Thread: Surround Sound Forgotten?

Hi,

So I've got this brand new HD 52" Sony Bravia and a brand new Sony Blu-Ray player and a brand new HD receiver from D*TV...


...and can't figure out how to hook up surround sound to it. The choice of audio outputs include the hdmi cable or (R) & (L) RCA jacks. The end. No other choice.


What gives? Can anybody advise me on this?

Most likely, the Sony Bravia is not surround, but is stereo only. You would connect with HDMI from the DTV receiver and the BluRay player for the cleanest connections.

The Sony may have an "ambience" mode that gives some feeling of depth, but it is not true surround. To make that work, you need to add either a home theater in a box or a surround receiver and speakers. There is a fair amount of discussion on this topic in the home theater forum (receivers and speakers)

Personally, I route HDMI through my receiver which then decodes the audio. I do all video and audio switching through the receiver.

Older receivers likely have an optical digital input (TOSLINK) and you should also have this connection on the BluRay and DTV receiver. You can route these in to a receiver as well to decode Dolby Digital surround signals.

Do you have an A/V receiver?

I don't understand why you would run "surround sound" through a TV in the first place. To me, "surround sound" goes to a processor/reciever. TV speakers suck and can never measure up to a proper system.

Originally Posted by chadzx11

I don't understand why you would run "surround sound" through a TV in the first place. To me, "surround sound" goes to a processor/reciever. TV speakers suck and can never measure up to a proper system.

give him a break Not everyone is tech savy. Lets try to help our new member out.

Originally Posted by jayn_j

Personally, I route HDMI through my receiver which then decodes the audio. I do all video and audio switching through the receiver.

Older receivers likely have an optical digital input (TOSLINK) and you should also have this connection on the BluRay and DTV receiver. You can route these in to a receiver as well to decode Dolby Digital surround signals.

You're correct. Thank You. However, until the next post by KevinW, I only knew of one receiver, which D*TV provides to "receive" and convert satellite signal to TV signal.

Originally Posted by Kevinw

Do you have an A/V receiver?

As a matter of fact, No, and didn't know there was such a thing. I've now searched and viewed a number of these online. Just my opinion but the function of this A/V receiver should have been part of some of the other stuff I already bought. I feel gigged again by the electronics mfrs. Another part I didn't know I needed. Thank you so much for seeing my ignorance and asking the question that may have not been so obvious to some.

Originally Posted by chadzx11

I don't understand why you would run "surround sound" through a TV in the first place. To me, "surround sound" goes to a processor/reciever. TV speakers suck and can never measure up to a proper system.

Well, I wouldn't, and don't know where you got that idea. Even so, I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Thanks All.

Well lets get you on the right track. Depending upon budget you can get anything from a Home theater in a box (HTIB) which includes a audio receiver, what we use to call a stereo, 5/7 speakers and a subwoofer to a seperate system bought in pieces. So let us know your budget.


Beginners guide to home theater receivers - by Erik Van Tongerloo - Helium

Search amazon for a lot of information. I will say, stay away from Bose all in one systems, Sony Dream machines or any HTIB that is all in one.
If you need cables go to
HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

As you have questions come back and ask for recommendations and suggestions

Hi Brokenarrow. I apologize for not being clear on receiver. I sometimes forget that the terms can be confused. I was trying to be gentle, and apologize for some of the others' responses. We try to be more supportive to people trying to understand this stuff. It isn't trivial. Oh, and thanks to Kevin for clarifying.

There is a recent innovation you might want to consider as well. They have recently introduced something called a soundbar. It is a single long and skinny unit designed to be mounted below your flat panel TV. It provides a "kind of" surround effect by bouncing the surround signals off the side walls of the room. It is not true surround, but it is a lot better than your TV speakers. The main advantage is that connections are very simple. You just plug the HDMI from your DTV receiver and BD player into the inputs, and the HDMI output into your TV and you are set to go.

If you decide to go the full receiver route, I would suggest going with an A/V receiver and a matched speaker set, rather than the HTIB route. I have purchased several HTIB sets in years past, and I find that they go obsolete quickly. In addition, they never have enough input connections to handle the next new thing. Take a look at the threads here. There is a wide range of solutions for both receivers and speaker sets. Members here tend to like the Onkyo 60X and 80X series, and the Denon mid range receivers. A lot of members initially buy Polk speaker sets, but Infinity and Klipsch are also well regarded. You will eventually want to add a subwoofer, but that can wait at first. Take a look around this forum for discussions on a lot of this equipment. You can also go over to
AVForums.com Home

and head over to their audio electronics area. This forum is more complete, but at times it is not for the faint of heart. People tend to have strong opinions and can be vicious defending them.

If you do decide to go the HTIB route, there are still a few things to consider. First, be wary of wireless surround speakers. It seems like a good idea, being able to eliminate the speaker wires, but a number of these units have had trouble with reliability of the wireless connection. If you are considering this sort of unit, be sure to read the reviews for the unit on Amazon. Look for a HTIB that doesn't incorporate a DVD or BluRay player. The technology is still rapidly changing, and any unit that is built in will soon be obsolete. Another issue is that you would eventually want to replace the speakers in a HTIB setup as they generally aren't very good. Often the receiver in a HTIB setup doesn't have the power to drive real speakers.

However, a HTIB will provide true surround and is a simple one stop solution. If you are the sort who buys something and doesn't need the latest and greatest, this can be a good solution. One further advantage is that speakers in HTIB setups tend to be small, so they integrate well with rooms. Most HTIB setups also come with the subwoofer.

Good luck with this. Feel free to ask on anything we can help with, and be sure to let us know what you decide.