Getting Surround sound from a DSTV PVR.

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Hogrod

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Hi, I bought a surround sound system, the thing has no optical in or HDMI in, annoyinglu I just read that in order to get surround sound from DSTV's HD channels you need HDMI in or optical in on the amp to get surround sound. You hook up the PVR HDMI out or optical out to your amp. I can't do this since I have neither.

Currently my setup is plugging the left and right stereo connections from the PVR to the amp. If I select Dolby Pro logic II, I do get surround sound. My question is, is the surround sound I'm hearing actually the HD surround sound? And would there be a noticable difference between using the Dolby Pro Logic II to provide surround sound from a stereo feed compared to using an optical out to get the 5.1 feed from the PVR
 
Yep, there would be a difference. Pro Logic or NEO:6 takes the stereo feed and splits it into 5 channels, and so simulates surround sound. The digital out gives you the discrete 5.1 dolby out. This means that you receive all 6 separate channels of sound as they were recorded in the studio. I have to say, for the one or 2 movie channels on DSTV, it's not exactly a train smash. more an annoyance. Not something I'd be able to live with while watching dvd's or blu rays though.
 
dotVIBE said:
Yep, there would be a difference. Pro Logic or NEO:6 takes the stereo feed and splits it into 5 channels, and so simulates surround sound. The digital out gives you the discrete 5.1 dolby out. This means that you receive all 6 separate channels of sound as they were recorded in the studio. I have to say, for the one or 2 movie channels on DSTV, it's not exactly a train smash. more an annoyance. Not something I'd be able to live with while watching dvd's or blu rays though.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, perhaps I can live with the DSTV issue. The system has a DVD player in it which seems to do the 5.1 business.
 
yeah, your dvd player probably has analog outs. that would do the trick.
 
dotVIBE said:
I have to say, for the one or 2 movie channels on DSTV, it's not exactly a train smash. more an annoyance. Not something I'd be able to live with while watching dvd's or blu rays though.
Click to expand...

Some of the shows on the HD channels have a dolby digital track as well - some of the series. But the amount of times I have heard a good surround effect from them is very minimal.
 
My Home Theatre also doesn't have optical in. It has the Sony DMPort. However, the TV has optical in. Any clever ways of getting surround sound from the DSTV PVR on the Home Theatre?
 
I have a samsung blu ray player, without speakers, is it as easy as buying Samsung speakers and hooking the Blu ray player to the Tv?
 
You need an amp for the speakers.
Directly, you can connect earphones/ headphones and that's your only option.
 
Andy - does your surround sound system have a coax connector? It looks like an RCA connector but is color coded orange.
 
unskinnybob said:
Andy - does your surround sound system have a coax connector? It looks like an RCA connector but is color coded orange.
Click to expand...

I took the old surround system back, got a new one with coax (orange color) and optical in. Surround sound is mint now.
 
andytl5 said:
Hi, I bought a surround sound system, the thing has no optical in or HDMI in, annoyinglu I just read that in order to get surround sound from DSTV's HD channels you need HDMI in or optical in on the amp to get surround sound. You hook up the PVR HDMI out or optical out to your amp. I can't do this since I have neither.

Currently my setup is plugging the left and right stereo connections from the PVR to the amp. If I select Dolby Pro logic II, I do get surround sound. My question is, is the surround sound I'm hearing actually the HD surround sound? And would there be a noticable difference between using the Dolby Pro Logic II to provide surround sound from a stereo feed compared to using an optical out to get the 5.1 feed from the PVR
Click to expand...

Erm... why would you buy a system without an optical in? :confused:

I have two in my amp and its not enough...

Edit: Just saw
andytl5 said:
I took the old surround system back, got a new one with coax (orange color) and optical in. Surround sound is mint now.
Click to expand...

Well done!
 
rakabos3 said:
Out of curiosity, what did u buy and for how much?
Click to expand...

I would also like to know. Annoyingly I see the Sony surround sound I bought a few years ago has no optical in so my PS3 sound now has to go to my surround sound via HDMI connection to TV and then from the TV to the system via 2 RCA cables.
 
DarkStreet said:
I would also like to know. Annoyingly I see the Sony surround sound I bought a few years ago has no optical in so my PS3 sound now has to go to my surround sound via HDMI connection to TV and then from the TV to the system via 2 RCA cables.
Click to expand...

But you can't get surround sound output this way, or may be I'm wrong?
 
Madman88 said:
Erm... why would you buy a system without an optical in? :confused:

I have two in my amp and its not enough...

Edit: Just saw


Well done!
Click to expand...

Because I thought you could get SS from just using the left and right audio feed from the PVR, and let the Dolby pro logic sort it out. I was wrong, doh!
 
DarkStreet said:
I would also like to know. Annoyingly I see the Sony surround sound I bought a few years ago has no optical in so my PS3 sound now has to go to my surround sound via HDMI connection to TV and then from the TV to the system via 2 RCA cables.
Click to expand...

I bought this from Philips
http://www.consumer.philips.com/c/h...20w-rms-power-dvd-playback-hts3276_98/prd/za/

Rear Connections: Component Video output, Composite video (CVBS) output, AUX in, FM Antenna, Easy-Fit speaker connectors, HDMI output, Digital coaxial in, Digital optical in

I connect the PVR to the coaxial and my xbox to the optical.
 
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