Hi, I'm new to the forum and don't know much about TV equipment. I want to know how to get the best sound with the equipment I already have.
I have SkyHD, A 50inch Philips plasma with 5:1 souround, a technics SU V300 amp and a couple of good quality Sony speakers. What do I connect to where? Keep it simple please.
Thanks. Ally32

you will need to use optical cable from sky box to amp

thats it, simple eh?

Or it would be but for one tiny insignificant problem

The Technics SUV300 is a stereo HiFi amp, it doesn't have any digital inputs of any kind.

So what is needed is a bog standard stereo phono lead from Sky box to an Aux in on the amp. Or if the TV has audio outputs on phonos then connect to those instead. That will let you listen to either Sky or terrestrial TV.

The Sky box will more than likely just have a single pair of phono sockets, probably red and black or red and white. So little chance you will get that wrong

The TV could have several sockets. look for a pair of phonos also red and black or red and white. If they are labelled then look for AUDIO OUT or LINE OUT. The important word being OUT. Alternatively they may have a symbol that could be a circle or a rounded square with an arrow across it. If the arrow points out of the circle/square then that is an output which is what you want. If the arrow points into the circle/square then they are inputs and are not what you need.

Ally, Philips don't make a Plasma TV with 5.1 surround sound - the best they have got is a 50PF7521D which comes with four speakers and what Philips optimistically call virtual Dolby surround sound - this means that it expands the analogue stereo signal that you feed it into what it thinks should be surround sound. In a similar way to Dolby Pro-Logic. But this is not , and falls a long way short from being, DD5.1 surround sound.

So, you have a choice. Use the four speakers on your TV, or the two speakers on your amp. Neither of which will give you true surround sound.

Cheers guys, that been a great help. Thank you.
Ally 32