sound from TV to receiver amp

[Paul Drawmer]

I have a Denon receiver, and sometimes I use it to listen to TV sound.

Presently, I use the optical link, would I get any different performance if I used an HDMI link?

When I had a Samsung TV, pressing mute didn't mute the optical out. Now I have a Hi-sense TV and mute operates on the optical out as well, which is a nuisance.

I'm rather hoping the the HDMI won't be muted by the mute speakers button.

[SS2.]

Do both your amp and TV support ARC (Audio Return Channel) ?

Even if they did, there's no guarantee they'd be fully compatible. Still worth a try, though.

[stevoknevo]

Paul Drawmer said:

I have a Denon receiver, and sometimes I use it to listen to TV sound.

Presently, I use the optical link, would I get any different performance if I used an HDMI link?

When I had a Samsung TV, pressing mute didn't mute the optical out. Now I have a Hi-sense TV and mute operates on the optical out as well, which is a nuisance.

I'm rather hoping the the HDMI won't be muted by the mute speakers button.

In what scenario do you need to mute the TV but not the output?

As for optical or HDMI, depends on how many speakers you are running from the receiver (if it's an AV receiver) stereo will make no difference as the signal is the same PCM signal regardless of optical/HDMI, for surround sound optical maxes out at Dolby Digital 5.1 - HDMI has far, far greater bandwidth in that regard for the likes of Atmos etc, however both TV and Receiver need to be HDMI ARC capable for that to occur.

[clockworks]

stevoknevo said:

In what scenario do you need to mute the TV but not the output?

As for optical or HDMI, depends on how many speakers you are running from the receiver (if it's an AV receiver) stereo will make no difference as the signal is the same PCM signal regardless of optical/HDMI, for surround sound optical maxes out at Dolby Digital 5.1 - HDMI has far, far greater bandwidth in that regard for the likes of Atmos etc, however both TV and Receiver need to be HDMI ARC capable for that to occur.

I'm guessing he wants to mute the TV's internal speakers when listening to TV audio through the receiver?

Seems a bit odd that the optical output gets muted along with the internal speakers, but that's probably the better option if someone's using the TV with a basic soundbar.

Only way to know if the HDMI output is also muted is to try it. I'm guessing it probably won't get muted, as it must be harder to implement than just switching off the optical output when the mute button is pressed.

[stevoknevo]

clockworks said:

stevoknevo said:

In what scenario do you need to mute the TV but not the output?

As for optical or HDMI, depends on how many speakers you are running from the receiver (if it's an AV receiver) stereo will make no difference as the signal is the same PCM signal regardless of optical/HDMI, for surround sound optical maxes out at Dolby Digital 5.1 - HDMI has far, far greater bandwidth in that regard for the likes of Atmos etc, however both TV and Receiver need to be HDMI ARC capable for that to occur.

I'm guessing he wants to mute the TV's internal speakers when listening to TV audio through the receiver?

Seems a bit odd that the optical output gets muted along with the internal speakers, but that's probably the better option if someone's using the TV with a basic soundbar.

Only way to know if the HDMI output is also muted is to try it. I'm guessing it probably won't get muted, as it must be harder to implement than just switching off the optical output when the mute button is pressed.

My last three TV's gave the option to output exclusively to optical, no need to mute the TV speakers as it by-passed them, hence my curiosity in that regard Panasonic and Sony not Samsung/HiSense as in OP's case, though.

[Paul Drawmer]

Thanks for the replies.
I will have to check out the audio implementations in both bits of kit.

The reason I want to mute the TV without optical, is that usually we just use the TV crappy speakers - its fine for most TV progs, and my wife will never get her head round the complexities of switching on the Denon, selecting the correct input and if needed switching on the sub!

I use the Denon for music and Films. There is a phasing/delay effect when having both HiFi and TV speakers running, so I mute the TV.

It's a modest set-up but it works fine for me. There are Mission MS10s either side of the TV screen. There are no rear speakers, but there is a centre speech/voice track speaker under the screen. The sub is a REL Quake (old but mighty) that has both speaker and a separate FX input.

I'll get in there and swap over to HDMI and see if my old ears can tell the difference.

[Lucid_AV]

stevoknevo said:

As for optical or HDMI, depends on how many speakers you are running from the receiver (if it's an AV receiver) stereo will make no difference as the signal is the same PCM signal regardless of optical/HDMI, for surround sound optical maxes out at Dolby Digital 5.1 - HDMI has far, far greater bandwidth in that regard for the likes of Atmos etc, however both TV and Receiver need to be HDMI ARC capable for that to occur.

Nope.

HDMI ARC and Optical deliver exactly the same quality of sound. There's no difference, none at all. Zilch.

HDMI certainly does have more bandwidth potential than optical. That's why HD audio goes via HDMI; that, and the copy.protection.

But when a TV and amp are connected via the ARC version of HDMI then the signal effectively maxes out at DD/DTS resolution.

The advantages of HDMI ARC are that it also carries DD+, which is how the Dolby Atmos signal is conveyed for broadcast and streaming formats. (Optical could carry this too, but it is software locked so that only HDMI is allowed to.)

The other advantage has nothing to do with sound, or even ARC really. It's HDMI Control (CEC).

To get anything better audio-wise from- or via- a TV's HDMI out requires both the TV and the audio system to have eARC. That's when a TV can pass HD audio.

[TheOversteerLever]

Paul Drawmer said:

Thanks for the replies.
I will have to check out the audio implementations in both bits of kit.

The reason I want to mute the TV without optical, is that usually we just use the TV crappy speakers - its fine for most TV progs, and my wife will never get her head round the complexities of switching on the Denon, selecting the correct input and if needed switching on the sub!

I use the Denon for music and Films. There is a phasing/delay effect when having both HiFi and TV speakers running, so I mute the TV.

It's a modest set-up but it works fine for me. There are Mission MS10s either side of the TV screen. There are no rear speakers, but there is a centre speech/voice track speaker under the screen. The sub is a REL Quake (old but mighty) that has both speaker and a separate FX input.

I'll get in there and swap over to HDMI and see if my old ears can tell the difference.

I'd be checking that your TV and Denon Amp are both HDMI ARC and HDMI CEC compatible. With my Denon amp and LG TV, if I press the Sky button on the Sky remote, the TV, Sky box and amp all power up together and switch to the correct input. The volume can then be controlled with the TV, Sky or amp remote - it's all a piece of cake.

When I hold the Sky remote power button, the TV and amp turn off and then another press of the power button turns off the Sky box.

When I switch to another source on the amp (Firestick for example), I still have audio through the amp and the picture through the TV.

If I were you, I'd be using the Denon every time your TV is on - everything that goes into your TV should have the sound through the amp/speakers.

I couldn't go back to listening to TV through the TV speakers, regardless of how good the TV is.

[SS2.]

Lucid_AV said:

HDMI ARC and Optical deliver exactly the same quality of sound. There's no difference, none at all. Zilch.

HDMI certainly does have more bandwidth potential than optical. That's why HD audio goes via HDMI; that, and the copy.protection.

But when a TV and amp are connected via the ARC version of HDMI then the signal effectively maxes out at DD/DTS resolution.

The advantages of HDMI ARC are that it also carries DD+, which is how the Dolby Atmos signal is conveyed for broadcast and streaming formats. (Optical could carry this too, but it is software locked so that only HDMI is allowed to.)

The other advantage has nothing to do with sound, or even ARC really. It's HDMI Control (CEC).

To get anything better audio-wise from- or via- a TV's HDMI out requires both the TV and the audio system to have eARC. That's when a TV can pass HD audio.

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