Advice for Hooking up new TV to older receiver

[db1977]

I have a new Vizio TV and a very old NAD T763 receiver. The NAD does not have HDMI inputs only RCA. The TV and speakers are in the living room and the receiver is in the pantry next to the living room as to be out of sight. I have two HDMI cables running from room to room and cannot run any new cables between them. Is there any way I can use the HDMI cables plugged into the back of the TV to provide audio to the receiver when watching streaming movies through the internet apps on the TV?

 

[Eppie]

TVs typically receive audio / video through HDMI and can output audio over HDMI if the TV has an HDMI ARC or eARC connection. Most TVs also have an optical audio out. You need to convert the digital audio out with either an HDMI to analogue or optical (Tos-link) to analogue converter. The HDMI converter must support ARC. These are not too expensive and can be found on Amazon and other sites.

 

[db1977]

I have seen a bunch of the HDMI to RCA converters on Amazon. Would one of those work? My TV does have HDMI ARC.

 

[Eppie]

I have seen a bunch of the HDMI to RCA converters on Amazon. Would one of those work? My TV does have HDMI ARC.

Yes, as long as it says that the HDMI connection supports ARC because the TV needs to see an ARC connection to output audio over HDMI. Optical converters work too.

 

[Verdinut]

IMO, Your best bet is just to use an optical (toslink) cable from your TV to the optical input on your receiver. I strongly doubt that eARC will work with an older recever, it often doesn't even work with a new receiver.

 

[db1977]

My TV has arc not earc and I cannot run any new cables as I explained in my original post.

I found this product below on Amazon and not sure if it would work:

https://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital-Extractor-Converter-Support/dp/B00YHS5E6Q/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3H3J5ZSNK9OSA&keywords=B00YHS5E6Q&qid=1640485409&s=electronics&sprefix=b00yhs5e6q%2Celectronics%2C176&sr=1-4

 

[Verdinut]

My TV has earc not arc and I cannot run any new cables as I explained in my original post.

I found this product below on Amazon and not sure if it would work:

https://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital-Extractor-Converter-Support/dp/B00YHS5E6Q/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3H3J5ZSNK9OSA&keywords=B00YHS5E6Q&qid=1640485409&s=electronics&sprefix=b00yhs5e6q%2Celectronics%2C176&sr=1-4

I had forgotten that the NAD receiver had no HDMI at the time.

Do you have the Red, Blue & Green (Component) outputs on your TV? If so, you can use three RCA cables to the T763 but you would also need either an additional digital audio out (toslink) or two RCA cable outs to the receiver for the audio.

 

[db1977]

I had forgotten that the NAD receiver had no HDMI at the time.

Do you have the Red, Blue & Green (Component) outputs on your TV? If so, you can use three RCA cables to the T763 but you would also need an additional digital audio out (toslink) or stereo RCA outs to the receiver for the audio.

I don't have component outputs on the TV. I just have optical, HDMI arc and RCA . The point is I cannot plug anything other than the existing HDMI cable in on the TV side and on the receiver side I have no HDMI ports on my receiver so I need to convert that end of the HDMI into something my receiver can use for audio.

 

[Eppie]

My TV has arc not earc and I cannot run any new cables as I explained in my original post.

I found this product below on Amazon and not sure if it would work:

https://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital-Extractor-Converter-Support/dp/B00YHS5E6Q/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3H3J5ZSNK9OSA&keywords=B00YHS5E6Q&qid=1640485409&s=electronics&sprefix=b00yhs5e6q%2Celectronics%2C176&sr=1-4

It's a bit confusing in the description. Says it does HDMI to optical or RCA, and HDMI-ARC to optical but does not mention HDMI-ARC to RCA. But is also says that both the HDMI and RCA/optical outputs are active. HDMI can be troublesome sometimes so an optical to RCA converter might be more reliable, assuming the TV has optical out. At only $30 might be worth a try if you can return it.

