New TV Audio Question

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Toros

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Been looking at some of the new TVs and various deals as of late. I have come to really like the Roku Smart platform. The TCLs and Hisense Roku TVs in either 65" or 75" seem excellent. The problem/question I have is how do you connect to a home theater receiver if the TV has no dig optical or coaxial optical audio output?

I know I can connect my Xfinity cable box via an optical cable directly to the receiver but than what about the Roku programming from the TV?

Does the audio pass through an HDMI connection to an A/V receiver?
What if it's an older A/V receiver with no HD I connections.... circa 1998?
 
HDMI is pretty much standard nowadays. It carries both the audio and video signals.

Older receivers take RCA ended cables. Your TV should still have these RCA output jacks.
 
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A quick look on Hisense's site shows they have optical out, and all the TCL's I looked at had optical put as well. That being said... I just helped someone connect their older receiver that had no optical in connect using a headphone jack to RCA adapter, because the TCL didn't have RCA ports.
 
I have my TCL TV connected via HDMI to my Denon A/V Receiver. Your receiver needs to support HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) for this to work.
 
Yup, either HDMI (ARC) or optical. If your receiver does not have any of these, then I think it's time for a new receiver as well - they're not that expensive these days if you don't need 999.9+ surround channels.
smile.gif


Earlier this year I picked up an entry level 7.2 4K Denon receiver for a little over $200, and it has a ton more features than my 7-year-old Yamaha.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
A quick look on Hisense's site shows they have optical out, and all the TCL's I looked at had optical put as well. That being said... I just helped someone connect their older receiver that had no optical in connect using a headphone jack to RCA adapter, because the TCL didn't have RCA ports.


When I look at the detailed specifications for the TCL 4 series on Best Buys site... same holds true for the Hisense lower tier models, they list zero for digital audio out. If you move up to the TCL 6 series one is included. I'm less concerned for the 75"I plan on buying for our main home as I have a Pioneer receiver with HDMI... but I have a great older Sony receiver in our beach house from around 1997-98....(STR-DE675) with plenty of digital inputs but HDMI was a vision in some electrical engineers head then.
 
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Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Toros
When I look at the detailed specifications for the TCL 4 series on Best Buys site... same holds true for the Hisense lower tier models, they list zero for digital audio out.

According to the owner's manual, the 4-series TCL has optical out (see page 10-11):
https://www.tclusa.com/sites/default/files/2018-09/4-Series-Roku-User-Guide_US-CA-8.1.pdf

The image on BestBuy's website shows it as well:

[Linked Image from pisces.bbystatic.com]


Thank you for this. I guess I did not consider that the Best Buy site is incorrect.
 
I should have checked specs on the manufacturers website before I jumped to conclusions. Turns out all of the models I am interested in have a single optical output. Now if only I could find the remote for that Pioneer receiver ...
 
Optical out toslink LPCM is a garbage connexion

HDMI Arc.

I'm in the same boat with and old TV with no arc.

but Im cable box still so no sound audio signal from TV is needed.

I use the garbage Xfinity X1 box analogue out for hP.

The soud Q just keeps getting worse on their local channel signals
Compressed to the max and garbled.

OTA much better.
 
Most, if not all, modern tvs have ARC. Optical is good but ARC is the preferred audio connection.
RCA is stereo, not 5+ channel audio.
You probably need high speed HDMI cables as well.
 
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Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Optical out toslink LPCM is a garbage connexion
How so? I send OTA channels 5.1 audio signal this way from TV to my receiver, and it works great.

Now, some 10 years back, there was some restriction in some TVs where audio coming out of the TV via toslink would get down-converted to basic 2-channel stereo due to some silly copyright issue, but I don't think that is still the case today.

Yes, HDMI ARC/eARC can pass higher res audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA, but since the OP only has a basic DD 5.1 receiver, these higher res formats are irrelevant.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Optical out toslink LPCM is a garbage connexion
How so? I send OTA channels 5.1 audio signal this way from TV to my receiver, and it works great.



Maybe OTA is the trick. Whatever I'm getting from my Comcast cable box after mixdown is pretty terrible. The Analogue 2chan mixdown is much cleaner and free from strange artifacts though +/- 4V out (!). I've even tried the TV Toslink out and the cable box toslink with same grungy or odd results. Tried 3 different fiber optic cables. Maybe I need a better D-A.

I might get a cheap Yamaha HT receiver to start. I've been nixing HT receivers by using highend stereo stuff. But the changing digital format is pushing me into mid fi.

QuattroP, do you know if most, say, second tier low/midprice HT receiver will do stereo mixdown from HDMI?

I have no clue and I have no brick and mortar MidFi stores near me anymore.. I don't shop at WorstBuy.

Thanks, Ken.
 
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Ken:

Yes, an HT receiver will mix-down to 2-channel. My main setup, which uses a Denon AVR-X4200W, feeds stereo into my Bryston 4B to power my mains. I have a centre channel, but it is only used for TV/movies, when setup to listen to music it's a 2.1 setup.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Optical out toslink LPCM is a garbage connexion

HDMI Arc.

I'm in the same boat with and old TV with no arc.

but Im cable box still so no sound audio signal from TV is needed.

I use the garbage Xfinity X1 box analogue out for hP.

The soud Q just keeps getting worse on their local channel signals
Compressed to the max and garbled.

OTA much better.


Yeah, sure. Your post makes zero sense. Thanks for nothing. Carry on.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
QuattroP, do you know if most, say, second tier low/midprice HT receiver will do stereo mixdown from HDMI?

Sure, any receiver can do it. Or it can do 2.1 if you have a sub in addition to your main L/R speakers.

In my current setup, everything gets mixed down to 3.1 since i don't have any rear surround speakers.
 
I had a Samsung sound bar hooked up to my Samsung T.V. (2 years old)
Most of the time the sound bar would not connect when the set was turned on and I had to do it manually.
Well just recently half the sound bar quit.
I took it to Best Buy to recycle.
Good riddance to it.
The Samsung T.V. speakers are very good.
I downsized my tech and I like it.
 
Went with a 65" Hisense....$350 out the door(no tax in Delaware). It has an optical out. Good to go.
 
Went with a 65" Hisense....$350 out the door(no tax in Delaware). It has an optical out. Good to go.
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Most, if not all, modern tvs have ARC. Optical is good but ARC is the preferred audio connection.
RCA is stereo, not 5+ channel audio.
You probably need high speed HDMI cables as well.

Understood. But ARC is the weakest technology in New TCS. I may consider a low priced new HT receiver at some point though.
 
Originally Posted by Toros
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Optical out toslink LPCM is a garbage connexion

HDMI Arc.

I'm in the same boat with and old TV with no arc.

but Im cable box still so no sound audio signal from TV is needed.

I use the garbage Xfinity X1 box analogue out for hP.

The soud Q just keeps getting worse on their local channel signals
Compressed to the max and garbled.

OTA much better.


Yeah, sure. Your post makes zero sense. Thanks for nothing. Carry on.


Sorry I didn't answer all of your questions. It was sort of a cryptic rushed answer. I was basically stating that Xfinity sound quality is very poor through toslink (optical) But if you are cutting the cable and streaming off the router it may be much improved. Comcast seem to allow good audio only on HBO or other premium channels.

Could you be a little more civil though?

I was thinking of a new smart tv instead of getting a roku box to run Youtube TV that has local channels. I do want to cut the cable back to internet only as I'm spending over $230/mo for just one tv, no DVR, internet and voice. I really don't want t get into this constant upgrade silliness though I just got my current 39" Samsumg TV in 2015

But no HDMI ARC on the new HiSense? I find that surprising.
 
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