Newbie Help with older kit. Please go easy on me...

jimcallaghan

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Hi All
Hoping one of you good people could afford me some time. I have a fairly new TV, a Virgin Media box, an OLD home cinema/DVD player and a need to hook up a laptop to watch movies.

TV is a LG 49UF680V.
Full Scart x1
Component in (Y,Pb,Pr) + Audio
Digital Audio Out (Coaxial/ Optical) (Optical) x1
PC Audio Input x1
HDMI x2

Home Cinema is a Sony DAV DZ111 with only SCART, Composite RGB out, L/R phono in, 3.5mm audio in. No digital, no HDMI.

Virgin Media SMT-C7100 that has Optical audio, Scart and HDMI - only HDMI is in use currently. I assume the audio is to attach to a home cinema...

My Macbook is what I use to play downloaded content - I go from 3.5mm to 3.5mm and I use one of the HDMI's for this. I can use the PC input and 3.5mm audio but the picture isn't as good. I did expect the laptop to HDMI converter to also carry the audio - but it doesn't - perhaps it's not meant to? got it from apple shop - that's another problem I suppose.

The second HDMI is used for the Virgin box - simple enough - BUT as a result there's no sound from the Virgin box to the home cinema.

the Home Cinema is one of those with a built in DVD - it is connected to the TV using the RGB/component and the sound of course comes direct from the home cinema speakers.

I am a complete pleb when it comes to analysing this. Even if the home cinema had an optical audio in, I can't connect TV and digital TV box... what's missing? What am I doing wrong?

If I convert TV optical out to analog and connect to the L/R Phono IN on the reciever, would it project any sound going in to it? IE - would it take the Virgin box HDMI audio and push it back out of the optical out on the TV to the home cinema?

Surely most home cinemas only have one optical audio in - right?
maybe I need to buy something? Maybe things can daisy chain like the old scart playing the TV through the VCR used to do 20 yrs ago?! I've not a clue and I can't find a simplified demonstration that knd of fits my basic setup.

Any help / time appreciated. Am at a loss.
thanks

Jim
 
Your Sony HTIB has only one audio in and this is analog stereo rca input. So, if you want to hear sound from Sony speakers, you need to use those sockets. No other options. From laptop you can probably get sound using 3,5mm to rca cable.
If your other equipment has hdmi-s, then easyest way is to buy new home cinema set with hdmi and optical in, or receiver with speakers. Receivers have at least 5-6 hdmi in and 1-2 optical in connections.
Home cinema sets have less connection possibilities than receivers, but todays HTIB-s have more than one analog connection. Usually at least 1 hdmi in, one optical in and 1 hdmi out for tv.
 
Sincerely. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

The HTIB (I Googled it!) has a 3.5mm input and a phono LR input separate (referred to as 'LINE' on the little screen on the front). With laptop, tonight I managed to get audio sorted using the HDMI adapter but until then it did / does work with a straight 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. HDMI audio of course just uses the TV speakers. So I have a spare RCA in and I have an optical out from TV. Can they be connected?

I can afford, but simply can't justify in my head replacing the HTIB. I tend to use things until they die... Not that much of an AV / AUDIO perfectionist (as you've probably gathered) but the SONY does sound great for what it is. I'd like to be able to use that for the Virgin box too...

Thanks again
 
Two ways a device can die
1: physically failing.
2: technical obsolescence.

This is a clear case of number 2, as you cannot get this device to work the way you want it to. You are fighting against the limitations of the device, when a new device would fulfill all your needs and keep you going for years to come.
 
connect all devices to sony means buying DACs and switches. I don't see the point to buy this kind of stuff. It only gets more complicated and messy.
Probably the right way is to buy new set, so it has all connections, what you need.
Before you buy, do homework! HTIBs often lack connections.
 
Two ways a device can die
1: physically failing.
2: technical obsolescence.

This is a clear case of number 2, as you cannot get this device to work the way you want it to. You are fighting against the limitations of the device, when a new device would fulfill all your needs and keep you going for years to come.

Nail on the head quite frankly!

For example ive recently helped my parents buy a new tv as theres was playing up, but when we got the new tv i realised their freeview recorder/pvr only had a scart connection, no HDMI, so i got a phono cable to use knowing that the quality would be rubbish, but they didnt want to spend another £150 on a new PVR box after buying the tv, so i tried setting up the old box using the phono cable, at first i got a picture/sound, but it was in black and white and had some horrible lines in the pictures, so i fiddled around for 30mins and finally got it going, then i had issues switching back to the tv tuner, plus the picture quality was never going to be the same on the recordings as it would be watching in HD on the tv,so in the end i told my parents if you want something decent, and that will give you a better picture quality when recording and no issues connecting it all up, then you'll have to buy a new one with HDMI connections, so thats exactly what they will be doing today.

As i said there may be ways of connecting the old equipment to new equipment but in my experience its a right ball ache and requires additional cabling, and even then you wont be getting the best out of your new equipment, its like buying a ferrari and putting cheap second hand tyres on it, you just wouldnt would you!
 
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Connect the VM + MacBook to the TV via HDMI.

Connect the Optical Out of the TV to an Optical to 2RCA Converter (will cost you around £20).

Connect the Optical to 2RCA Converter to the Stereo Line Input on the HTIB.

Joe
 

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