todd Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I got a home theater system today, but I don't know what I need so I can watch TV in surround sound. I have a few inputs, but none for a cable TV (coax) line. Here are my inputs: Composite, Component, Coax (for FM radio), AM Radio, and Digital In (coax).. It is possible to watch TV in surround sound with such a unit, right? What do I need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2687 Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I think the cable tv signal is only 2 speaker stereo.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 16, 2005 Author Share Posted January 16, 2005 I think the cable tv signal is only 2 speaker stereo.... 585305432[/snapback] Normally that's probably what it is, but sometimes if you catch a movie on HBO or Cinemax, it'll say "Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound" or something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2687 Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 You'll probably have to get a cable box that has 5.1 sound.... Some times the cable signal is the same as digital or hd broadcasts. They just down sample and put it through cable. Alot of channels here now have "Broadcast in HDTV" or whatever but its definitely not HD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Floyd Veteran Posted January 16, 2005 Veteran Share Posted January 16, 2005 use coax digital in it's like a RCA cable but way more expensive and gives you the best audio (same as optical plug) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris003 Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 he is talking about the coax line for analog cable not digital. Analog cable cant decode 5.1 and therefore will not work on a theatre system. You will need to have a digital box and run the digital coax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted January 17, 2005 Veteran Share Posted January 17, 2005 he is talking about the coax line for analog cable not digital. Analog cable cant decode 5.1 and therefore will not work on a theatre system. You will need to have a digital box and run the digital coax. 585305572[/snapback] :yes: You will need a digital cable box, indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 :yes: You will need a digital cable box, indeed. 585305897[/snapback] I have one, but Comcast wants it back :/ I don't have the power cord for it anymore anyway.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Floyd Veteran Posted January 17, 2005 Veteran Share Posted January 17, 2005 my english is too darn bad eh! I thought he had digital cable so I asumed he had dogital box too :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted January 17, 2005 Veteran Share Posted January 17, 2005 I have one, but Comcast wants it back :/I don't have the power cord for it anymore anyway.. 585306406[/snapback] Well only the digital boxes have the chance of having the digital coax out (actually looks like a single RCA connection). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboose447 Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 use coax digital init's like a RCA cable but way more expensive and gives you the best audio (same as optical plug) 585305556[/snapback] Optical is the highest that you can go when it comes to audio connector. It goes like this: Coax, Composite (RCA), Digital Coax, Optical! Add your regular cable does not support 5.1DD or DTS. What you need to do is connect your cable to your TV, and then turn off the TV's speakers, and use the audio output on the back of your TV and connect it to the TV input on your home theater! Then you can get simulated 5.1 (called ProLogic) where the reciever take the stereo signal, and splits it up into what it things is 4.1 (Left, center, right, rear mono, sub). It sounds better than Stereo in that you can hear some things from behind you, but you won't get the full effect unless you can actually decode 5.1. Then it will sound amazing! The only way to beable to decode a show or movie that is being broadcasted in 5.1 or DTS, is to have a digital cable box that supports that feature. If you can, go with Optical audio. It is the clearest, and sharpest audio that a home user can get! And its affordable too. YOu don't need to get the $500 monstor THX cable, thats what we call over kill! If you had a professional setup with 10 channels and 5 subs and a 100' HD projector junda thing, then hell ya! Go for the most expensive stuff 'cause it'll be the best! But in your case, a $30 cable will be fine! I can't wait to get my 7.2 setup (the .1 or .2 is your sub woofer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 Add your regular cable does not support 5.1DD or DTS. What you need to do is connect your cable to your TV, and then turn off the TV's speakers, and use the audio output on the back of your TV and connect it to the TV input on your home theater! 585315431[/snapback] Guess I should've said.. my TV doesn't have audio outputs.. that was the point of creating this thread.. To update you guys, my mom insists that it should just be a connector/converter :rolleyes: .. so we went to Radio Shack, the guy said an RF modulator would work (which obvisouly won't, so I didn't buy it). Went to ABC Warehouse, the guy said a VCR or Digital Cable box (exactly what I expected). I tried a VCR and got the video to work, but nothing happened with the Audio.. I used RCA cables to go from the output of the VCR to the input of the receiver, and had my cable connected to the VCR. So then I tried my old DVD player to see if the sound would at least work, and again, the sound wouldn't work from the RCA jacks.. I tried different wires too.. Still didn't work. So does anyone know what usually has to be done to get sound to come through on the RCA jacks? I'm not talking about for cable, but anything I hook up (dvd player, 2 vcr's), the sound wont come through. I have a Samsung HT-DS610. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 (edited) Forget about that, I got it working with a VCR.. but my next question is this.. is there something out there like a VCR, that doesn't actually play tapes? Because that's really all I need.. a coax to composite converter that allows me to select channels (some sort of box).. Edit: Besides a digital cable box.. because those are expensive because they're for digital cable. Edit 2: OK.. it seems I could pick up an external TV tuner at newegg and convert from vga to composite, and audio out to composite, but it's too expensive and too much hassle.. oh well.. i'll just listen through my tv's speakers.. Edited January 19, 2005 by todd` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Floyd Veteran Posted January 19, 2005 Veteran Share Posted January 19, 2005 you need an external box to convert signal because your TV nor your vcr have converter built in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 you need an external box to convert signal because your TV nor your vcr have converter built in 585323182[/snapback] Thanks, I knew that, but the VCR _did_ work through the surround speakers.. it was still only two channels though :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Optical is the highest that you can go when it comes to audio connector. It goes like this:Coax, Composite (RCA), Digital Coax, Optical! If you can, go with Optical audio. It is the clearest, and sharpest audio that a home user can get! And its affordable too. 585315431[/snapback] I take issue with this proclamation. Digital is digital. 0s and 1s are the same in light and in electric impulse, and they shouldn't even be compared to analog coax and and analog composite. The difference I have actually experienced is changing the sound quality by moving the optical cable. Don't ask me how it works (maybe changing the refraction of the light in the cable, who knows?), but I stay away from optical now. Layer changes and input changes on my receiver also used to interrupt the sound, but I now use D-Coax and have no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snipe Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I was going to say use a VCR, but then I see you have tried that. That is how I hooked up my fiance's speakers in her bedroom. I gave her an old receiver, VCR and a Bose Acoustimass 3 system, which only has 2 cubes and a bass module. I did do something similar before I had digital cable and my HDTV. Like you said, just put the coax in the input of your VCR and use the audio outputs on the VCR to connect to the receiver, then make sure you have your receiver set to Dolby Pro Logic II or perhaps another simulated surround setting - this will force the sound to come out in more than 2 channels. As for any other way of doing this I have no idea. She only uses the VCR to enable the sound to come out the Bose speakers :) It is nothing spectacular, but it is better than using the TV speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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