Can I use speaker cable to connect my TV to my AV box?

DanielUK

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Hi guys. I'm sure this is a super simple query but I'm not having much luck getting a clear answer via google.

I have a Panasonic AV receiver which I've got ceiling speakers connected to.

I have a spare speaker wire (red/black) near the unit running down to where my TV is so it would be great if I could use it to somehow connect the TV to the Av box so the Tv sound comes out via the ceiling speakers. Is this doable?

The TV has AV IN ports (left / right) so not sure if that would work?

Any ideas? Thanks!
 
Model numbers of the TV and AV 'Box' would be helpful.

Unscreened speaker cable is not ideal for connecting a Source to the Amp (AV Box).

You require an Output from the TV to the Amp.

Joe
 
Your TV has Optical Digital Audio Output and your AVR has an Optical Digital Audio Input - you will require an Optical cable between the two devices.

Joe
 
Thanks! Yeah that would've been the perfect option but the AV box is in a loft and the only cable running through the wall / ceiling is a spare speaker one.

There seems to be audio in (cd) on the AV receiver. It's just whether I can somehow get something to convert the speaker cable into the correct adapters?
 
Thanks! Yeah that would've been the perfect option but the AV box is in a loft and the only cable running through the wall / ceiling is a spare speaker one.

There seems to be audio in (cd) on the AV receiver. It's just whether I can somehow get something to convert the speaker cable into the correct adapters?

You have a 4K capable AV receiver in a loft and a TV not in the loft and what else is connected to it in the loft video wise ? Finding it hard to even guess why ?

TV has a digital optical output, you expect a pair of wires to at least carry stereo audio (3 is the minimum Left, Right and Common return). At best you would need a optical to coax digital converter and two coaxial RCA phono cables.
 
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It's feeding a projector install and ceiling speakers. The TV was never meant to be a part of it so I've only got a spare HDMI (which I don't think can just do audio from the TV right?) and a speaker cable which isn't connected to anything.

Thanks
 
ARC over HDMI will give you the sound

He hasn't got a HDMI cable from the TV to the AV receiver given the information he has provided. If he has and the TV has ARC and it uses HDMI1 then certainly possible.

It's feeding a projector install and ceiling speakers. The TV was never meant to be a part of it so I've only got a spare HDMI (which I don't think can just do audio from the TV right?) and a speaker cable which isn't connected to anything.

Thanks

Now making more sense, I take it you use a App to control the amp in the loft.

What is used to give the projector a source to view it's images on and where is it located and can you view same source on the TV ?

Basically providing such limited information doesn't give enough infomation to suggest a possible solution. The CD input could be used, but getting a stereo audio signal to it is the issue. A wireless system is possible incidentally.
 
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Thanks. Sorry for any confusion.

So yes. I have a spare HDMI cable and speaker cable from the loft to the back of the TV. If one of those can transfer sound to the AV unit that would be perfect.

The av receiver is in the loft above where the ceiling speakers and projector are. It serves the ceiling speakers and all the hdmi inputs for the projector.

Being able to have the tv sound use it (without the projector being on) would be great.

Thanks again!
 
If your TV is ARC enabled that will carry the TV audio via an HDMI cable to the AVR.

If the AVR is also ARC enabled all you do is connect the TV ARC to the AVR ARC via your 'spare' HDMI cable.

If the AVR is not ARC enabled you will have to install a box in the loft the 'break out' the TV audio from the 'spare' HDMI cable.

Joe
 
If the TV is not arc enabled, you could fit a S/Pdif to analogue converter at the TV and connect that to a bluetooth audio transmitter. If the amp is not bluetooth capable then a bluetooth receiver will be needed connected to a amp audio input.
 
Thanks for the replies guys!

Whilst both the TV and av receiver seem ARC enabled (the TV has multiple HDMI ports that show ARC) the AV receiver only shows ARC on the HDMI out port which goes my projector so I can't use it :-( the hdmi port is connected to my projector then all the other HDMI's are the inputs for the projector.

I've attached an image of the back of the AV receiver which hopefully explains it better.

Thanks again!
 

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Hi. The AV box doesn't serve the tv at the moment. I just want the sound to connect to it so it uses my ceiling speakers.

The tv is totally separate and has its own hdmi'. The only thing that I could use to connect the tv to av box, as they're already running through the walls and ceiling, is a spare hdmi and speaker cable as described.

Thanks!
 
Draw up a basic schematic of what you have connected to the AVR, Projector and TV.

Joe
 
Thanks Joe.

So, starting with the TV:
  • at the moment totally standalone - mounted on the wall
  • running from it are 2 HDMI leads and my satellite cable (through wall for inputs into TV only (nothing to do with projector))

Projector:
  • AV receiver is in the loft, totally separate to TV
  • ceiling speakers connected to AV receiver
  • AV receiver HDMI out (the ARC one) has a HDMI between that and projector - this is the input for the projector
  • other HDMI's on the AV receiver are stuff like Amazon Firestick, Apple TV etc - nothing to do with TV again

Spare cables running from loft down to back of TV (at the moment no purpose):
  • speaker cable
  • spare HDMI
  • ... (these are the only things 'spare' and ran in the correct way where I could hopefully connect the TV to the AV receiver so that the sound is from my ceiling speakers)

Does that help?

Thanks,
Dan
 
Give it a go - you know where we are if it doesn't work for you.

Joe
 
Hi there! Sorry to be a pain but I've just received all the bits and tested it - unfortunately to no avail.

So, I have two HDMI 'spare' leads from my TV - they're connected to HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 which both show 'ARC'.

I then have this device to convert HDMI to my digital audio cable: Cablesson HDelity HDMI audio extractor ARC - HD Digital: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

As the HDMI lead from the TV is too short to meet the one that runs up to my AV receiver I got this connector: UGREEN HDMI Adapter, HDMI Female to Female Connector: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

The HDMI converter (linked above) has power from the USB port of my AV receiver and has a red light to show it has power.

On my TV (Philips 55PUS6401 55 Inch 4K Ultra HD Ambilight Smart TV) the only setting I can see in 'sound' is under Speakers - either on/off or 'Easylink' which doesn't find any source so reverts to the TV speakers.

On my AV receiver remote I'm using the 'TV' option (although I've tested the other inputs).

Any ideas what I've done wrong?

Thanks,
Dan
 
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Your connectivity should be

TV HDMI ARC > Converter HDMI Out

Converter Optical Out > AVR Optical In

To listen to TV audio on the AVR you set the TV to External Speakers and select the relevant Optical Input on the AVR.

Joe
 
Thanks Joe.

It sounds like that's what I've done wrong then - I plugged the HDMI cable into the converter into the 'HDMI IN' socket, not 'HDMI OUT'. I'll give that a go.

Thanks,
Dan
 
Hi there, thanks again for your continued help.

I have tried switching the HDMI cable from 'HDMI IN' to HDMI OUT with no joy (and still flicking through the AV inputs). I assume sensible it would be 'TV' on my AV remote? I've also tried keeping my projector on at the same time in case the main 'HDMI OUT' on the projector interfers with it - still no joy.

Any other help much appreciated.
 

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