Optical connection?

[recman]

Do any of you lot use the optical option for TVs/DVDs/PS3s etc?
Thinking about getting a sound bar for the telly and using the optical connection, mainly because most other connections are now being used.

[weasley]

Before we moved I used the optical connection from the Sky+HD box to my amplifier, for the same reason as you - I also used the digital coax connection from the DVD player. This was the best way of getting true 5.1 from both sources. My TV has an optical output but it only outputs PCM.
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[johnnyarctic]

I use optical to connect my Logitech speakers to my TV
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[weasley]

Should've said - I don't use it at the moment because I haven't yet re-established the A/V setup in the new house. As and when I do, I will be using the optical and coax as before. It worked great. It would be nice if the TV would output a raw digital signal by optical for the amp to decode, because then I could have one optical connection to the amp covering all devices inputting to the TV (PS3, Sky+HD, DVD, Apple TV). But it doesn't, so I have to cherry-pick the devices from which I want the best audio output and let the rest run through phono connections (which the amp has lots of - it's an old amp).
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[Rowey]

You can run an uncompressed 5.1 signal through HDMI.

Most modern TV's, Bluray/DVD players, AVR's and home cinema systems will support a ARC (Audio Return Channel). It'll be in the options somewhere.

This means that you can send audio down or upstream through a HDMI cable. I can run my Virgin box in to the TV (via HDMI), then the audio feeds from my TV to my AVR (via HDMI) all through just two HDMI cables. I get full 5.1 Dolby in that set up, and cant tell any difference in quality compared to optical from Virgin box strait to AVR.
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Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Rowey]

[orac]

MY PS3 and free sat box run into the TV, the TV then feeds via optical to the HTPC where all the sound get upscaled to 7.1 and fed to the 7.1 speakers. The PS3 sends 5.1 to the TV to start with too so there is a little less upscaling to do there
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[DrDonnyBrago]

My Xbox to surround sound is achieved via optical.

I did it to test whether the lead having been bent and bashed about in a box ruined it, doesn't seem to have.

[dydey90]

I managed to break the little flap that holds in the optical cable on my surround sound
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[binge]

I did until HDMI became so widely used. Now I think most of my bits are just joined with that.

Years and years ago I had a Kenwood stack system which was a hand-me-down from my parents. They must have bought it in 1990/91. That had an optical port on it.



I did once have quite a beefy set up and bought a 2 into 1 optical adapter so I could run the PS3 and my PC through the 5/1 surround.
Biggest piece of gimmick shite I've ever wasted a fiver on. They don't work.

[kawakid]

I have a fairly recent Yamaha Sound bar and it has 2 inputs both opticals.

What I do, is I HDMI from Virgin/Xbox/Playstation to the TV and then optical from my TV to soundbar.

Also which I find great is that I connect the Wii to the TV through the red/green/blue audio left/right and this comes through the soundbar also, so the TV obviously has some analogue to digital converter built in.

My TV is/was a decent one though (What HiFi 5 stars 2 years back).
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