Simple Sound Bar Question

[cctaylor88]

I want to purchase a very basic sound bar for my TV setup. Basically...I use my TV to obviously watch cable TV but also to watch movies from my computer (TV is connect to computer via hdmi).

So my question is...I would like to use the sound offered by the sound bar for both TV (watching cable, dvr, etc) as well as for sound when watching movies (the TV "mirrors" my computer monitor). So is it simple to use the soundbar for multiple devices...I don't want to have to switch cables etc if Im watching TV and then want to switch to a different input on the TV in order to stream movies.

Thanks

Side note: My TV only offers optical for sound...no analog

 

[markw]

If your TV passes audio from external sources through it's digtal output, your sound bar will play it. It may not be 5.1, but it should play it.

Assuming, of course, that your TV passes audio from external sources through it's digtal output

 

[ahblaza]

If your TV passes audio from external sources through it's digtal output, your sound bar will play it. It may not be 5.1, but it should play it.

Assuming, of course, that your TV passes audio from external sources through it's digtal output

I believe that most TVs will pass audio from extenal sources through digital out, I have an older Panny (4 yrs.) and it does but only stereo 2.0

 

[bikemig]

Some soundbars have multiple inputs so you could connect the audio directly from the computer to the audio and pass the video to the TV. I actually do that with my AV receiver and HTPC.

With soundbars, the TV does some of the work of an av receiver. The sound that would have gone to the TV speakers is passed out digitally to the speakers.

You will want a soundbar that has digital inputs which I suspect most do at this point but I would double check.

 

[markw]

I believe that most TVs will pass audio from extenal sources through digital out, I have an older Panny (4 yrs.) and it does but only stereo 2.0

I tend to agree, but whenever I make assumptions, someone always points out the exception to the rule, and I have no idea what he has. You know how it is.

Ergo, the qualifier. It never hurts to check, though.

 

[ahblaza]

I tend to agree, but whenever I make assumptions, someone always points out the exception to the rule, and I have no idea what he has. You know how it is.

Ergo, the qualifier. It never hurts to check, though.

I hear you, my statement was rather broad, I do know how it is, I've encountered the exception to the rule..

 

[birddog99]

LG Tech's insist nothings wrong with their digital output

Problem : LG 47LM6700 TV's optical output won't pass the 5.1 audio signal to my home theater system.The TV's tuner does fine and passes the 5.1 signal out, but when using the HDMI input from the sat box(Dish Hopper)the 5.1 signal is transformed to 2 channel stereo and is sent to my Home Theater sytem. The LG tech insists that if the HDMI input is receiving a 5.1 signal then it should not change it to 2 channel, but deliver the 5.1 signal thru the optical output with no problem. All settings are correct per LG tech assist and my home theater should show that it's a 5.1 signal.But its not. Only 2 channel. One possible solution per LG tech assist would be to use a higher speed HDMI cable. Dish assures me that the HDMI cable they provided is adequate. Any help here would surely be welcome! My home theater system does not have any HDMI output and I'm simply running the sound in thru an optical cable into my home theater system(Sony).Doing it that way assures me of a 5.1 signal going into the receiver, but I'd like to use the TV's optical out in order to resolve an irritating AV Synch issue.

 

[Adam]

Problem : LG 47LM6700 TV's optical output won't pass the 5.1 audio signal to my home theater system.The TV's tuner does fine and passes the 5.1 signal out, but when using the HDMI input from the sat box(Dish Hopper)the 5.1 signal is transformed to 2 channel stereo and is sent to my Home Theater sytem. The LG tech insists that if the HDMI input is receiving a 5.1 signal then it should not change it to 2 channel, but deliver the 5.1 signal thru the optical output with no problem. All settings are correct per LG tech assist and my home theater should show that it's a 5.1 signal.But its not. Only 2 channel. One possible solution per LG tech assist would be to use a higher speed HDMI cable. Dish assures me that the HDMI cable they provided is adequate. Any help here would surely be welcome! My home theater system does not have any HDMI output and I'm simply running the sound in thru an optical cable into my home theater system(Sony).Doing it that way assures me of a 5.1 signal going into the receiver, but I'd like to use the TV's optical out in order to resolve an irritating AV Synch issue.

Welcome to the forum!

From what I've read, that LG will pass 5.1 audio from an HDMI input through the optical output. However, it appears that you need to go into the service menu to enable that. I haven't found a simple step-by-step yet in my quick searching, so I suggest that you look online and see if you can find it - if you can't, just come back and we'll help you.

EDIT: Okay. Try going to this thread at AVS. Post 948 looks like it has good info, but some others might, too. Also, here is a link to service menu codes for different types of remotes.

 

[birddog99]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[swincup]

HK AVR 1700 and SB16

All,
It sounds like you all have experience here, which I could really use!

I purchased the Harmon Kardon AVR 1700 5.1 Receiver and the HK SB16 Soundbar, never thinking that the two would not match! My intention was to connect the speaker to run through the Receiver since it has 6 HDMI ports to manage the TV and other devices.

I can't figure out how to connect the SB16 soundbar to the receiver? There are the 5.1 speaker wire connectors, but no basic red/white or Digital Out ports on the Receiver.

Was I mistaken in thinking that the Soundbar needs to run through the Receiver?

Thanks for your help!

 

[markw]

You might want to try the "Rec Out" jacks for an analog output to your sound bar.

I'm not sure it'll work for all sources but, keep in mind, sound bars are not designed to replace a full-blown speaker system for use with a receiver.

Sound bars are designed to work with TV's, not as speakers for receivers. They are designed to improve the sound of built-in TV speakers by providing additional amplification and better speakers.

If you're gonna be using the receiver, you would be better off simply getting speakers and using the receiver's internal decoding/amplification.

You might, however,connect all your sources to the receiver and connect the receiver's output to the TV. Then, you could connect the sound bar to the TV. That's what it was made for. This will provide the same functionality you want, but that receiver will be functioning as one very expensive switch, nothing more.

 

[swincup]

Thanks!

Thanks MarkW,
I think that's what I need to do. I am going to return it and get a 5.1 speaker set for the receiver. My TV does not have an audio out port that I can get to, so I think it's the Soundbar that gets eliminated in this equation.
Thanks for your help!
- Steve W.

 

[birddog99]

Welcome to the forum!

From what I've read, that LG will pass 5.1 audio from an HDMI input through the optical output. However, it appears that you need to go into the service menu to enable that. I haven't found a simple step-by-step yet in my quick searching, so I suggest that you look online and see if you can find it - if you can't, just come back and we'll help you.

EDIT: Okay. Try going to this thread at AVS. Post 948 looks like it has good info, but some others might, too. Also, here is a link to service menu codes for different types of remotes.

Ok, post 948 was absolutley helpful. aside from a few differences in the menu display, it worked. Let me rant just a little. Why in the world would LG want set up their TV like that. In my opinion DD5.1 is the sound standard for any type HD/Home Theater set up and for a TV manufactoror to send out a unit, or any unit for that matter, and put the owner in a position to have to do the things I had to do just to apply a very simple config change is totally rediculous. I read in the other thread that helped me through the set up that it was some sort of copyright issue. Other than that I can't for the life of me figure out why LG would send out the TV in that configuration. I would challenge any LG engineer out there that might be reading this to answer that question. Ok, rant over. Let me thank the one's who responded to my post and helped me get through it. This forum rocks!