Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction on how to hook up surround sound to a TV so that regular digital cable audio can be heard via surround sound. Do I run a wire from the coax on the tv to the receiver then audio wires from TV to receiver? Other than audio cables, what wires would I need. On my harman kardon avr35 receiver there is a video input on the back that says TV monitor out...Do i connect these 2 with a video wire? Any help would be great. Thanks guys...
At the back of the cable box* look for 2 audio output ports white and red (L and R) you will need an RCA cable: Connect one end to the cable box* and the other end to the back of the DVD Player (I'm assuming you're using the DVD Players surround sound speakers). Once you have done this, grab the DVD players/ surround systems remote and select AUX, now the sound SHOULD come out of the surround speakers.
Even with digital cable, the only channels that are broadcast in 5.1 surround, are the premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz, some Encore, and HD). Almost everything else will be in Dolby Pro Logic (simulated surround). It will help to know what outputs you have on the cable box, and what inputs you have on your tv, and A/V receiver. The tv is used [bold]only[/bold] for video, in a surround setup. Your cable box is where your audio will come from. Not your tv. In a surround setup, no audio cables will go to the tv.
Like JVC said we will need to know what "digital out" you have on your digi-cable box. There will either be an optical output, or a digital coax output. The digital coax will look like a typical RCA connection where an optical out will likely have a cover or shutter over the out (and you may see a slight red light being emitted with the box on). from there we can guide you toward setting up the reciever.
You have a couple of ways to do this: If your Cable box has audio output then you could just connect the rca jacks from the output of the box and then connect them to an audio input on your receiver. Select the channel on your receiver that you connected the box, select the type of surround you want you're set. The other was is if you have audio outs on your tv. If so, just connect them to audio inputs on your receiver. If you do it this way you may want to turn off your television speakers because they would ruin the surround sound experience. The "Monitor Out" is used lets say if you connect another device that displays video like a video camera and you want to display it on your television. You can connect an rca cable from there to your tv for that purpose. Hell, if the receiver is newer then you should have onscreen display and it could be used for that as well. Hope this helped a little.
Both of the ways you mention, are for Pro Logic only. Impossible to get 5.1 surround, the way you explained. You [bold]MUST[/bold] use digital coax or optical cable for audio output and input, to get 5.1 surround. It could be, but actually used for everything hooked up. You can run video from digital cable box, to A/V receiver, and video from dvd player, to A/V receiver. Then run the "Monitor Out", to video input on tv. It makes it [bold]much[/bold] easier to switch from one source to the other. Then if you want to watch a dvd, with player on, just push the dvd button on the receiver. After the movie, push tv button on receiver, to go back to watching tv. If you don't run video through the A/V receiver, to watch a dvd, you'll have to change the input on the tv, then push dvd button on receiver (for the audio). Then to go back to tv, you'll have to change the input on the tv, back to the right input, and then push tv button on receiver (for the audio). As I said.......running the video through the receiver, just makes switching between sources, much easier. Still let us know what outputs and inputs you have.
@thrdleg..Also, let us know the make of the cable box. What some often forget is that many cable boxes (like my comcast HD box)will have a menu seperate from the TV or the AVR with options as to how to deliver the signal from the cable box to the television. Also, take a bit of time to jot down the exact make and model of your TV, your AVR and your DVD players. While they all have some things in common, there are also major differences. The danger here is that someone could advise you to make certain connections for which your components aren't capable hence making you look for things that aren't even there. Precise information will get better answers. @everyone, we need to be careful not to confuse our new friend; most of the guys here know what they're talking about but there are so many different ways to go about this. Lets see exactly what he's got.
I have a question about this subject as well, I am pretty much in the dark when it comes to this sort of thing. I have a General Instrument brand digital cable box through Mediacom Cable and from what I can see it has neither an optical output nor a digital coax output as described in an above post, unless I am just unable to figure out which connection is the coax output. It does have the standard red/white l/r audio out jacks. When an rca cable is hooked up from the digital box output to the dvd player input I am able to get sound from the left, center, and right speakers by selecting "AUX" on the dvd player. If I run the cable from the tv out jacks to the dvd players input jacks, I only get sound from the center speaker. However, I am still unable to get any sound out of the back speakers, and very little sound out of the sub woofer, no matter how it is hooked up. Any ideas why and/or any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong? If there is other information you need regarding my set up please let me know. (PS my tv is a Toshiba 62" DLP Projection Wide Screen if this helps.)
