Help, optical audio to 5.1 analogue ?

[monaco]

Chaps

I have a slight problem, I already have a 5.1 surround system that I am very happy with, all cables plastered into the wall etc etc, But it's a cheap all-in-one system that has the amp built into the sub and so feeds of a DVD player that has a decoder built in !

My question is, I have just bought a new DVD recorder without a built in 5.1 decoder and so just an optical output to a AV amp etc,

Does anyone know if its possible to take the optical feed from the recorder and convert it to 5.1 analogue ?
maybe an unamplified av receiver ?

I assume it needs to be unamplified as my sub is already supplying the power to the speakers ?

Any suggestions ??

Cheers.

[GregE240]

Hasn't your surround system got an optical input on the back of it? Some friends of mine recently bought a Sony version of what you have and theirs came with at least one optical in on the back of it. You just changed the input on the remote to what you wanted to listen to, and hey presto there you go.

Other than that, don't know, sorry. I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one input on the back of it?

[monaco]

No optical input, just one 5.1 analogue ( needs to have been decoded before it gets to the system ) and two stereo inputs.

so need some way of converting the raw optical signal to an unamplified 5.1 analogue signal, e.g. 6 jack plugs.

[Frik]

Are you sure this isn't a co-axial digital input. I can't see how your system would have a single analogue input for 5.1 channels. Or are you saying the amp has 6 separate inputs on the back?

[RobDickinson]

As I understand it his cheap 5.1 sub/sat system is basicaly amps and speakers, no decoder.

And it relys on the DVD player to do all the decoding, i.e. accepts no digital signals.

So to answer the OP, yes you can get an AV amp to do the decoding, so long as it has line outs on all (5.1) channels, which most but not all do.

But thats an ass backwards solution, you'd be far better plugging speakers onto the AV amp, I guess you could use your existing speakers via the AV amp and fudge the sub somehow.

that or buy a dvd player with 5.1 decoding.

[monaco]

Rob

You are correct, my system has no decoder built in, I have a dvd player with a decoder built in that I have been using, but I have now bought a dvd recorder which produces far better pictures on my projector than my old one, but it doesn't have a decoder,

So I need a "stand alone" decoder between my new dvd recorder and my old speaker system.

Do these exist, I assume I don't want any amplification from this as my existing sub is powering everything and don't want to send power to this !

so basically a 5.1 decoder, with optical input and 6 jack plug output for the 5.1 analogue to my speaker system ?

Anyone seen one of these ????

[size13]

Why not replace your speaker system (the amp part) and use your old speakers?

e.g. an AV Receiver

I have one of www.sony.co.uk/ShowProduct.do?site=odw_en_GB&category=HCS+Cinema+Surround+Kit&product=HT-DDW860
you can get the receiver seperately.

>> Edited by size13 on Monday 24th January 16:53

[ErnestM]

Something like this perhaps?

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=136&product=9468

ErnestM

[monaco]

cheers ErnestM

That might just do the job.

Thanks

[_dobbo_]

If you're going to go and spend £100 quid to convert the optical to 5.1, why not spend the same money to buy a proper optical receiver that you can plug your existing speakers into? It's got to be a better solution, unless your existing system is worth £1000s

AV Receiver under £100

[V6GTO]

Last time I read a thread like this it cost me thousands!

Martin.