Audio out on TV

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pokkel

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Hi guys.

I recently bought a LG tv ( http://www.lg.com/us/support-product/lg-47LS4600# ), and I want play the sound through my hi fi.

The problem is that it's a hi fi I got in 1998, with great sound, but with only one Analogue Phono input.

I am under the impression that the only way to transfer the TV's sound to another source, no matter what the input, is through the optical output. I mainly watch my series and movies through my DLNA server, thus I will need to connect my TV to the Hi Fi via an optical converter.

I found one on pricecheck ( http://www.pricecheck.co.za/offers/32018486/Playvision+Hda+2m+Optical+Fiber+Hdmi+Adapter+Converter/ ), but the store is in China... I would like to avoid shipping costs and import taxes.

Do anyone know of a place where I can buy a converter and optical cable and maybe the pricing... I really don't want to go buy a hi fi which has an optical import.

I'm in Johannesburg...
 
Analog Hi-fi vs Digital HTS - time to upgrade....

Your 1998 vintage 'Hi-Fi' has NO capability to decode or process a 5.1 Dolby Digital / DTS Surround Sound or Dolby ProLogic II audio stream - it was designed purely for analog 2.0 STEREO output with either a CD, Turntable, Tape Deck, Tuner or NICAM Stereo VHS VCR as the input source.

This entirely defeats the object of having either a Blu-Ray DVD player or HD PVR connected to your TV via HDMI - which can send the digital signal to your TV - and then routing the Optical Out / Co-Axial Out & HDMI feed to a modern Home Theatre System (HTS) to allow you to enjoy the full benefit of 5.1 Digital Audio.

Your best bet would be to replace your old 'Hi-Fi' with a suitable 5.1 Digital HTS which includes Optical In / Co-Axial In & HDMI inputs, which will allow you to reproduce the digital soundtracks correctly for a 'Cinema Sound' viewing experience.

These are available from around R 2,500-3,000 or so upwards at most consumer electronics outlets.

:)
 
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Last optical cable I bought was from the Hyperama. Was a while ago, but the price was good and it was good quality. Never had to buy a converter.

Ivan Leon said:
Your best bet would be to replace your old 'Hi-Fi' with a suitable 5.1 Digital HTS which includes Optical In / Co-Axial In & HDMI inputs, which will allow you to reproduce the digital soundtracks correctly for a 'Cinema Sound' viewing experience.

These are available from around R 2,500-3,000 or so upwards at most consumer electronics outlets.
Click to expand...
If it really is a good stereo system then a cheap digital system is not going to compete.
 
xrapidx said:
That's a bit overkill for him.. Unless his hifi is 5.1
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You have no choice either way. If the audio track in the file is DD or DTS, you have decode all 5 channels as they are packed into a single bit stream. If you only want 2.0 output, device must then combine them in analogue (which I think it can do, check with HDC before).
 
Roman4604 said:
You have no choice either way. If the audio track in the file is DD or DTS, you have decode all 5 channels as they are packed into a single bit stream. If you only want 2.0 output, device must then combine them in analogue (which I think it can do, check with HDC before).
Click to expand...

If the TV is outputting, surely you'd be able to set it to output only stereo? I've got one of these somewhere, but can't recall how it worked, I think it was optical to digital coax.
 
xrapidx said:
If the TV is outputting, surely you'd be able to set it to output only stereo?
Click to expand...
It will decode to analogue 2.0 for its own speakers, but from what I've seen all TVs will send the raw digital bitstream out their optical port.
 
Roman4604 said:
It will decode to analogue 2.0 for its own speakers, but from what I've seen all TVs will send the raw digital bitstream out their optical port.
Click to expand...

As long as you aren't playing from an external player, through HDMI. Then the TV will only output stereo.
 
TJ99 said:
As long as you aren't playing from an external player, through HDMI. Then the TV will only output stereo.
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My experience is the opposite.

Audio from an HDMI source will always be outputted via the optical as digital PCM 2.0. This is not because the TV is doing some sort of conversion, but rather because its announces to the external HDMI device thats its only 2.0 capable, so the ext device is only sending it PCM 2.0 over the HDMI (which is then redirected out of optical port).

The TV's internal media player however sends the extact raw digital audio track in the file out the optical port, whether PCM2.0, DD5.1 or DTS.
 
Roman4604 said:
My experience is the opposite.

Audio from an HDMI source will always be outputted via the optical as digital PCM 2.0. This is not because the TV is doing some sort of conversion, but rather because its announces to the external HDMI device thats its only 2.0 capable, so the ext device is only sending it PCM 2.0 over the HDMI (which is then redirected out of optical port).

The TV's internal media player however sends the extact raw digital audio track in the file out the optical port, whether PCM2.0, DD5.1 or DTS.
Click to expand...

That's not the opposite, that's exactly what I said.

TV's internal player - Optical jack outputs surround.

External player connected to TV via HDMI - TV's optical out will output stereo only. I've heard it's because of a restriction in the HDMI specifications not allowing surround passthrough.
 
Thanks for the reply guys...

The Hi-Fi is only stereo, but at 60W RMS per channel. It has great sound for such an old guy.

If that is the price of the converter though, I might reconsider buying a new system.

I do however just watch TV through my DLNA connection, so I don't have any Blu-ray or DVD players. Not even DSTV. Purely network watching. Will the TV pick up 5.1 through DLNA and send a surround sound through the optical out?
 
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