@kathryne........... I guess your dvd player has a built in surround receiver? Your digital cable box surely has a digital output........... They usually have a digital coax output. It [bold]looks[/bold] like the rca plugs, that the red and white audio cables plug into. But it will usually have some orange around it or in the tip of it. It may be black. It should say digital above or below it. The lettering may be black, on black background, and hard to read. You may also need to go into the setup menus of the cable box [bold]and[/bold] your dvd player, and turn on the digital output. In dvd player's setup menus, set audio output to "Bitstream", or "Raw", depending on the terminology of your's. Then receiver needs to be set to "Digital Auto". Digital cable box needs to be setup for digital audio: "ON". If your cable box really doesn't have a digital output, take it in and exchange it for one that does. But I thought they all did. You'll may also need to go into receiver's setup menus, and enable the digital input, in the back. As I explained above: the only channels you'll get in 5.1 surround, is the "Premium Channels" (HBO, Showtime, Starz, HD channels, and some Encore channels). 95% of your tv watching will use Pro Logic for audio (simulated surround). That also needs to be setup, in the receiver's menus. Hard to explain every little thing. Too much involved. Your owner's manual should walk you through all of this. Just take it step by step........... Good luck!
thank you JVC for your previous post. i do have a few more questions.... <I guess your dvd player has a built in surround receiver?> honestly i dont know....could that be part of the problem? <Your digital cable box surely has a digital output........... They usually have a digital coax output. It looks like the rca plugs, that the red and white audio cables plug into. But it will usually have some orange around it or in the tip of it. It may be black. It should say digital above or below it. The lettering may be black, on black background, and hard to read.> finally got ahold of the cable company and found out i had an outdated box. i have upgraded to a cable box that DOES have a digital coax output and i bought the correct cable. connecting cable from the cable box to the dvd player has not fixed the problem. still not getting sound from the rear speakers. <You may also need to go into the setup menus of the cable box and your dvd player, and turn on the digital output. In dvd player's setup menus, set audio output to "Bitstream", or "Raw", depending on the terminology of your's. Then receiver needs to be set to "Digital Auto". Digital cable box needs to be setup for digital audio: "ON". If your cable box really doesn't have a digital output, take it in and exchange it for one that does. But I thought they all did.> the dvd player does not have an audio output set up option...again could this mean it doesn't have a built in receiver? also my cable box does not have a digital audio set up option. this could be a problem as well? maybe there is no way to make this work with the equipment i have? i have called my cable company twice, the manufacturers of the dvd/home theater system twice and the place i bought the tv from once. five different answers and no helpful solutions. i'm thinking maybe i should just give up?
If your dvd player isn't also a receiver, or if you don't have a seperate A/V receiver, you're not going to get surround sound. However, since you said this: it sound's like your dvd player [bold]does[/bold] have a built in receiver, or else a center channel speaker would not be there. So, there [bold]HAS[/bold] to be setup menus, to set it up. Same with digital cable box. There [bold]has[/bold] to be a way to turn the digital audio on and off. There is on mine. On the left side of my digital cable remote, there's a button labeled "Settings". That's where it is. You have to scroll your way around in there to find the audio output, and set it to Dolby. I don't know what else to tell you about your receiver. Just read through the manual carefully. It should tell you how to set it up. If nothing else, check with someone where you bought it, or at a local store that sells HT equipment. If there wasn't a way to setup for it, there wouldn't be rear speakers with it. Good luck! Then there's the possibility you have 5.1 outputs on the back of a dvd player, with no receiver. Those are outputs, not inputs. They are not for hooking up speakers either. Not that kind of output. They are meant for hooking up to the analog 5.1 inputs, on the back of an A/V receiver, for playing dvd-a and sacd (5.1 surround music). You can listen to movies hooked up that way, but movies sound better hooked up with digital cables, instead of the 6 analog 5.1 cables. Without your equipment in front of me, I have about exhausted my guesses, as far as what to try next. Where do you live? Eastern NC here........
