Advice needed - beginners question on home cinema setup - HDMI or Optical

[admin_exported]

Hi,

I was hoping someone could help me out with a beginner's question about home cinema setup, please.

I have a PS3, Media Centre PC, Humax Freeview Recorder connected to an LCD TV and 5.1 speakers via an Onkyo TX-SR605.

It was set up for me by a hifi company so i've no idea how it was configured but the PS3, Media Centre PC and Humax Freeview Recorder are all connected to the receiver via HDMI and Optical cables.  From what I've read, I shouldn't need both but when I take out the optical cables, I lose sound.  

Is that something I can configure in the receiver ?

 The other problem I have is that there are 3 devices but only 2 HDMI ports on the receiver.  I thought about getting a HDMI switch but is there a better way of doing this like maybe using optical connection for one of them ?

 Thanks for any help

Dave 

 

[professorhat]

Well, the PS3 definitely only needs to be connected via HDMI so you can remove the optical cable here. You'll then need to go into the Settings on the PS3 and change it to send sound via HDMI - this can be done under Sound Settings, then Audio Output Settings (see the manual here). On the Onkyo, you'll then need to go into the Setup here and let it know the sound is coming in from the HDMI rather than the optical input. This can be done in the Input/Output Assign setting and then HDMI Input (page 48 of the manual).

Just need a bit of clarification on the rest of this post though - you say you only have two HDMI inputs on the amp but you list three source components (PS3, Media Centre PC and Humax Freeview) - which of these is actually connected into the amp currently and how?

 

[Big Chris]

If the amp only has 2 HDMI inputs, you'll have to route one of your HDMI sources straight to your TV, and use a digital cable from that source to your amp for sound (Assuming of course your TV has more than 1 HDMI input).

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the help.

I had the PS3 and Media Centre PC connected originally but since I got the Humax Freeview PVR, I've been switching between the Freeview PVR and the Media Centre PC by unplugging the HDMI and Optical cables on one and putting them in the other.

I was all set to buy a HDMI switch and an SPDIF / Optical switch but thought I'd ask for help first, in case there was an easier way.

The Onkyo receiver is set up to have the PS3 on it's GAME button and the PC on its DVD button. I thought if I got a HDMI swich, I could put all 3 into that and then into one HDMI input on the Onkyo, so I wouldn't need to switch the Onkyo between GAME and DVD.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Big Chris.

Unfortunately, the TV is built into a recess in the wall, in a separate room to the amp / PC / PVR and the wires have been plastered in, so I wouldn't be able to add another hdmi cable to the TV very easily.

 

[professorhat]

Understood. Well, I'm afraid I'm not sure about the Media Centre PC and Humax as to whether they need the optical connection - possibly someone else can help with the Humax. If you can get it so that all sound is travelling through the HDMI connection, then you could get an HDMI switch which has some sort of switching ability on it (e.g. via a manual switch on the unit or a remote control), then you could do this.

However, does either the Humax or the Media Centre PC have a component output as well? If so, you could use component into the amp with one of these (with sound still going through the optical) and thus have all three hooked into the amp and use the amp as the main audio / video switch as it was designed.

ÿ