Audio Outputs from New TV
Discussion
Chaps,
One that is flummoxing me, but I suspect others will be able to answer it quickly.
We have bought a new telly. We want to connect it to our HiFi. Our HiFi has RCA inputs, but the TV doesn't - it has an optical digital audio output (like this:
)
I have a SCART lead with built-in RCA leads, like this:
... and it connects the DVD player to the TV. It works, but it has a switch on the side of it that seems to control which 'end' of the lead the sound signal is taken from. This means that while you are watching the TV you need to have the switch in one position to take the sound from the TV to the HiFi, but when you watch a DVD you need to change the switch so that sound from the DVD player is taken to the HiFi. Do such leads exist without this switch, or is it a fundamental requirement that there is a switch?
The other problem with this is that the volume control on the TV doesn't seem to control the volume output on the SCART lead. I am presuming this is a 'feature' of the TV, and I can't change this? (Is this normal?)
Another option would be to buy a converter to turn the digital optical signal to an analogue RCA (from around £15 to £40 - this sort of thing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Digital-Optical-Coax... )
Do these work? Are they any good? What do you get for spending £40 (rather than £15) on one?
The third option (which is what we are currently doing!) is to connect the headphone output from the TV to the RCA input of the HiFi, which works fine in every way, but looks unsightly; the headphone jack is at the side of the screen, and having a lead plugged into this all the time destroys the aesthetic!
All help and advice welcomed - thanks.
Oli.
One that is flummoxing me, but I suspect others will be able to answer it quickly.
We have bought a new telly. We want to connect it to our HiFi. Our HiFi has RCA inputs, but the TV doesn't - it has an optical digital audio output (like this:
) I have a SCART lead with built-in RCA leads, like this:
... and it connects the DVD player to the TV. It works, but it has a switch on the side of it that seems to control which 'end' of the lead the sound signal is taken from. This means that while you are watching the TV you need to have the switch in one position to take the sound from the TV to the HiFi, but when you watch a DVD you need to change the switch so that sound from the DVD player is taken to the HiFi. Do such leads exist without this switch, or is it a fundamental requirement that there is a switch?
The other problem with this is that the volume control on the TV doesn't seem to control the volume output on the SCART lead. I am presuming this is a 'feature' of the TV, and I can't change this? (Is this normal?)
Another option would be to buy a converter to turn the digital optical signal to an analogue RCA (from around £15 to £40 - this sort of thing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Digital-Optical-Coax... )
Do these work? Are they any good? What do you get for spending £40 (rather than £15) on one?
The third option (which is what we are currently doing!) is to connect the headphone output from the TV to the RCA input of the HiFi, which works fine in every way, but looks unsightly; the headphone jack is at the side of the screen, and having a lead plugged into this all the time destroys the aesthetic!
All help and advice welcomed - thanks.
Oli.
Edited by zcacogp on Monday 27th August 23:46
zcacogp said:
Chaps,
One that is flummoxing me, but I suspect others will be able to answer it quickly.
We have bought a new telly. We want to connect it to our HiFi. Our HiFi has RCA inputs, but the TV doesn't - it has an optical digital audio output (like this:
)
Um....is that an exact depiction of the connections on the back of the TV?One that is flummoxing me, but I suspect others will be able to answer it quickly.
We have bought a new telly. We want to connect it to our HiFi. Our HiFi has RCA inputs, but the TV doesn't - it has an optical digital audio output (like this:
) The optical out on a tv is only for the tv tuner audio it is not connected to give a monitor output i.e whatever is on the screen will have the audio sent out including external devices. So a digital to analogue converter isn't going to gain you much unless you connect the dvd to the amp separately. If your dvd has hdmi output then connect that to the tv and use the scart on the tv as a permanent audio output. If the tv has an ARC facility on it then you could change the amp or get a soundbar to enhance the audio quality.
jas xjr said:
your 2ch output from your telly should do it. what outputs from the dvd player do you have ?
co ax digital would be better if you want dolby and dts etc.
That picture is from a dvd player not the back of the tv in question. Sounds like the OPs amp is stereo only as he is already using rca plugs to connect dvd sound into it. co ax digital would be better if you want dolby and dts etc.
jas xjr said:
your 2ch output from your telly should do it. what outputs from the dvd player do you have ?
co ax digital would be better if you want dolby and dts etc.
That picture is from a dvd player not the back of the posters tv.co ax digital would be better if you want dolby and dts etc.
Sounds like the posters amp is also stereo as he is already using rca plugs and no digital connections.
Chaps,
Thanks for your (many!) answers. Very helpful.
No, that's not a picture of the back of the TV, it's simply a picture from google of the sort of connector that I have on the TV. Sorry if it confused people. The problem is that there isn't a pair of RCA outputs from the TV; there is the optical output (as pictured), the headphone output and the SCART input, which can be used to take an audio output. Those are all the options I have.
I think that my best option, given that I don't want to have to change the switch on the SCART lead when I watch a DVD and also want the volume control on the TV remote controller to work, running things out of the headphone port is the way to go, unless you chaps think otherwise.
Thanks for your help.
Oli.
Thanks for your (many!) answers. Very helpful.
No, that's not a picture of the back of the TV, it's simply a picture from google of the sort of connector that I have on the TV. Sorry if it confused people. The problem is that there isn't a pair of RCA outputs from the TV; there is the optical output (as pictured), the headphone output and the SCART input, which can be used to take an audio output. Those are all the options I have.
I think that my best option, given that I don't want to have to change the switch on the SCART lead when I watch a DVD and also want the volume control on the TV remote controller to work, running things out of the headphone port is the way to go, unless you chaps think otherwise.
Thanks for your help.
Oli.
Headphone out will work (as you're using now) but HP output is a limited signal quality and will have a mismatched impedence with the rca input on amp. HP out is designed for a headphone and a amp that runs in milliwatts so can distort at high volumes on a full range amp. The scart out is your best quality connection but will require switching and manual adjustment of volume on amp as you have found out.
AerialAndy said:
Headphone out will work (as you're using now) but HP output is a limited signal quality and will have a mismatched impedence with the rca input on amp. HP out is designed for a headphone and a amp that runs in milliwatts so can distort at high volumes on a full range amp. The scart out is your best quality connection but will require switching and manual adjustment of volume on amp as you have found out.
Andy, That's the sort of answer I am looking for, many thanks. Is there any way around the two limitations of the SCART output (the non-adjusting volume and the fact that you need to switch it when you play a DVD)? Given that I don't have an HDMI output on the DVD player I am guessing not.
Oli.
Or you could put an RCA based switch at the audio amp input end ? This assumes you only run everything stereo obviously.
Like this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-4-Port-Input-1-Outpu...
Like this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-4-Port-Input-1-Outpu...
Errrrrrr hows that going to help o_O hell of a lot of expense, extra cables and the dvd video signal has nowhere to go and you still have to manually switch inputs and control volume on amp!
The scart connections with audio breakout are your best solution with the equipment you have. It will give you rgb picture quality from your dvd, you don't really want to go backwards with a rca composite video sgnal, and just one cable to connect all.
You could get a one4all remote so the amps volume control is permantly used when watching tv. Might need to get one with an ir learning facility.
The scart connections with audio breakout are your best solution with the equipment you have. It will give you rgb picture quality from your dvd, you don't really want to go backwards with a rca composite video sgnal, and just one cable to connect all.
You could get a one4all remote so the amps volume control is permantly used when watching tv. Might need to get one with an ir learning facility.
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