5.1 surround sound setup multiple devices

[Dark79]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if anyone can give me any info with regards to setting up a 5.1 system with multiple devices.

I have a 5.1 surround system with x1 optical input, i wish to have skyHD box, Xbox 360 and Bluray player going through the 5.1 system. I'm thinking as all these devices will be connected to my samsung 3D tv via HDMI to just have an optical going from the tv to the surround system and set the TV to 5.1 output. How should the Sky, xbox and bluray player audio output be setup ? will it just be stereo via HDMI if you like and the TV will then output to 5.1 or do the devices need to be set at 5.1 output and the TV will just relay this ?

Any info or help on this will be appreciated

Thanks

 

[steaky360]

I'd guess each device would have to output to 5.1 audio to the TV and then the TV would need to relay that (via the optical cable) to the surround sound system.

Not sure if this will affect you much but I've found certain 5.1 signals don't output through an optical cable (DTS I believe is one I'm referring to) you'd need to connect through a HDMI cable from your TV to your sound system (if you can). This might not actually affect you though, so I wouldn't worry about it if you can only use the optical.

 

[Dark79]

Ok cool, thanks for coming back, this is just something i've alway wondered, I guess it will be a case of trial and error but I will go for the devices set to 5.1 output first... +1 rep for giving me some focus

 

[steaky360]

You'll definitely want your devices to output 5.1 otherwise the TV won't get the 5.1 signal to send to your surround sound

Cheers for the rep

 

[tom_gr7]

hmm, that might be quite awkward, as each device would want to go directly via spdif to the speaker system.

yeah like steaky says you could do it via the tv then to the sound system. Not sure if you would get the same quality that way though?

 

[Dark79]

Yeah i was wondering on the quality of the audio, I guess it just depends on how good the 5.1 amplifier/output is on the tv, i'll have a play around, another alternative would be to get an Optical 2 or 3 way splitter or just keep swapping the cable allowing each device to have a direct link to the Surround system...which i cant be bothered with the latter...

 

[Bsrz]

couldn't quite understand what you are connecting up - do you have an av receiver? if so surely you would connect your sky Xbox ps3 what ever to the av receiver and then output it to the tv via optical - so you would have

xbox -
sky - av reciver - television
ps3 -

and speakers obviously connect to the av reciver as well - so no matter what device you are using you should be able to select the device to output sound to.

or you could connect all three devices to your tv via hdmi then run an optical cable from your tv straight to your home theater system / av receiver - so no matter what device you are using sound will be outputted through the tv into the av receiver and through the speakers connected to the receiver / home theater system.

so it would go like this

xbox
sky - via hdmi- television - via optical - av receiver hooked up the your sub-woofer / speakers - via speaker wire or what not.
ps3

hope this helped in someway trying to do 5 things at once while typing this so don't judge spelling

 

[tom_gr7]

yeah I was going to say a splitter of some sort. If there is any?

Tough one really, I assume there is a way to do it somehow.

 

[steaky360]

There are spdif splitters available http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Signal-Toslink-Optical-Switch/dp/B007P2K2IQ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1382977451&sr=8-9&keywords=3+to+1+optical [for example]

However the best solution depends on the AV equipment the OP has.

If there is just a 5.1 speaker set with an optical in, then the best options are either to use the splitter or connect through the TV (as already suggested)

As bsrz suggested if the op has an AV unit (some have HDMI's in or multiple 'inputs') then connecting the devices straight into the AV unit is the best option.

 

[Dark79]

I've got a panasonic dvd player which acts as the 5.1 surround amplifier i guess, which only has x1 optical input, so the sky box, xbox 360 and bluray player will be connected to x3 separate HDMI ports, and the TV will output these to the surround system. So with this setup does it not matter what output audio settings are on the individual devices as the TV will be supplying the 5.1 if you like ?

 

[Bsrz]

I've got a Panasonic dvd player which acts as the 5.1 surround amplifier i guess, which only has x1 optical input, so the sky box, xbox 360 and bluray player will be connected to x3 separate HDMI ports, and the TV will output these to the surround system. So with this setup does it not matter what output audio settings are on the individual devices as the TV will be supplying the 5.1 if you like ?

if you are outputting the sound from the tv how the other devices are connected / settings used should not matter provided the connection can supply audio to the tv - as the source of the output will be solely the tv outputting to the audio to the system. the thing that would matter in this instance would be what type of connection you use from the tv and the settings on your audio system - optical is normal recommended.

so in short

xbox / sky - any connection that will relay sound and image EG - hdmi - television - single optical cable is needed - Panasonic system.

this will mean no matter what your doing on your tv all sound will be outputted through the Panasonic system.
any sound enhancements / mute sound, lower volume up down etc will be done through the Panasonic sound system.

 

[steaky360]

I've got a panasonic dvd player which acts as the 5.1 surround amplifier i guess, which only has x1 optical input, so the sky box, xbox 360 and bluray player will be connected to x3 separate HDMI ports, and the TV will output these to the surround system. So with this setup does it not matter what output audio settings are on the individual devices as the TV will be supplying the 5.1 if you like ?

No the TV will not supply the 5.1 if it doesn't get a 5.1 signal input. The TV won't know which channel to send the sound to (I imagine) unless it gets the original feed as 5.1.

I'd ensure all the connected devices are outputting their sound as 5.1