Hope some-one can help. I have a new LCD tv, LG32LX2R and have it connected to my sky box and a panasonic home entertainment system. I have one scart from the sky box to the tv and one from the tv to the surround system. The problem i have is that i am getting nothing from the two rear speakers when watching tv. I do get sound from them when using a dvd or the inbuilt AM/FM radio. I have tried adjusting numerous settings but with no joy. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
No rear sound from home cinema system
Probably something to do with the TV sound being Stereo only?
Obviously a DVD can have a true surround sound audio track so that will feed all the speakers properly. The inbuilt tuner is stereo at best too so any sound from the rear speakers is "invented" in the amp circuits.
It may be that whatever circuitry "invents" the rear channel sound from the tuner is not connected when taking signal from the TV. So it only processes the stereo audio from the TV and feeds it quite correctly to the front speakers only.
You won't get real surround from the vast majority of TV broadcasts anyway. The best you are likely to get is Dolby ProLogic. If your system has ProLogic then that may be able to create an illusion of surround sound from the TV feed, but it may not work very well.
So in essence you could say your system is working perfectly normally.
It is quite correctly taking in a two channel sound source and feeding it to only the front two speakers.
Obviously a DVD can have a true surround sound audio track so that will feed all the speakers properly. The inbuilt tuner is stereo at best too so any sound from the rear speakers is "invented" in the amp circuits.
It may be that whatever circuitry "invents" the rear channel sound from the tuner is not connected when taking signal from the TV. So it only processes the stereo audio from the TV and feeds it quite correctly to the front speakers only.
You won't get real surround from the vast majority of TV broadcasts anyway. The best you are likely to get is Dolby ProLogic. If your system has ProLogic then that may be able to create an illusion of surround sound from the TV feed, but it may not work very well.
So in essence you could say your system is working perfectly normally.
It is quite correctly taking in a two channel sound source and feeding it to only the front two speakers.
Thanks for your help. The TV does have prologic. Would a connection direct from the skybox to the surround system make any difference? (Numerous leads came with the TV and a single lead came with the surround system that i have not connected to anything!)
I really would like all five speakers to have output regardless of the "true Surround".
I really would like all five speakers to have output regardless of the "true Surround".
I assume you are getting sound from the 3.1 speakers just not the rear 2?
If this is the case you need to check what setting/ codec your home cinema is set to when watching Sky. You need to ensure that it is in Prologic II mode (or the DTS equiv if your system has it). If your system only has Prologic (ie not II or IIx) then this is probably the problem.... the original prologic was never that good (and only has a single rear channel - but it can be put through 2 speakers) at creating the rear.
If this is the case you may prefer the option of 5 speaker stereo (again if your system supports it)
If this is the case you need to check what setting/ codec your home cinema is set to when watching Sky. You need to ensure that it is in Prologic II mode (or the DTS equiv if your system has it). If your system only has Prologic (ie not II or IIx) then this is probably the problem.... the original prologic was never that good (and only has a single rear channel - but it can be put through 2 speakers) at creating the rear.
If this is the case you may prefer the option of 5 speaker stereo (again if your system supports it)
It may not make any difference at all connecting direct to the Sky box.
Whether you get sound from all speakers or not depends on whether your surround sound system has the ability to create a surround effect from a stereo source or not. The fact that you say it can do so from an FM broadcast implies it may be able to.
All you will get from the TV or Sky box will be two channel stereo for the majority of the time so it doesn't really matter how they are connected. It is what happens once it gets into the surround system that is important.
Which model of Panasonic is the surround system? I've had a look at some on the Panasonic web site and the one's I've seen there have either a Dolby ProLogic or Sound Field Control (SFC) button on the main unit and remote that would seem to do what you want.
Whether you get sound from all speakers or not depends on whether your surround sound system has the ability to create a surround effect from a stereo source or not. The fact that you say it can do so from an FM broadcast implies it may be able to.
All you will get from the TV or Sky box will be two channel stereo for the majority of the time so it doesn't really matter how they are connected. It is what happens once it gets into the surround system that is important.
Which model of Panasonic is the surround system? I've had a look at some on the Panasonic web site and the one's I've seen there have either a Dolby ProLogic or Sound Field Control (SFC) button on the main unit and remote that would seem to do what you want.
I am getting sound from the front centre, two front speakers and the sub. nothing from the rear two when watching tv. the surround system is a Panasonic SCHT330.
I have tried all the settings on the surround system but have not really adjusted anything on the TV, could this be where i need to adjust something?
Is the simple two scart connection, one from the skybox to the tv and one from the tv to the surround system all that is needed?
I have tried all the settings on the surround system but have not really adjusted anything on the TV, could this be where i need to adjust something?
Is the simple two scart connection, one from the skybox to the tv and one from the tv to the surround system all that is needed?
