection. The signal from this socket is a beam of light. It is not directly compatible with the phono socket inputs on the 870. What is required is a box of electronics to do two jobs. The first is to convert the light beam in to an electrical signal. The second job is to convert the electrical data stream (0's and 1's) in to an analogue wave form that the Panasonic's inputs can understand.

Fortunately, the box of electronics to perform this wizardry is small and relatively inexpensive at less than £20. Here's one from Amazon at £9.95. To complete the connections will require 1x Optical cable and 1x stereo phono cable.

Wiring couldn't be simpler. TV optical out socket > optical cable > convertor > phono to phono cable > 870 'TV Audio' phono input. Remember to plug in the convertor's power supply lead because the circuit requires power to work.

All that remains is to chech the TVs menu section to ensure that the Optical output is sending a compatible signal. This signal is PCM. It is not 'bitstream' or 'compressed'.

That's pretty much it. Switch on the TV, siwitch on the surround system. Press the surround systems input button that corresponds to TV Audio In. Use the Panasonic 870 remote control to adjust volume.
Thank you for your very detailed reply .. you obviously know your stuff.

I'll try and read it again and at least hopefully understand at least some of it.

thanks again !
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Old 08-01-2015, 16:03
chrisjr
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Thanks !

Set up is ..

New TV ... Sony 40R483B
Home Surround / DVD ... Panasonic SC HT870
Virgin box .. TiVo box

At present, only Virgin box connected, using a scart lead.

I noticed there is only 1 scart socket on the new TV, the old TV had two. The DVD was connected using the second scart.

Does that me the DVD is now just too old to use ?

Regards !
Connect the TiVo box to the TV via HDMI. That will leave the SCART free for the DVD. It also means you will be able to watch the HD channels on Virgin in HD.

The Sony has a headphone out that can also be used as an audio out to feed the Panasonic unit. You just need a 3.5mm stereo jack to two phono plug lead. That will give you an audio feed from both the TV's built in Freeview tuner and the Virgin TiVo box.
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Old 08-01-2015, 16:37
wbmkk
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Connect the TiVo box to the TV via HDMI. That will leave the SCART free for the DVD. It also means you will be able to watch the HD channels on Virgin in HD..
Thanks !

Does that mean the HD doesn't work with a scart connection. last night I really couldn't tell the difference between the normal BBC and the HD version ... maybe it wasn't even there to see.

Below ... hopefully are pictures showing the backs of the two items.

in a minute or two ..
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Old 08-01-2015, 16:47
chrisjr
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Thanks !

Does that mean the HD doesn't work with a scart connection. last night I really couldn't tell the difference between the normal BBC and the HD version ... maybe it wasn't even there to see.

Below ... hopefully are pictures showing the backs of the two items.

in a minute or two ..
SCART cannot do HD. The TiVo will downscale the HD images to SD resolution. There may be a very slight difference between the SD and HD versions of a channel but it may be pretty subtle.

Switch to HDMI and the difference should be more noticeable. The TV has HDMI and so does the TiVo box that Virgin supply.
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Old 08-01-2015, 16:48
wbmkk
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http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/wb...ee719.jpg.html

not what I wanted to do .. but I think it works

x3 pictures in total
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Old 08-01-2015, 17:00
chrisjr
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http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/wb...ee719.jpg.html

not what I wanted to do .. but I think it works

x3 pictures in total
Picture of the TiVo looks like there is some sort of sticker over the HDMI socket. Should be alongside the SCAR, see here

http://store.virginmedia.com/content...-stuff-a71.jpg
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Old 08-01-2015, 17:02
wbmkk
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The TV has HDMI and so does the TiVo box that Virgin supply.
Thanks again ... I was just about to say there is no HDMI socket, but I see 3 now, facing sideways.

Brilliant !

I'll get a cable and try the set up over the weekend. Will reply again then.

Regards !

ps .. just ordered on ebay £1.48 for a 1m cable, delivered too.
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Old 08-01-2015, 17:12
chrisjr
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Thanks again ... I was just about to say there is no HDMI socket, but I see 3 now, facing sideways.

Brilliant !

I'll get a cable and try the set up over the weekend. Will reply again then.

Regards !
According to the manual there are only two?

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4528603121.pdf

Page 23. Also shows the headphone socket that you can use to hook up the audio to the Panasonic system. Note also the instructions on page 20 about using the Headphone socket as an Audio Out and muting the TV's speakers.

You need to select Audio Out mode then if you set the Audio Out to Variable you can control the volume of the Panasonic speakers from the TV remote in effect. If you set it to Fixed you control the volume entirely from the Panasonic remote.
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Old 08-01-2015, 17:21
wbmkk
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According to the manual there are only two? [
Yep !

just looked like three to me, in the shade at the back ... with an untrained eye
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Old 12-01-2015, 17:09
wbmkk
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Hi

My HDMI cable arrived in the post today, so I was keen to see if it worked.

I removed the Scart lead on the virgin box and the other end from the TV

I plugged the new cable into both, tried the signal in (HDMI1 and HDMI2) and neither works. All the TV is showing is No signal

I haven't even tried the DVD player .. it was more important getting the TV to work.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks !
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Old 12-01-2015, 21:33
chrisjr
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Daft question alert..

You did select HDMI 1 or 2 as appropriate on the TV when you tried it?

Unlike SCART HDMI may not auto switch to the appropriate input so very often it is a manual process to select what you want to watch.
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Old 12-01-2015, 22:08
Winston_1
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Thanks !

Set up is ..

New TV ... Sony 40R483B
Home Surround / DVD ... Panasonic SC HT870
Virgin box .. TiVo box

At present, only Virgin box connected, using a scart lead.

I noticed there is only 1 scart socket on the new TV, the old TV had two. The DVD was connected using the second scart.

Does that me the DVD is now just too old to use ?

Regards !
No, it means your new TV (like many others is scrimping on costs).

Has your Virgin box got 2 scart sockets? If so connect the DVD player to the second one in loop through mode.
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Old 12-01-2015, 23:47
Deacon1972
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Hi

My HDMI cable arrived in the post today, so I was keen to see if it worked.

I removed the Scart lead on the virgin box and the other end from the TV

I plugged the new cable into both, tried the signal in (HDMI1 and HDMI2) and neither works. All the TV is showing is No signal

I haven't even tried the DVD player .. it was more important getting the TV to work.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks !
You have to put the Virgin box into HDMI mode, this is done via the picture settings menu - you'll find it easier if you have the scart connected while you change the settings.
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