HDMI and 5.1

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › HDMI and 5.1

sugarpie

56 posts

Master Geek

#62945 17-Jun-2010 15:10

If I use the HDMI output of my DVD player(when I get one) to my TV, how do I setup the 5.1 surround sound on my home theatre? I presume this is possible? Thanks :)

ToPGuNZ

389 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#342690 17-Jun-2010 15:14

Yes you connect the optical output for digital audio from your DVD player to your receiver.

Jaxson

8043 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#342710 17-Jun-2010 16:03

Two options.

Go DVD to Receiver via HDMI and then Receiver to TV via 2nd HDMI cable.

Or,

As above.
Go DVD to TV via HDMI and then DVD to Receiver via optical/dig coax.

Either is fine (assuming DVD player can do audio output via HDMI and Optical/Coax at the same time).

In the world of Bluray you are forced to go to receiver with HDMI as Optical/Dig Coax is not fast enough for all the info in the HD audio tracks of Bluray. With DVD though this is not a problem.

Dingbatt

6756 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#342738 17-Jun-2010 17:09

Blu-Ray players have come down so much in price lately wouldn't you be better to future proof with one of those rather than a dvd player? Blu-ray players can still play DVDs. And if you have to go the optical (or digital coax) route for audio then you have lost nothing because a Blu-Ray player will still deliver the core DD or DTS audio signal to you HT receiver. You obviously have at least an HD ready TV or it wouldn't have hdm, so feed it some HD Blu-Ray video goodness

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

sugarpie

56 posts

Master Geek

#342862 18-Jun-2010 09:01

Cheers everyone. Now a similar question - can you plug speakers straight into a 5.1 DVD player and get some sound or do you have to use an amp?

Dingbatt

6756 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#342880 18-Jun-2010 09:48

sugarpie: Cheers everyone. Now a similar question - can you plug speakers straight into a 5.1 DVD player and get some sound or do you have to use an amp?

No.

There has to be an amplifier in there somewhere.

A DVD player with a built-in amplifier is better known as a 'Home Theatre in a Box'. Where everything needed including speakers comes in one box. Once again they are getting quite cheap these days if you only want DVD.

Alternatively there are 'active speakers' with their own built-in amps, but they are complicated and expensive.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996