Problems getting 5.1 from Samsung setup

[Kierano]

Hello. My set-up is as follows:

AV: Samsung TZ-325 [HDMI Out]
Blu-Ray: Samsung BD-D5500 [HDMI Out]
Projector: Vankyo 530W [2 x HDMI In]

I have a Toslink cable running from the AV to the Blu Ray.
I have a HDMI cable running from the Blu Ray to the Projector.
I have a Firestick in the second HDMI slot of the projector

Despite the fact that the AV is 5.1, I have two issues:
1. When playing Blu-Rays, I'm not getting 5.1
2. When playing Netflix/Prime films through the firestick, I'm not getting any sound, other than through the projector itself

It seems to me that if I had a blu-ray player with HDMI in, issue 1 would be resolved, but there don't appear to be any on the market
I haven't really got a clue about how to resolve issue 2.

Any input [pardon the pun] gratefully received!

Thanks,
Kieran

 

[DavidT]

How have you connected the projector to the Samsung?

 

[dante01]

The AV receiver would ordinarilly by the hub to which you connect all your devices via HDMI. THe sources would output both video and audio to the AV receiver via HDMI and the AV receiver would pass the video through and out to a display or PJ via the AV receiver's HDMI output. The sound would be extracted and processed by the AV receiver.

The issue with your setup is that the Samsung TZ-325 is a HT DVD player and not an AV receiver. You'd ideally want an AV receiver with multiple HDMI inputs and an output. You'd use the AVR to not only process the audio, but to use as a source selector and an HDMI switch.

The only digital audio input available to you on the Samsung TZ-325 is a single S/PDIF opticalinput and this is being used by your Blu-ray player. You've therefore no means by which to convey digital audio from any other source to the Samsung TZ-325.

Blu-rays are more commonly encoded with HD audio soundtracks and HD formatted audio cannot be conveyed via S/PDIF optical. You'll need to configure the player to output SD quality 5.1 sich as DTS or Dolby Digital rather than having it setup to output HD formatted audio via HDMI. This is more than likely why you aren't getting native 5.1?

Blu-ray players don't have inputs. THey are a source device and only need outputs.






In the long term, consider upgrading your setup and buy an AV receiver with multiple HDMI inputs.

 

[Kierano]

How have you connected the projector to the Samsung?

HDMI out from the Samsung Blu-Ray to the HDMI1 [in] of the projector.

 

[Kierano]

The AV receiver would ordinarilly by the hub to which you connect all your devices via HDMI. THe sources would output both video and audio to the AV receiver via HDMI and the AV receiver would pass the video through and out to a display or PJ via the AV receiver's HDMI output. The sound would be extracted and processed by the AV receiver.

The issue with your setup is that the Samsung TZ-325 is a HT DVD player and not an AV receiver. You'd ideally want an AV receiver with multiple HDMI inputs and an output. You'd use the AVR to not only process the audio, but to use as a source selector and an HDMI switch.

The only digital audio input available to you on the Samsung TZ-325 is a single S/PDIF opticalinput and this is being used by your Blu-ray player. You've therefore no means by which to convey digital audio from any other source to the Samsung TZ-325.

Blu-rays are more commonly encoded with HD audio soundtracks and HD formatted audio cannot be conveyed via S/PDIF optical. You'll need to configure the player to output SD quality 5.1 sich as DTS or Dolby Digital rather than having it setup to output HD formatted audio via HDMI. This is more than likely why you aren't getting native 5.1?

Blu-ray players don't have inputs. THey are a source device and only need outputs.






In the long term, consider upgrading your setup and buy an AV receiver with multiple HDMI inputs.

Thanks for the comprehensive response - this has given me food for thought. A couple of weeks ago I was on the cusp of investing in some kind of converter sold by Amazon which purported to somehow enable a splitting of HDMI out and in [it plugs into the HDMI Out]. It seemed to good to be true so I didn't pursue it.

 

[dante01]

You can split HDMI, but how would that resolve your problem?

You've several HDMI sources with HDMI outputs and the Samsung TZ-325 has no HDMI inputs of any description.

The issue isn't with splitting HDMI and neither a splitter nor an HDMI switch would resolve it.

 

[DavidT]

HDMI out from the Samsung Blu-Ray to the HDMI1 [in] of the projector.

So the projector has no direct connection to the Samsung hence why the FireTV does send sound to the Samsung. As said already you need to replace the Samsung for an AVR.