Samsung HT-C5500 - does it route HDMI in standby?

tbourner

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Hi guys,

I'm going to be getting a Samsung HT-C5500 home theatre thingy, but having never had one before I'm not sure how best to wire it up?

We have a Virgin HD box with HDMI into the TV (Sony KDL32S2010 I think) which has only 1 HDMI input, we don't currently have a PS3 or anything, just Wii which we use on component anyway.

When we get the HTS I was thinking of doing Virgin to the HTS via HDMI, then HTS to the TV via HDMI - so I get 5.1 on Virgin and Blu-Rays/DVDs, and still get HD TV. But would I need to have the HTS turned on ALL the time? Or could I still just use TV speakers for Virgin if I wanted to? ie: does the system just route the HDMI inputs to the output?
The other option is optical, but with only 1 HDMI port on the TV I'd need to swap cables when I want to watch a Blu-Ray/DVD? Are Y-cables any good for HDMI or would I get a problem trying to watch Virgin and have the HTS on (both ends of the Y-cable powered would the TV get confused)?
 
When we get the HTS I was thinking of doing Virgin to the HTS via HDMI, then HTS to the TV via HDMI - so I get 5.1 on Virgin and Blu-Rays/DVDs, and still get HD TV.

No home theatre system supports HDMI input. If you want surround sound from an external piece of kit (i.e. Virgin) you will need to feed it to your home theatre using digital audio - either optical or digital coaxial, if the Samsung thing supports either of these. (Just looked, it supports optical input.)

If your TV only has one HDMI input and you are intent on feeding both Virgin and home cinema via HDMI then you will need a HDMI switch, feed both boxes into that, and have a single HDMI cable from switch to TV. Switch between the two boxes depending what you are watching.
 
Some A/V receivers can pass through the HDMI signal while in standby but I don't think any all-in-one systems with HDMI in like this do. You will probably need the system on all the time if you were to connect the Virgin HD box through it.

If you don't want that, then as Broadz said you could use an HDMI switch to connect both units to the TV, and only have optical from the V box to the sound system.

Could be an excuse to upgrade the TV!
 
No home theatre system supports HDMI input. If you want surround sound from an external piece of kit (i.e. Virgin) you will need to feed it to your home theatre using digital audio - either optical or digital coaxial, if the Samsung thing supports either of these. (Just looked, it supports optical input.)
Eh? What's the point in the HDMI inputs then? Are you saying HDMI doesn't carry audio?

If your TV only has one HDMI input and you are intent on feeding both Virgin and home cinema via HDMI then you will need a HDMI switch, feed both boxes into that, and have a single HDMI cable from switch to TV. Switch between the two boxes depending what you are watching.
You sound like an HDMI hater? I thought it was the most convenient for digital signals? How else can I get my Virgin HD signal to the TV?

Could be an excuse to upgrade the TV!
My last TV we had for 16 years, only replaced it when it refused to turn on one day, there's no chance of replacing this one any time soon!!
 
Eh? What's the point in the HDMI inputs then? Are you saying HDMI doesn't carry audio?

Not at all. Having read the spec of the Samsung I see that it does support HDMI input. Most (in fact every other home cinema I have ever come across) do not support HDMI input. The Samsung is acting more like an AV receiver than a home cinema system - which is a good thing. Still can't find anything in the specs about how you would force the Samsung to pass its HDMI input - and which HDMI input - to its HDMI output if the Samsung was not switched on - but it may be possible. You will find out when you buy it. :smashin:

You sound like an HDMI hater?

Really? I certainly don't intend to. It's how I feed high definition from my Sky HD box and my Blu Ray player to my TV. And an upscaled image from my DVD recorder to my TV also.

How else can I get my Virgin HD signal to the TV?

The way anybody who had any other home cinema system apart from the one you listed would - by feeding HDMI directly to the TV (so no chance of degradation by running through a third party piece of kit, and no ambiguity as to what will be passed to the TV if the Samsung is not turned on) or via a switch where you could choose which HDMI signal to pass to the TV.
 
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Not at all. Having read the spec of the Samsung I see that it does support HDMI input. Most (in fact every other home cinema I have ever come across) do not support HDMI input. The Samsung is acting more like an AV receiver than a home cinema system - which is a good thing. Still can't find anything in the specs about how you would force the Samsung to pass its HDMI input - and which HDMI input - to its HDMI output if the Samsung was not switched on - but it may be possible. You will find out when you buy it. :smashin:

Really? I certainly don't intend to. It's how I feed high definition from my Sky HD box and my Blu Ray player to my TV. And an upscaled image from my DVD recorder to my TV also.

The way anybody who had any other home cinema system apart from the one you listed would - by feeding HDMI directly to the TV (so no chance of degradation by running through a third party piece of kit, and no ambiguity as to what will be passed to the TV if the Samsung is not turned on) or via a switch where you could choose which HDMI signal to pass to the TV.

Sorry, misinterpreting txt communication again! The way you said(?) "intent on feeding via HDMI" I read as a bit pushy. :oops:
Anyhoo, thanks for the info, I think I'll get it and see how it works, then decide whether to get an optical cable and HDMI switch later if I get annoyed with having it on all the time and/or swapping cables.
 

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