Digital audio output question

[admin_exported]

I am considering buying the below mentioned TV. Could anyone help me with this query? -

If I connect a BT Vision box via HDMI to a Samsung PS50C6900 TV, will the TV loop the digital audio input to the opitical digital audio output so I only need one connection to my AV amp?

 

[The_Lhc]

It might but probably only in stereo, so, if the BT Vision box provides Dolby Digital soundtracks, you'll be losing out on those.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply.

That is a shame. Looks lijke I will have to wait 'till someone brings out a set with twin tuners and timeshift function. ThenI can do away with the BT box and not have the inconvenience of having to switch the amp channel as well as the TV source whilst navigating between media.

 

[The_Lhc]

Is your amp HDMI equipped? If so you could just plug everything into that and have one connection from there to the TV, that at least means you don't need to change the input on the TV, although you will have to on the amp of course, but there's no way around that.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately not. It just has optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. It's not really myself that has a problem, it's the missus. If I bring in a new bit of kit that involves a more complicated routine and more remotes, it ain't going to go down well.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe I could use a toslink splitter (2xF to 1F). Run one lead from the BT box and one lead from the TV into a single input on the amp.

Anyone see any problems with this?

 

[The_Lhc]

Other than it not working, no. If that's a splitter, it's for taking one course and sending it to two destinations, which is not what you're doing, you're trying to take two sources and send them to one destination, so you'd need a combiner, or a switch. I don't know if such a thing exists.

Why do you want the TV plugged into the amp? Doesn't the BT Vision box provide a freeview tuner?

 

[Anonymous]

the_lhc:Other than it not working, no. If that's a splitter, it's for taking one course and sending it to two destinations, which is not what you're doing, you're trying to take two sources and send them to one destination, so you'd need a combiner, or a switch. I don't know if such a thing exists.

Why do you want the TV plugged into the amp? Doesn't the BT Vision box provide a freeview tuner?

Yes the box is fine for freeview but the TVprovides iPlayer, USB media and PC networking.

I know the splitters are designed for 2 sources to 1 destination, but I was hoping that seeing how a optical cable is bi-directional that the spiliter would be bi-directional also.

 

[The_Lhc]

I suppose it might be possible, but what happens if both are switched on and outputting audio at the same time?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes there would be a conflict, the BT box would have to be turned off when using the TVs sources.
Unfortunately it usually takes complicated installation procedures to simplify day to day use. I have, in the past installed radio controlled power supplies so several sources can be activated with one control, (before the days of multi function RCs).

It's a bit of a bone of contention with me that none of the well known manufactures produce a set that does it all. IE Sky+ PVR functionality with USB and networking. Whereas you can get a small cheap (poor quality?) set from one of the many little known makes from the FE, that will do everything.

Tesco sell a small screen set with USB PVR, timeshift etc for very little money, some even have built in DVD, but I'd never buy one.

I would however pay good money for a good quality TV with everything built in.

 

[professorhat]

I think quite a few of the new Samsungs offer PVR recording to USB, but they only ever have single tuners. With respect to your problems on having to set both the amp and TV to different sources to get sound working from both, you could get a Harmony remote where you can setup Activities and just press one button to set everything to the correct source.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice prof. hat. I'll check that out.