# Help with setting up some connections correctly



## Guest (Dec 27, 2008)

Hello,

I have been installing my own systems for years. Now things are starting to get more complicated than the past. I recently bought a new Samsung 52" LCD 120hz tv. Along with it I got an Insignia Home Theater reciever and the 5.1 speakers to match. I know not the best of brands but after my tv it was what I could afford. Now I dont think they sound bad... but I know I dont have something hooked up right. I also have a Blue Ray player... xbox360 and DishNetwork Satalite DVR box.

Ok... my reciever can take 2 HDMI connections in and has 1 going out (to the tv). So I hooked in my xbox360 to it and that was it. My BR, Satalite and Reciever all go to the tvs HDMI connections. I bought an optical cable as well for audio. So... I hooked my optical from my TV going to the reciever. 

The problem is that everything works but I cant select Dolby Digital at all on my reciever. It supports the mode and even states that with optical cables it will support it. 

So yesterday I messed with it all. I hooked my optical from my BR to the reciever. That worked and I got my digital sound but then I didnt get any sound from my xbox or the other stuff. 

My question is with this setup... how do I connect to get my digital out for all componants? My xbox supports it, satalite supports it and so does my BR of course. I have a headache from all of this. Help!!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

First of all welcome to the Shack!

The optical output from the display will not pass through dolby digital only two channel audio. HDMI must go from the BluRay player to the receiver if you want audio to also go straight to the display so you can have sound without always having the receiver on you need to run a separate optical cable from the bluray player to the display.
The best way for you to have this all work properly is you should use your receiver as the heart of the system and pass all your digital sources through into the receiver first and then pass one signal to the display.


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## Guest (Dec 27, 2008)

Thank you for the info. I dont really care about having audio out of the tv as I probably wont ever use it. I will use the reciever all the time since that is where I get my surround from. I mostly use my tv for movies/games. Not very much tv watching. So that is why I need to know how I can get digital sound from all my componants. I was thinking.. should I buy coax cables for my satalite and my reciever to the tv? I think the only place Ill lose digital sound is from my xbox360. Since you are saying I will only get 2chann audio from my tv. I know my reciever can basically generate surround for my xbox just not true digital. 
This is why I am so confused!  
Also I dont think my reciever passes audio through the HDMI... just video. I dont know how to tell but it doesnt really mention the HDMI as an audio input in the manual just refers to "best video quality"


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

skeeb said:


> ... I dont really care about having audio out of the tv as I probably wont ever use it. I will use the reciever all the time since that is where I get my surround from. I mostly use my tv for movies/games.


In this case, I hook everything to receiver, BluRay and XBox with HDMI and Dishnetwork with component cable (red,blue,geen) and then connect HDMI from receiver to TV (just read the manual to confirm that the receiver upscale the signals to HDMI if you use composite, S cable or component); if it doesn't connect the component cable directly to TV and the coax/optical cable to receiver for the sound (just be aware that if you want audio to TV you'll need an audio cable from dish receiver to TV).

Does it make sense or I make you :dizzy:???


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

salvasol said:


> In this case, I hook everything to receiver, BluRay and XBox with HDMI and Dishnetwork with component cable (red,blue,geen) and then connect HDMI from receiver to TV (just read the manual to confirm that the receiver upscale the signals to HDMI if you use composite, S cable or component)


And you can always buy an HDMI switcher from monoprice for very little $$ to compensate for only having 2 HDMI inputs, and 3 HDMI equiped devices (am I counting correctly?).


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2008)

Actually my TV has 4 HDMI inputs. So Im not concerned about that. I am strictly concerned about getting DIGITAL audio from all of my equipment. To the post above I dont think it makes sense to hook all my HDMI to my reciever because according to my tv... the optical from my TV to my reciever only puts out 2channels. Thats the part that is confusing me. 
Here is what I have come up with:

All of my componants go to the TV and then I use optical for BR to reciever... and use Coax for the Satalite and TV to reciever. The only loss there would be that my xbox360 will have to just use the sound from my TV->reciever connection.. in which case it wont be digital but can still be Pro Logic. Does that make sense... or is there another solution?


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

skeeb said:


> I am strictly concerned about getting DIGITAL audio from all of my equipment.
> 
> All of my componants go to the TV and then I use optical for BR to reciever... and use Coax for the Satalite and TV to reciever. The only loss there would be that my xbox360 will have to just use the sound from my TV->reciever connection.. in which case it wont be digital but can still be Pro Logic. Does that make sense... or is there another solution?


Quick question: WIll you be using the BR and XBox to watch HD DVD's/BR??? ...if the answer is yes, you need to use HDMI to be able to hear TrueHD, DTS HD, etc. , if you use optical/coax wont be able to decode HD audio.

I don't know if it will make sense to you but this is the way I setup my equipment: HD DVD, DVR player and VCR to receiver (I always use surround when watching a movie, and I'm sure it will be the same with you), then I connected the OTA antenna to TV (I don't have Cable/SAT) and I'm using optical from TV to receiver (all OTA programs that contains 5.1 works with the optical); as you can see to watch TV I don't have to turn on the AVR, just for movies (and games in your case).

You can connect BR and XBox to AVR with HDMI, then from AVR to TV another HDMI ...Dish can be connected to TV and coax/optical to AVR; you decide when to use the AVR when using DIsh :T


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