It is clearly getting a signal as 3.1 channels are working and nothing on your TV settings will adjust the home cinema
Looking at the spec it should have Prologic II which whilst it wont rival a 5.1 source it should create a reasonable approximation.
When you are watching a DVD are you getting sufficient sound from the rears?
Looking at the spec it should have Prologic II which whilst it wont rival a 5.1 source it should create a reasonable approximation.
When you are watching a DVD are you getting sufficient sound from the rears?
Adjusting settings on the TV will probably have no effect whatsoever. It is the surround system that is doing the processing. All it will get from the TV is two audio channels via the SCART lead regardless of what you set the TV to.
Typically your system is the only one that the Panasonic website doesn't have a downloadable manual for! The other systems have a Dolby PL II button on them which according to the blurb should allow you to generate a surround effect from any stereo input. I can't see why the SCHT330 should be any different.
If the Panasonic has additional audio inputs on phono plugs like the others in the range you could try one of those instead and see if that gives you any better results. This would depend on whether your TV has any audio output sockets however. The Sky box may well have which may be good enough to test the theory. though why it would create a surround effect from the other inputs and not the SCART......
If you only ever watch Sky then you can just leave that audio connection in place if it does the trick. If the TV has audio outs then hook those up as well and see what happens - if you watch terrestrial TV (ie via the aerial) that is. Alternatively you can get SCART leads with the audio connections brought out on a pair of Phono plugs which would do the trick if your TV does not have any separate output connectors. (eg something like this lead ). Connect the SCART to SCART part up as normal and connect the phono leads to an external audio input on the Panasonic. The SCART with the phono leads attached goes into the TV and set the switch to OUT.
Typically your system is the only one that the Panasonic website doesn't have a downloadable manual for! The other systems have a Dolby PL II button on them which according to the blurb should allow you to generate a surround effect from any stereo input. I can't see why the SCHT330 should be any different.
If the Panasonic has additional audio inputs on phono plugs like the others in the range you could try one of those instead and see if that gives you any better results. This would depend on whether your TV has any audio output sockets however. The Sky box may well have which may be good enough to test the theory. though why it would create a surround effect from the other inputs and not the SCART......
If you only ever watch Sky then you can just leave that audio connection in place if it does the trick. If the TV has audio outs then hook those up as well and see what happens - if you watch terrestrial TV (ie via the aerial) that is. Alternatively you can get SCART leads with the audio connections brought out on a pair of Phono plugs which would do the trick if your TV does not have any separate output connectors. (eg something like this lead ). Connect the SCART to SCART part up as normal and connect the phono leads to an external audio input on the Panasonic. The SCART with the phono leads attached goes into the TV and set the switch to OUT.
The TV does have audio outputs, not sure about the skybox. I will take a look later today and try various configurations. I watch sky in the main. Thanks for your suggestions and help.
Many thanks for the info. After trying numerous settings, cables etc without any success i took the set back to Comet. 2 hours later they had attempted everything they could think of without any success. They rang Panasonic help line and discovered that the set would never play anything but DVD's in true surround sound (it does actually state this in the small print of the instruction booklet). so i got a refund and bought an different model (not from Comet!) which is capable of "surround sound" from all five speakers on all TV broadcasts regardless of the format of the broadcast.
A happy ending.
A happy ending.
Originally Posted by prb:
“I'm not getting as much from the rear as from the front when watching DVD”
“I'm not getting as much from the rear as from the front when watching DVD”
That is normal and the way it should be when listening to surround soundtracks. My surround system also has a 5 channel stereo mode which is good with radio and CD stereo music sources as you get the same level from both front and rear speakers as well as combined L+R from the centre speaker.
Originally Posted by prb:
“Many thanks for the info. After trying numerous settings, cables etc without any success i took the set back to Comet. 2 hours later they had attempted everything they could think of without any success. They rang Panasonic help line and discovered that the set would never play anything but DVD's in true surround sound (it does actually state this in the small print of the instruction booklet). so i got a refund and bought an different model (not from Comet!) which is capable of "surround sound" from all five speakers on all TV broadcasts regardless of the format of the broadcast.
A happy ending.”
“Many thanks for the info. After trying numerous settings, cables etc without any success i took the set back to Comet. 2 hours later they had attempted everything they could think of without any success. They rang Panasonic help line and discovered that the set would never play anything but DVD's in true surround sound (it does actually state this in the small print of the instruction booklet). so i got a refund and bought an different model (not from Comet!) which is capable of "surround sound" from all five speakers on all TV broadcasts regardless of the format of the broadcast.
A happy ending.”
I am facing the exact same issue but the sales people and the panasonic guys tell me that all models are not capable of "surround" sound from all five speakers on all tv broadcasts. The only solution was that I purchase an "expensive" amp system.
What model did you buy eventually? and is there a way to tell which systems support this function?
Please reply soon as I have only 12 more hours before the refund policy lapses.
Cheers
If in doubt, get your refund in the morning. You can always buy another at your liesure.