 

[db1977]

The HDMI cables I ran a long time ago and are only HDMI 1.3. Will they support ARC?

 

[db1977]

I forgot I have a pair of RG6 coax cables at both ends too and the RG6 coax at the receiver side currently has coax to rca adapters. Could I simply buy another pair of these adapters, attach them to the coax cables at the TV side and plug them into my TV's audio out RCA ports?

 

[Verdinut]

I don't have component outputs on the TV. I just have optical, HDMI arc and RCA . The point is I cannot plug anything other than the existing HDMI cable in on the TV side and on the receiver side I have no HDMI ports on my receiver so I need to convert that end of the HDMI into something my receiver can use for audio.

What is the RCA output on your TV? That must be a coaxial out for audio.

It also might be easier to help you if you provided the model of your TV set. But it looks like you might have to get a more recent AVR with HDMI inputs to get them to work together.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Your audio output will be limited to whatever the TV is capable of supporting on the audio output side of things. Since your AVR can't support Atmos or the newest surround formats, which eARC can deliver, you will be limited to more standard audio surround formats.

I would NOT try to convert this all to analog audio.

I would instead send the audio out of the TV using the optical audio output on the TV and if you don't have a optical audio connection, then use a toslink (opitical) to S/PDIF (coaxial) converter which can let you send digital surround sound over your coaxial cable easily.

https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Converter-Bi-Directional-Repeater-ROOFULL/dp/B01N32C5GT/ref=sr_1_1_sspa

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd definitely just use an optical cable in this instance; perhaps I'm missing perhaps why an optical cable (or coax for that matter) can't be run from tv to avr, the avr can handle both types of inputs....why is a converter needed?

 

[Verdinut]

I'd definitely just use an optical cable in this instance; perhaps I'm missing perhaps why an optical cable (or coax for that matter) can't be run from tv to avr, the avr can handle both types of inputs....why is a converter needed?

What about video? The NAD receiver has no HDMI inputs and the TV has no component outputs. The OP would need a newer AVR.

 

[BMXTRIX]

....why is a converter needed?

I am just assuming that the OP can't easily run a new optical audio cable, or that it is difficult to do so based upon their earlier response that they have certain cables in place already and would go so far as to use analog audio connections. So, with coaxial cables (RCA) in place, they can use the optical audio output, use a converter to get it to coaxial, then just plug the RCA into the digital coax connection, and plug into a digital coax. RCA connection on the NAD for proper digital surround sound.

That may be easier than running the currently non-existent digital optical audio cable.

But, yes, if easy enough to put in place a digital optical audio cable, then that is the preferred option.

 

[thisisfutile]

Forum n00b here with a question concerning the Optical to RCA converter mentioned multiple times in this thread. I need one (TV out is optical and plan to buy a cheap amp and they all seem to only have RCA in). My question is, do they affect audio/video sync? Meaning, will my video be ahead of the sound?

 

[Eppie]

Forum n00b here with a question concerning the Optical to RCA converter mentioned multiple times in this thread. I need one (TV out is optical and plan to buy a cheap amp and they all seem to only have RCA in). My question is, do they affect audio/video sync? Meaning, will my video be ahead of the sound?

In general these are pretty simple devices that do not introduce significant delay.

 

[Verdinut]

I don't have component outputs on the TV. I just have optical, HDMI arc and RCA . The point is I cannot plug anything other than the existing HDMI cable in on the TV side and on the receiver side I have no HDMI ports on my receiver so I need to convert that end of the HDMI into something my receiver can use for audio.

Your TV has an optical output and your T763 has 2 optical inputs. Where is the problem?

 

[Eppie]

Your TV has an optical output and your T763 has 2 optical inputs. Where is the problem?

I think the issue was/is that the op has the receiver in a different room and he is making due with the existing cable runs. He can use the existing coax/ RCA cables but would have to run new cables for HDMI or optical connections. Hence the need for an adapter to convert the audio to analogue.