How to link Audio output from Virgin Media HD Box to amplifier

[tom2b]

Good Morning all,

at the moment I have set up a couple of basic speakers via a spare Teak Reference 300(AH300) amplifier and linked this is to an old Standard Definition Virgin media box.

I have been able to do this via the phono&aux input/output sockets on both.

I will get a Virgin Media High Definition box next weekend, but notice that this does not have a phono output,

are there any adaptors, so that I can link the HD box into my old amplifier as this only has phono/aux input (eg no scart/hdmi etc..)

The TV in question is a Samsung UE37EH5000 btw..

 

[chebby]

Connect your V HD box to your TV with HDMI and then run an optical digital (Toslink) cable from your TV to a DAC. (A DAC with optical digital input like the Cambridge Audio DacMagic for instance.) The DAC then connects to your amp with RCA phono cables.

Or why not just run a phono RCA cable from the TV to your amp instead?

If your TV doesn't have an optical digital output then the V HD box does. You can connect it to a DAC instead.

There may be some SCART adaptor that has a stereo pair of RCA phono outputs to go from the SCART on the V HD Box to your amp. I don't know this side of things. (Haven't use SCART leads for years.)

 

[Dougal1331]

Yes. You need a SCART output adapter- available online or from Maplin for about £5.

NOTE: There are two types- make sure you get the one marked "OUTPUT"! (It was an embarrassing trip back to the shop to swap mine...!).

 

[chebby]

In the long term you will want a decent quality sound to accompany your TV/Blu-ray/V HD Box viewing - even if only in stereo - so you might want to plan for TV + amp or hi-fi or AV system that has all the necessary digital interconnectivity.

Luckily my TV has one optical digital out and my stereo has one optical digital in, so I can enjoy high quality stereo from TV and Blu-ray and my Humax.

A SCART - RCA adaptor is only going to be as good as the analogue audio output stage built into the V box. Whereas - ideally - you should try and keep everything digital (HDMI or HDMI and optical) until the signal gets to a decent quality DAC. (Seperate or built in to your system.)

 

[tom2b]

Thank you guys for your input,

EDIT@ 14:08 ~ how about this for a solution : Use a scart adaptor(Richer Sounds do a switchable adaptor) on the VM HD box to run my phono leads to the amp, and an HDMI lead from the box to the TV.

Would this work?

Kiv that I set the telly to'external speakers'to bypass the inbuilt speakers