Rgds,
Scorp
Rgds,
Scorp
Originally Posted by Scorpio:
“If in doubt, get your refund in the morning. You can always buy another at your liesure.
Rgds,
Scorp”
“If in doubt, get your refund in the morning. You can always buy another at your liesure.
Rgds,
Scorp”
I've asked - apparently they made it an exception for me with regards to the return policy so I need to get one exchanged asap. Appreciate advice on the models to exchange for
The guys at Comet were totally out of their depth and only after i insisted on them actually hooking up an alternative model did they agree that the original one i had bought couldn't do the job i was looking for. The replacement model was the Panasonic SCHT530 at £179.00 and it does give sound from all five speakers on all broadcasts regardless of the sound broadcast. (even Mono is from all five speakers)
Good luck.
Good luck.
Originally Posted by prb:
“The guys at Comet were totally out of their depth and only after i insisted on them actually hooking up an alternative model did they agree that the original one i had bought couldn't do the job i was looking for. The replacement model was the Panasonic SCHT530 at £179.00 and it does give sound from all five speakers on all broadcasts regardless of the sound broadcast. (even Mono is from all five speakers)
Good luck.”
“The guys at Comet were totally out of their depth and only after i insisted on them actually hooking up an alternative model did they agree that the original one i had bought couldn't do the job i was looking for. The replacement model was the Panasonic SCHT530 at £179.00 and it does give sound from all five speakers on all broadcasts regardless of the sound broadcast. (even Mono is from all five speakers)
Good luck.”
My model is the SCHT520 and it can't do that.. damn..
The 520 was the original model i started with, i agree, it can't do what you want it to. Suggest you take it back and demand a refund. A surround system should do what it says on the box, stand your ground, it worked for me. remember, the only place where it is stated that the surround only works with DVD is in the instruction book. Were you made aware of this at time of purchase?, i would bet not.
Originally Posted by prb:
“The 520 was the original model i started with, i agree, it can't do what you want it to. Suggest you take it back and demand a refund. A surround system should do what it says on the box, stand your ground, it worked for me. remember, the only place where it is stated that the surround only works with DVD is in the instruction book. Were you made aware of this at time of purchase?, i would bet not.”
“The 520 was the original model i started with, i agree, it can't do what you want it to. Suggest you take it back and demand a refund. A surround system should do what it says on the box, stand your ground, it worked for me. remember, the only place where it is stated that the surround only works with DVD is in the instruction book. Were you made aware of this at time of purchase?, i would bet not.”
yeah.. eventually got it changed for a pioneer system instead. thanks!
Originally Posted by prb:
“Comet. 2 hours later they had attempted everything they could think of without any success. They rang Panasonic help line and discovered that the set would never play anything but DVD's in true surround sound (it does actually state this in the small print of the instruction booklet). so i got a refund and bought an different model (not from Comet!) which is capable of "surround sound" from all five speakers on all TV broadcasts regardless of the format of the broadcast.
A happy ending.”
“Comet. 2 hours later they had attempted everything they could think of without any success. They rang Panasonic help line and discovered that the set would never play anything but DVD's in true surround sound (it does actually state this in the small print of the instruction booklet). so i got a refund and bought an different model (not from Comet!) which is capable of "surround sound" from all five speakers on all TV broadcasts regardless of the format of the broadcast.
A happy ending.”
I too had an identical experience with Comet and now am very happy with a Yamaha 357 and a set of NSP-110 spkrs.
However I have started a dialogue with Panasonic Customer care and their first reply is:
"In response, I would explain that Dolby Pro Logic II will not work on a multi-channel Dolby Digital source.
Most DVD disks are recorded with a multi-channel Dolby Digital soundtrack, so you will not be able to use this option with a DVD disk.
Dolby pro logic 2 is only for DVD's and CD's."
This is obviously gobbledygook The two statements are contradictory and the second one is incorrect in that, as far as I am aware, PL II can be invoked on any stereo source.
In order to reply with further questions is there an expert out there who can provide me with some simple explanation of why PL II can be applied to any stereo source and is not confined to DVD and CD.
My ears are open.
Davy
Originally Posted by prb:
“I am getting sound from the front centre, two front speakers and the sub. nothing from the rear two when watching tv. the surround system is a Panasonic SCHT330.
I have tried all the settings on the surround system but have not really adjusted anything on the TV, could this be where i need to adjust something?
Is the simple two scart connection, one from the skybox to the tv and one from the tv to the surround system all that is needed?”
“I am getting sound from the front centre, two front speakers and the sub. nothing from the rear two when watching tv. the surround system is a Panasonic SCHT330.
I have tried all the settings on the surround system but have not really adjusted anything on the TV, could this be where i need to adjust something?
Is the simple two scart connection, one from the skybox to the tv and one from the tv to the surround system all that is needed?”
I am also having this problem but its way to late to return the system can I buy a new amp and use the existing speakers
