T-Box Audio Configuration

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rwnz

48 posts

Geek

#173199 14-May-2015 16:57

I've got my TV audio connected to my home theatre via an optical cable and the T-Box connected to the TV via HDMI. I've noticed that I'm getting 5.1 sound from Freeview programs but NOT from cable and have seen an older post on Geekzone stating that the HDMI audio from the T-Box is only stereo, and that the optical connection must be used to get 5.1 sound out of it.

Can anyone correct me or suggest how I can get 5.1 from the T-Box as well please? Being a smart TV I want audio to the HT from that as well as from the T-Box, and I don't want to use an optical switch that requires separate manual operation. I've also thought to free up the optical port of the HT by putting the TV sound to the HT over the Audio Return Connection in the HDMI cable that would carries the video from my HT blu-ray to the TV, but there does not appear to be one (my attempt did not work, the HT is a 2010 model so probably a bit old, and the spec doesn't state what version of HDMI is utilised). The T-Box is newer than this so I'd have thought it should have 5.1 sound on the HDMI, or am I mistaken?

r2b2

586 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1305505 14-May-2015 22:09

As far as I know non of the TBox's have 5.1 over HDMI. However I use HDMI + Optical like you are trying to use and have no issues with the other channels.

When you say getting 5.1 on Freeview but not Cable, do you mean you are getting 5.1 via the Freeview receiver in the TV but not from the TBox? If that's the case you might need to do what I did with my receiver which was to force it to use the audio from the optical rather than the HDMI as that was what it was defaulting to.

HTH
Richard.

rokki

374 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1305546 15-May-2015 03:31

Hi the T-Box is only stereo over HDMI. You have to use optical to get 5.1 audio. Your Home Theater receiver should have an optical port to connect to and their should be a setting for it to automatically sense the audio it is being sent. My solution was when I had the T-Box was HDMI to the TV and optical to my receiver as I didn't have a spare HDMI port on my receiver.

My gear 55" Samsung 4K SUHD LCD HDR , Denon AVR-4200W Reciever in 7.1.2 Surround , Denon 2 Channel Amp to power ceiling speakers , Combination of Polk Audio Fronts And Tannoy Surrounds plus 2 Cambridge Audio Ceiling Speakers Pioneer Downfiring Subwoofer , Oppo UDP-203 UHD Player , Roku Ultra , Apple TV 3

rwnz

48 posts

Geek

#1305765 15-May-2015 13:07

Thanks for your comments. My reference to Freeview was through the TV tuner. To be able to hear 5.1 sound from the TV (watching the terrestrial Freeview or video files over my network) it is connected to the HT with an optical cable. To be able to hear content from the cable source in 5.1 sound I must also connect the T-Box to the HT by an optical cable, but the HT has only one optical input so I can't. Currently my T-Box is connected to my TV by HDMI so the sound is only stereo to the TV. I would have though that the T-Box would have 5.1 sound on HDMI - isn't this the modern way? Then 5.1 sound would be sent from the T-Box to the TV by HDMI and on to the HT by optical. It is annoying that I'm paying for a cable service with HD picture and 5.1 sound but not being provided with an up-to-date technology. I wonder if Sky has 5.1 sound on their HDMI.