cable, blu-ray, tv, speaker set-up

[arnie]

Here's my problem: I have a dvd/surround sound unit connected to a HDTV and cable box. I bought a blu-ray player. I need the blu-ray video to go to the tv and the blu-ray audio to go to the speakers. Currently the cable goes to the tv via hmdi, the dvd/sound goes to the tv via hdmi, and the cable audio goes to the dvd/sound via red/white cable. I can connect the blu-ray to the tv using either component or hdmi (there are 3 hdmi outlets on the tv), but I cannot connect the blu-ray to the dvd/sound because there is only one audio in (red/white) on the dvd/sound. So in order to use the tv, I need the audio cable (r/w) going from the cable box to the dvd/sound, but then in order to use the blu-ray, I have to disconnect the r/w from the cable and connect it to the blu-ray. If there were two audio ins on the dvd/sound system, I'ld be all set, but there isn't. Any suggestion on how to solve the problem?

Thanks for any help you can give
Arnie

[MrBoylan]

Here's my problem: I have a dvd/surround sound unit connected to a HDTV and cable box. I bought a blu-ray player. I need the blu-ray video to go to the tv and the blu-ray audio to go to the speakers. Currently the cable goes to the tv via hmdi, the dvd/sound goes to the tv via hdmi, and the cable audio goes to the dvd/sound via red/white cable. I can connect the blu-ray to the tv using either component or hdmi (there are 3 hdmi outlets on the tv), but I cannot connect the blu-ray to the dvd/sound because there is only one audio in (red/white) on the dvd/sound. So in order to use the tv, I need the audio cable (r/w) going from the cable box to the dvd/sound, but then in order to use the blu-ray, I have to disconnect the r/w from the cable and connect it to the blu-ray. If there were two audio ins on the dvd/sound system, I'ld be all set, but there isn't. Any suggestion on how to solve the problem?

Thanks for any help you can give
Arnie

Well if you want to get discrete 5.1 channel surround sound from your Blu-ray player and cable box then your only option is to buy a new home theater receiver or HTiB (home theater in a box) system. Period. You can't get discrete 5.1 channel sound from an analog stereo (white red) pair of audio outputs - you need a digital connection for that. The best you'll get is matrixed Dolby Pro Logic surround which is a pale subsitute for discrete surround sound.

If you just want to get *sound* from the Blu-ray player and cable box to the surround system then connect the white/red left/right audio outputs of the cable box directly to the TV and do the same with the Blu-ray player. then connect the TV's left/right audio OUTPUT (most TVs have these) to your surround system's white/red two channel input. The surround system will then get audio from whichever source is actively being viewed on the TV.

It's possible (but not definite - it depends on your TV) that you can hook up just the HDMI cables from your blu-ray player and cable box to your TV, and your TV will convert this digital sound to analog over the white/red analog outputs. If this is the case then that's your simplest solution.

Check your TV's manual or back panel and look for the "stereo audio out" jacks - connect these to the available input on your surround system. Then try plugging in the Blu-ray and cable box via HDMI cables only to the TV and see if you get sound output through the surround system for the cable box and blu-ray. If you do, then you don't need any other cables and this will at least get you buy until you upgrade the audio system.

Good luck!

-Chris

[arnie]

Thanks, Chris. I did have some success before reading your reply. I connected the cable and the old dvd/sound system to the tv via HDMI cables and then ran the audio out from the tv to the sound and I was able to switch back and forth between the tv and the old dvd player without and trouble. As soon as a buy another hdmi cable, I'll run it from the blu-ray to the tv (I have 3 hdmi ports on the tv) and everything should work. But, as you say, I will not get true surround sound with just the r/w components and I will have to upgrade. If there was an optical/digital audio in on the speaker box, I could run the cable from the optical/digital audio out on the tv, but unfortunately, it isn't there. Thanks again.
Arnie