Does Optical Digital Audio Input = Toslink?

[Thom Kent]

I have a Zenith XBS344 DVD/VCR Receiver Home Theater that I purchased 4 to 5 years ago. I plan on buying a Westinghouse LTV-40w1 HDC LCD TV/DVD Combo. The only way to configure the audio output of the Westinghouse to 5.1 is to use the SPDIF RCA Coaxial jack. The Zenith has an Optical Digital Audio Input that appears to be a Toslink jack. Zenith Tech Support says that it is NOT a Toslink connection. I realize that I would have to purchase a Coaxial to Toslink Converter (plus compatiable cables). My concern is what is the difference between a Optical Digital Audio Input and a Toslink Input?

 

[j_garcia]

There is no difference between them, just two different methods for transmitting the same signal. You usually won't find optical on a non-recording source device unless it is an output I would imagine, so I can't see why tech support would say otherwise unless they had no idea what they were talking about.

 

[Thom Kent]

So is http://siig.com:80/product.asp?query=coaxial+to+toslink&pid=568 all I would need (besides the cables of course)?

 

[j_garcia]

Yes, looks like that guy should do the job.

 

[MDS]

I agree that the converter linked should do the job but here is the reason that salesman are often confused:

S/PDIF is the communication protocol for sending digital audio between devices. BOTH optical and coaxial digital connections use S/PDIF.

Coax digital audio connections were the first type of connection available. The S/PDIF spec also defines the electrical characteristics required for sending data over a coaxial cable with RCA connectors. This is why you often see coax connections specified as S/PDIF.

Toslink is actually the name of the little connector used on optical cables (it stands for 'Toshiba Link'). Naturally there are requirements for how the optical interface must work (just like the electrical characteristics for coax) and they are part of the Toslink spec. Therefore 'Toslink' is often used to describe an optical digital audio connection.

So long story short, many refer to coax connections as S/PDIF and optical connections as Toslink when in reality BOTH use S/PDIF but the connectors are different and the means of signalling are different.

The converter is going to take the voltage pulses that represents the ones and zeros of the bitstream (in s/pdif format) and retransmit them as pulses of light.

 

[j_garcia]

Yep, coaxial was around a lot longer than optical, but at the same time since optical has already been around for a number of years itself, I would expect someone in product tech support to know this. I've only ever seen one TV that had an optical input, my dad's, a Samsung LCD that has built in amps with outputs for some small satellite speakers and decoding for DD/dts so that you don't need a receiver with it.

 

[Leprkon]

I agree that the converter linked should do the job but here is the reason that salesman are often confused:

Toslink is actually the name of the little connector used on optical cables (it stands for 'Toshiba Link'). Naturally there are requirements for how the optical interface must work (just like the electrical characteristics for coax) and they are part of the Toslink spec. Therefore 'Toslink' is often used to describe an optical digital audio connection.

some optical cables come with a Toslink to mini optical conveter. is it possible the OP has a mini optical (which theoretically isn't Toslink but works, anyway) ?

 

[j_garcia]

Mini optical is still S/PDIF, so even though it is a different connector, it still falls under the blanket of optical cables and the situation would still be the same IMO.

 

[Leprkon]

but a "tech support" guy might look at the book, not specifically see "Toslink" and say "it ain't Toslink" ?

 

[iGirl]

SPDIF - Toslink

More info on these two formats here -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPDIF

 

[j_garcia]

but a "tech support" guy might look at the book, not specifically see "Toslink" and say "it ain't Toslink" ?

Very true.