TV won't pass multi-channel via optical out. Options?

T

Thinkly

Audiophyte
Greetings. I have a 2007 Panasonic TH-50PX75U TV that I am trying to use the optical out on to pass Dolby 5.1 to my Pioneer VSX-522 receiver. I can only get 2 channel to pass through it which I have read I might be stuck with? I have a cable box and a ROKU box connected HDMI to the TV and again optical out of TV to the optical in on receiver.

I know the other option is to connect HDMI out of both cable box and ROKU directly to HDMI inputs on receiver and then HDMI out to TV. However I am confused. My understanding is that I need a TV equipped with HDMI ARC which I don't have, in order to do this. Is this correct?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
HDMI ARC only would pass back to the receiver audio generated in the tv if you had ARC and properly connect your sources to your avr....do you use the tv to source audio (aside from external sources you now have plugged into the tv)? There were quite a few tvs that only passed out 2.0 for even its onboard apps let alone other sources plugged in....
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Your devices should go to the receiver first then to the TV, not the other way around. Arc isn't necessary for your scenario, however if your receiver doesn't have HT bypass, you will have to have the receiver on all the time to use the TV.

Most TVs I've seen won't pass multichannel audio out via optical, only HDMI and that would require ARC.
 
T

Thinkly

Audiophyte
HDMI ARC only would pass back to the receiver audio generated in the tv if you had ARC and properly connect your sources to your avr....do you use the tv to source audio (aside from external sources you now have plugged into the tv)? There were quite a few tvs that only passed out 2.0 for even its onboard apps let alone other sources plugged in....
The only reason I am using the TV to source audio is that I want know of no other way to get 5.1 (what I am attempting) from the ROKU to the receiver. I am fine with running the cable box and the ROKU directly to the receiver first using HDMI and then using HDMI out to the TV. I was just under the impression that wouldn't work without HDMI ARC.

Are you guys saying that even without ARC I should be able to have 5.1 just by connecting the HDMI cables from the source device (ROKU) directly to the receiver and selecting the proper input? No coaxial or optical cable required?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
The only reason I am using the TV to source audio is that I want know of no other way to get 5.1 (what I am attempting) from the ROKU to the receiver. I am fine with running the cable box and the ROKU directly to the receiver first using HDMI and then using HDMI out to the TV. I was just under the impression that wouldn't work without HDMI ARC.

Are you guys saying that even without ARC I should be able to have 5.1 just by connecting the HDMI cables from the source device (ROKU) directly to the receiver and selecting the proper input? No coaxial or optical cable required?
Absolutely, avrs would be relatively worthless if they couldn't do that. It's tvs I don't expect to be good audio processors....
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
HDMI is both an audio and video format over a single cable....ARC only returns audio from the tv back to the avr using a single wire (and even ARC can be limited to 2.0, my tv does even with ARC).
 
T

Thinkly

Audiophyte
OK. I will try hooking things up like that and report back. I was thinking I tried this last night but I couldn't get a picture to display on the TV. But I don't remember for sure. Thanks for the help!
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
OK. I will try hooking things up like that and report back. I was thinking I tried this last night but I couldn't get a picture to display on the TV. But I don't remember for sure. Thanks for the help!
If it doesn't work something's off....report back and we'll walk you thru it....
 
T

Thinkly

Audiophyte
UPDATE: OK. I got the ROKU to pass 5.1 audio and video via HDMI through the receiver. It works great. I had to clean the HDMI out jack on the receiver with alcohol as it had a purple-ish tint to the video on the TV. That resolved that issue.

When trying to connect the cable box to a different input using the same approach i couldn't get the video to display although the audio worked. I tried multiple HDMI cables and same result. I suspect that HDMI jack might be dirty as well but I didn't clean it. I just ran optical out to a different input on the receiver and ran HDMI to another input on the TV and it works that way. I am going to be getting rid of the cable box in the near future and going all streaming so not concerned about that.

Note: This receiver has been used outdoors (in a cabinet) for a pool stereo for a couple years and I just recently moved it inside to replace another recently failed receiver, so I think that is why the HDMI jacks are acting weird...
 

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