Connecting home cinema system to PC without the DVD player attached?

FreelanceX

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Ok guys, here is a tough one for you all to get your teeth into.

I recently acquired a 5.1 Home Cinema System. A Goodmans 4000PKT. It is quite old. About 5 years probably. It was free and it is flippin powerful so I am chuffed.

Now here is the problem. I thought I would be clever and rip out the DVD player and connect the system to my PC for a PC sound system as I use my PC for everything.

1st Problem: Once I got the system home (left the DVD player at girlfriends house where I got it from) I noticed it needed a 9pin mini-din connector to the sub from the source, and then from the sub all the speakers were connected by the twisted pairs.

So I needed to get a 5.1 3.5mm Jack to 9pin mini-din cable. Eventually found one. Took me forever. Looks like there is only one in the whole wide world./Solved.

2nd Problem: Connected it all up to go... Turned on the power. Nothing. Find out there is a remote for it. Which I didnt have. So went and got the DVD player and remote.

Connected that up instead of my PC, hit the power button it kicks into life. Sound system and all./Solved.

3rd Problem: Pulled out the DVD player from the sound system and the sub turns off... I was puzzled at first, but then eventually figured it out. The sound system needs to be connected to the DVD player for it to turn on./Solved.

4th and THE Problem: So it looks like I cant connect it to my PC directly. It needs to be connected to the DVD player to work. Which is not what I want or need... Eventually worked out a way by connecting my PC into the "AUX IN" on the DVD player via 3.5 to dual RCA Red and White. So now I can get sound out, via the DVD player. But it is only stereo sound. Which means the volume is sort of messed up coming through the speakers...

I need any help I can to try and sort out a way to connect via 5.1 to the speakers so can get true 5.1 sound.

I cant use optial or s/pdif, as there is no connection for it on DVD player or speakers. (But there is an optical out annoyingly. Just not an optical in.)

Any suggestions how to get the speakers to stay on/work without the DVD player?

I was thinking a dual 9pin mini-din adapter so can connect the PC and DVD player at same time but I have yet to find one which exists./Unsolved.

Any help will be appreciated.

Hope you all understand what I put. I know its long winded but I always like to give full details and a backstory...

I wont be offended if you ask me to explain anything again so please do!

Thanks

FX
 
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Huh??
 
Sorry which parts dont you understand? Ill try explain better...
 
Any suggestions how to get the speakers to stay on/work without the DVD player?

The answer is simple enough.

All in one systems like the unit mentioned have an amp built into the DVD player.

Take out the DVD player , and you take out the amp , meaning all your left with is a set of speakers , and no amp.

Soundcard outputs from a PC are line level , meaning they need to be fed into an amp to " amplify " the signals up to a level where they will drive a set of speakers.

Sets of speakers intended for a PC are " active " , that means theres an amp in there somewhere.

So to sum up , what you are trying to do is not possible with that system. It cant be done. To get multichannel sound from a pc the pc outputs must be fed into an amp with the correct inputs.

Your unit does not have the correct inputs , only aux meaning the best you can get with that unit from a pc is stereo.

In addition , the inputs , such as the 9 pin mini din mentioned , are usually proprietary on these units , meaning you wont find standard switches that handle them.
 
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Thanks for replying and explaining that to me.

Although the Subwoofer on the side does say it is an active subwoofer? Or does that mean something different?

EDIT: Also the Sub and system does have power from the plug? Is that something different too?

Theoretically, if I swapped the DVD player for an amp with a 9pin mini-din output would that drive the speakers?

Thanks
 
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Although the Subwoofer on the side does say it is an active subwoofer? Or does that mean something different?

Most subs these days are active , active subs need power to amplify the bass signal it receives from an amp , the signal from an amp can be high level or line level , most actives subs can handle both.

Subs usually handle just the .1 part of 5.1 or 7.1 , that means bass or LFE signals only.

EDIT: Also the Sub and system does have power from the plug? Is that something different too?

Again this is normal with most subs.

Theoretically, if I swapped the DVD player for an amp with a 9pin mini-din output would that drive the speakers?

This is highly unlikely , the connection used by the system is non standard , so the likelihood of finding an amp with such a connection is practically non existent !
You need an amp with standard connections , PC's are all built to standards , so you need an amp with optical , co axial , or multi channel analog inputs , which are all standard inputs.
 
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Ok thanks Mate, that has answered me completely.

So the way I have it set up at the moment with stereo coming out of 5 speakers and the amp is the best and only way then.

Ok I will have to live with that! It was free, so I will not complain. There is a hack for the 4000PKT to make it Region Free as well (Dont know if I can say that on this forum I apologise if I cant.) so I should just be happy I suppose!

Thanks again mate.

FX

EDIT: My PC has 7.1 outputs plus optical and S/PDIF. I know PCs but not AV equipment as much. So I have 50% of what I need then I suppose! lol.
 
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