Structured Cabling with matrix switch - audio back to reciever?

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ed1963

1 post

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 105912 13-Jul-2012 17:49

Hi,
I've got a relatively unusual setup planned, a Cat6 HDMI 4x4 matrix switch in my cupboard, with HDMI over cat 6 cables going to TV's. The skybox, DVD player, xbox will go into matrix switch.

One of my TV's is in the gamesroom, which will be used for things where I want big sound (note: TV not yet purchased). I want this one TV to have it's sound played over surround speakers through a 5.1 receiver. The receiver will live in the cupboard also.

Is it possible (in general theoretical terms) to feed audio back from the TV to a receiver/amp, using the optical audio output of the TV? How about the standard RCA audio outputs? What is better? Will the TV's "audio out" send out whatever is being played on the screen, regardless of the source (I.e HDMI input vs tv tuner).

Because the matrix switch is over cat6, I can't go from matrix switch, into receiver, then on to the TV. My only option is to send audio signal back from TV (I think).

The distance from TV to receiver is about 12m.

Thanks!

Dunnersfella

3136 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 359

Reply # 655205 13-Jul-2012 18:22

To start with, the only TV brand with analogue audio out these days seem to be Panasonic. However, I think you'd suffer from quite a few issues... Occasional issues with re-mixing 5.1 audio to the stereo output. Oh yeah, and it's only going to give you stereo sound.
Optical - I haven't ever tried a 12 meter run, and could see why it may be difficult to run a toslink cable without damaging it.
HDMI ARC - this should be your best bet. However, it's often flukey to be honest... However, it may well work for you in theory.

tangerz

530 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 150

Reply # 655216 13-Jul-2012 19:04

Dunnersfella: Optical - I haven't ever tried a 12 meter run, and could see why it may be difficult to run a toslink cable without damaging it.
HDMI ARC - this should be your best bet. However, it's often flukey to be honest... However, it may well work for you in theory.

If you do go with the optical out from the TV and are worried about damaging a long optical cable you could always get an optical to coax converter and run coax back to the receiver.

HDMI ARC would probably be the best bet if you could figure out how to work the receiver in with the matrix switch and the TV?!? Might be a mission to get that to work though...