D

dfc

Audiophyte
Hi all,

I am totally a beginner to A/V set-up so I apologize if this is a stupid question. Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

I have a Sony Bravia 46" (KDL-46SL140) with 4 HDMI inputs going into it (cable box, Roku, PS3, X360) and 2 component inputs (PS2, Wii). I do not have a separate receiver, I just switch between devices using my TV's "favorites" menu. To this point I have been using the TV's built-in sound, which is fairly subpar. I was recommended the Sony HTCT100 soundbar with subwoofer given my budget and room set-up.

My question - reading all of the reviews on Amazon seems to indicate that people plug their devices directly into the sound system via HDMI. Would it be possible to keep my set-up exactly as is (not utilizing the HDMI inputs on the soundbar), and plug the soundbar into my TV's "digital audio out - optical" jack? Would the sound from the currently selected input then route to the sound system? I am told my Bravia model does support internal audio conversion... whatever that means :)

Thanks,
Dave
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Let's start off with what exactly your budget is? :) If the soundbar is powered, then yes you could theoretically use the optical out from the TV, however it depends on what the TV passes to the outboard processor. For Blu-ray from the PS3, you will most certainly lose the latest formats (DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, losless PCM) as they cannot be passed via optical. Then again, the soundbar probably can't process them either.

My recommendation would be to go with a receiver and a 2.0 or 2.1 setup that you can expand on in the future, as that will get you better sound in the long run, though that obviously also depends on the budget.
 
A

alexwakelin

Full Audioholic
Would it be possible to keep my set-up exactly as is (not utilizing the HDMI inputs on the soundbar), and plug the soundbar into my TV's "digital audio out - optical" jack? Would the sound from the currently selected input then route to the sound system? I am told my Bravia model does support internal audio conversion... whatever that means :)

Thanks,
Dave
If your TV does not support internal audio conversion, then any HDMI sources plugged into it would not be passed out of the digital audio output. You would need to plug them directly into the soundbar, if it supports that, or purchase a receiver, which would decode the HDMI audio and pass that to the soundbar, and the video to your TV.

A good receiver choice would be the Yamaha RX-V465.

Also, I second the 2.0 or 2.1 setup. I have not seen many good reviews of soundbars. The ones that do get favorable reviews cost as much as a good 2.0 or 2.1 setup, which would outperform the soundbar for the same money. If you find yourself craving better sound than you get from your TV speakers, it pays off in the long run to do it right the first time, rather then buy something you will end up replacing.
 
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