Digital audio question??

[srichardson]

I recently purchased a plasma TV (Panasonic TH-50HD7UY) and Yamaha RX-V1500 receiver. I notice the plasma TV does not have any digital audio inputs for toslink or digital coxial, but just some RCA jacks. I plan on hooking up my DVD and HDTV cable box with digital coxial to the receiver, but will I still get digital audio if I hook into the TV with RCA jacks. Does it really make a difference? Looking for some advice.

 

[JohnA]

Nope...you need to use the digital connections, analog connections will only give you stereo.

 

[j_garcia]

Digital audio connections are generally present when you have multichannel audio capabilities, which most TVs do not (yes there are a few). TVs are generally stereo only, so they only have stereo inputs, and yes you will have to also connect the stereo analog RCA connections if you want to have sound without the receiver turned on. Digital audio will still work to the receiver also, though with both on, you will get sound from both the TV and receiver.

What about HDMI? If that receiver can do switching and your DVD and HD box both have HDMI (or your receiver does upconversion), you could connect both to the receiver and use a single HDMI connection from your receiver to TV.

 

[srichardson]

None of my components have HDMI. What is "upconversion"? Also, do you have any audio/video cable recommendations. Thanks for your assistance. This audio/video stuff is all pretty new to me.

 

[Mort Corey]

If you're running a digital coax cable from your cable box to the receiver you'll get 5.1 digital sound (when the program is available) through the receiver. Your display doesn't have speakers anyway does it?

Mort

 

[j_garcia]

A number of recent installs, I've noticed that the LCDs and plasmas are not coming with speakers. The particular model listed though does say it includes speakers.

Upconversion means that the receiver has the ability to take the lower connection types and "upconvert" them and output them via an HDMI connection. The signal isn't improved, but you only need one connection to the display from the receiver. This is particularly handy when the display does not have it's own speakers (and/or you have more than one HDMI device). Your receiver is fairly new, though I am not familiar with it, so you might check to see if it will upconvert via component video then, and you will be in business; however you will still need an audio connection to both the receiver (digital) and TV (stereo analog).

My dad's LCD has an optical connection and a basic processor for DD/DTS and amps/outputs for small satellite speakers. For a small room and easy to drive satellite speakers, it's a nice feature because you wouldn't need a receiver at all.

 

[Mort Corey]

Not trying to argue with you JG, but IIRC the 7UY is the commercial display that comes sans speakers, stands and basic inputs....could be wrong. Anyway, the only reason you'd want audio going to the display (assuming it has speakers) would to be able to watch TV without firing up the receiver.

Mort