[damanc]

Hi Guys,

After recently moving house I have decided the home entertainment needs an overhaul.

Before I had a media center PC which contained a TV Tuner, decent Creative XFI sound card connected up to a set of Logitech Z-5500 Speakers (Support + Downloads: Z 5500 Digital 5 1 Speaker System - Logitech) and a HDMI cable to a 42" LCD Screen. All worked quite well if i'm honest.

Here is the twist - My new place is in a cabled area and we now have Virgin Media TV service complete with a TiVo box.

I want my new system to comprise of a new TV, the TiVo box for VM Services, A media center (Just for playing films and the TV tuner becomes redundant) and of course keep my current Z-5500 setup.

Now, bear with me as i'm no AV guru - Previously, my speakers were rigged up simply to the audio ports on the PC. Now I have two devices I would like to use to output sound both the TiVo Box and Media Center. Swiching wires over each time I fire up the media center is something I would really like to avoid.

Logic inside me says that I can connect both the media center and TiVo box via HDMI to the new (un purchased) TV and then connect the Z-5500 system to the TV Somehow. Does that seem right?

If so, what connection do I need to look out for when buying a new TV? Connectivity of the Z-5500 can be found here: http://www.logitech.com/repository/1.../13098.1.0.pdf

Any advice greatly received.

[PSM1]

Does the Z5500 have an optical input? If so use this for virgin and the multichannel inputs for the media centre.
A lot of TVs will not pass sound from HDMI inputs to any of the sound outputs and if they do most of those only pass a stereo signal hence would not give you surround sound. Hence connecting everything to the TV and then TV to speakers will most likely not work well.

[andy1249]

The Z5500's have two digital connections , and the six analog connections for PC can be split to 3 x stereo.

If any of your devices have a co-ax digital out , use that connection, if not , then optical to co-ax converters are cheap and quite common.

Any audio input on the TV's HDMI is usually not sent to any of the other audio outputs on the TV. Those outputs are for the TV tuner or services only.

The only way HDMI inputs on the TV output audio is via ARC , and both TV and connected Device must support that feature for it to work. Obviously , that is not possible with the Z5500's.

[Astaroth]

The most obvious answer is as PSM1 says, assuming you connect the PC using 6 analogue then I am sure the TiVo box has an optical cable and bobs your uncle. When you change source just need to select the correct source on the logitec thing

Not that common for TVs to have decent sound Outputs connections as ARC would be out of the question but as you dont say what your TV model is we cannot check for you.

[damanc]

Thanks guys, what you say all makes sense

The TiVo box has a "Optical audio output S/P DIF" and the the Logitech controller a "Digital optical connection" & Digital coax connection and of course the 3 x Stereo.

At an educated guess "Optical audio output S/P DIF" and "Digital optical connection" are the same and I just need a "optical cable" like below?

http://www.home-theater-accessories-...al%20cable.jpg

[Astaroth]

Sort answer: Yes to both