Need help with a Coby DVD-937 5.1 Home Theater and TV audio

[HerickSG]

Hello everyone,


I have a Coby DVD-937 5.1 Home Theater System that I recently decided to test with my Samsung UN48JU6000G TV.


My goal is to have the TV audio play through all five speakers and the subwoofer.

Here is what I have already tried:

• Connected the TV to the DVD system using an optical (TOSLINK) cable.
• Connected the TV's headphone jack to the AUX/LINE input using a 3.5 mm to RCA adapter.
• Changed the TV audio settings (PCM and Auto, when available).

I was able to get the TV audio working through the AUX input using the 3.5 mm to RCA adapter. The front left and right speakers work correctly, and the subwoofer also produces sound. However, I only get stereo audio, and the center and surround speakers do not output true 5.1 surround sound.

The system also works perfectly when playing DVDs. All five speakers and the subwoofer work correctly, so I know the speakers and amplifier are not the problem.

My questions are:

1. Is the Coby DVD-937 only capable of producing true 5.1 surround sound when playing DVDs internally?
2. Can it decode Dolby Digital or DTS from an external source such as a TV?
3. Is there any connection or setting that would allow real 5.1 surround sound from the TV?

I have attached photos of the front and rear panels of the unit so you can see all the available connections.


I would really appreciate any information from someone who owns this system or has experience with it.


Thank you!

 

[j_garcia]

Check your TV's audio output settings via digital. Optical supports 5.1, but the TV has to have the ability to output it also. If you can "force" it to output only Dolby or DTS, it should work. PCM can work also, but that is signal dependent - if the signal is stereo, that's what it will output.

3.5mm to RCA will produce stereo only.

 

[HerickSG]

I already tried changing my TV's optical audio output settings between PCM and Dolby Digital, but I couldn't get any sound from the optical connection. My main question is whether the Coby DVD-937 is actually capable of decoding Dolby Digital or DTS from its optical input, or if it only supports true 5.1 when playing DVDs internally.

 

[lovinthehd]

I see this in your tv's manual:

"Connection notes for audio devices ● For better audio quality, it is a good idea to use an AV receiver. ● Connecting a device using an optical cable does not automatically turn off the TV speakers. To turn off the TV's speakers, set Speaker Select ((MENU/123) MENU Sound Speaker Settings Speaker Select) to something other than TV Speaker. ● An unusual noise coming from the audio device while you are using it may indicate a problem with the audio device itself. If this occurs, ask for assistance from the audio device's manufacturer. ● Digital audio is only available with 5.1-channel broadcasts. ● Only use headphones with a 3-conductor TRS type jack. ● The headphone volume and the TV volume are adjusted independently of each other. ● While the headphone is connected, the TV speakers are muted and certain Sound options are deactivated. "

Curious if your tv speakers worked when you tried optical? I didn't see a mention of what audio was possible generally using an optical connection.

I suspect you just don't get multich output from the tv except for digital OTA broadcasts, tho....is that a source you use/test with?

 

[HerickSG]

Thanks for the suggestion.

When I selected the TV speakers, the sound came from the TV normally.

When I changed the audio output to Optical, there was no sound at all—neither from the TV speakers nor from the Coby DVD-937.

I also tested over-the-air digital TV channels after scanning with an antenna, and I tried both PCM and Dolby Digital in the TV settings, but there was still no sound through the optical connection.

 

[lovinthehd]

Did you try turning tv speakers off particularly?

 

[HerickSG]

Yeah, I did. The manual for this device is very poorly written. It doesn't even specify whether the optical port is an input or an output. At this point, I'm starting to think it's actually just an output.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, I did. The manual for this device is very poorly written. It doesn't even specify whether the optical port is an input or an output. At this point, I'm starting to think it's actually just an output.

I glanced at the Coby manual's connection diagram but it was loaded sideways so was of limited use. I did see several references to optical output, tho and seemed to indicate they'd at least carry over the multich codec and would need decoding. These 5.1 systems like the Coby are very limited, tho.