Just dont get how to split sound from HDMI

[oxbose]

Hi, Can someone help? Im probably overlooking something simple but I just dont get it..

I have a beautiful 36" CRT at the moment with awesome DVD player recommended by WHIFI and have coax output on DVD player to BOSE lifestyle 12 input. I guess a lot of you will moan at the bose but it just sounds quite nice i think. I am far from an expert!

We are moving into a new house, wifes idea . So it looks like I will go down the route of flat panel. I dont care what ratings the experts give on flat panel, not one of them will beat my CRT tv at SD, unless somebody else knows otherwise! Anyway I digress! I think I have decided on the 7 series Samsung LED. Saw it in a show room and it blew me away on Blu Ray.

My question is audio. How do I get audio to my stereo set up through a HDMI. In my mind I have a SCART going to the TV and a COAX going to the stereo, but things are different now....arent they??

I understand that I am going to have to udpate my sound system as the legacy bose does not have HDMI input, but can someone please explain in laymans, how I take a blu ray output (both picture and sound) and place them in their respective places. I would be shocked if there was just one output HDMI that went straight to the TV and relied on the TV to play the sound. I just dont get it... I want sound going to my hifi, and picture to the monitor. I have searched everywhere on the net but am lost.....

Please help ARRRgghhh!!! Thx Oxbose

 

[professorhat]

Basically, in order to get sound out of Blu-Ray using the HDMI connection into a sound system, you need one which has an HDMI input. The Blu-Ray is then connected directly into the sound system via HDMI and the sound system then has an HDMI output which transfers the picture to the TV.

Of course not everyone has a system with an HDMI input which is why, on the majority of Blu-Ray players, you'll find a plehtora of other outputs such as digital coaxial, digital optical and even RCA analogue phono outputs to connect directly to a stereo amp for example (NB - the actual connections will obviously vary from player to player so check the specs before buying). With your Bose system, it's not abdundantly clear in the manual, but it suggests you can connect a digital coaxial connection into it, so you would need a Blu-Ray player with one of these outputs. The HDMI output would then go straight to your TV for picture.

What this means is, you won't get the new HD audio formats available on Blu-Ray but you will still get regular 5.1 sound via your Bose system.

 

[chebby]

Being a simple soul I don't know about sound from HDMI.

What I do is connect the HDMI between my Panasonic DVD/HDD recorder and my Samsung LCD just for the picture. 'Upscaling' as it is described. (Very nice too.)

For audio I have plugged an optical (Toslink) cable from the digital audio output on the Panasonic to my Beresford DAC.

This gives me excellent 2 channel hifi sound from TV or DVDs and (very useful to me) excellent Freeview radio quality. (The Panasonic has a built in Freeview tuner.)

The Panasonic has a digital audio output menu that allows one to toggle between straightforward stereo (PCM in my case) or DTS or Dolby Digital for all that 5.1 AV stuff if you need that and assuming of course that your AV amp/receiver is also equipped with optical audio (Toslink) input.

I am sure that any modern DVD player/recorder or Blu-Ray will have optical digital audio output on Toslink and I am equally sure any modern AV receiver will have Toslink input(s).

If your new hifi is going to be traditional 2 channel (like mine) then you will need a DAC with optical input. Cambridge Audio DacMagic and Beresford TC-7510 or TC-7520 will all do the job.

 

[oxbose]

Many huge thanks for the response.

So if I completely understand what you say, i feel this is the data flow;

BLU RAY --> (HDMI 1.3 up to DTS MA output, HW compatible) --> Sound system (HDMI 1.3 input) --> then pass the video signal through to output of the sound system --> (HDMI 1.3) --> to display the picture on the tv?

If I have got this correct, will there be any loss in picture quality due to the bypassing of the signal through the sound equipment (any insertion loss)?

Ps just learning!!!!

Cheers Oxbose

 

[professorhat]

Yup, that's about it though you don't have to have 1.3 spec - you need it if you want to bitstream the HD audio codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD MA etc.) but you can get the BD player to decode onboard and send as multichannel PCM. Of course if you're buying new, it makes sense to ensure everything meets the 1.3 spec for future proofing.

As for quality loss, in theory, the extra run of HDMI cable could cause some picture quality loss but in practise, this isn't really the case.

 

[oxbose]

Cheers. I understand!!!

Take it easy!