Question Sony 65 inch OLED A8H driven by HTPC

[SmallTownUSA]

Afternoon All,
Ordered a Sony 65 inch OLED A8H on Prime Days from Best Buy. Got it at a really good price. It arrives in a few days and I am trying to get all the various components configured. I will be connecting the Sony with my HTPC. The graphics card in the HTPC is an EVGA GeForce GT 1030 DDR4, 02G-P4-6232-KR, 2GB SDDR4, Passive, Low Profile GPU. The low profile is needed for the box I have it installed in.
- One of the Sony HDMI ports supports 2.1 (eARC)
- My GPU supports HDMI 2.0b but not 2.1.
- I currently have an older Logitech Z-5500 THX Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System for sound

My Questions:
1. Is there any benefit to worrying about HDMI 2.1 if I use my old Logitech sound system?
2. Would I be better off if I trashed the Logitech and purchased a relatively good quality soundbar (I'm an old fart...77 yrs) so I need good quality sound
3. If I get a soundbar do I need to upgrade my GPU? If so what soundbar and GPU should I get?

We watch almost exclusively movies, TV series, and some streaming.
We do no gaming.

Should I just give up watching TV and vegetate in my easy chair

Thanks,
Harold

 

[next010]

1. Only ARC/eARC sound systems can use ARC/eARC feature on the TV.

2. No reason to if your happy with what you have.

3. Nope.

Your Logitech supports Dolby/DTS 5.1 and PCM 2.0 over its optical connection, you can use it direct with the PC via its own optical out or connect it to the optical out on the TV and funnel audio that way.

Optical shares the same audio formats as HDMI-ARC.

If you were to get an eARC capable sound system that would allow passing HD audio formats and possibly PCM 5.1 but if you dont consume media with those audio formats then you dont really need it as you dont play games you have no need for PCM 5.1.

 

[SmallTownUSA]

1. Only ARC/eARC sound systems can use ARC/eARC feature on the TV.

2. No reason to if your happy with what you have.

3. Nope.

Your Logitech supports Dolby/DTS 5.1 and PCM 2.0 over its optical connection, you can use it direct with the PC via its own optical out or connect it to the optical out on the TV and funnel audio that way.

Optical shares the same audio formats as HDMI-ARC.

If you were to get an eARC capable sound system that would allow passing HD audio formats and possibly PCM 5.1 but if you dont consume media with those audio formats then you dont really need it as you dont play games you have no need for PCM 5.1.

Next010,
Many thanks for the response. Your observations will probably save me a significant amount of money!!
I'll wait until everything arrives to see if all are compatible.
Harold

 

[Michael7877]

It probably doesn't matter in your situation, but the one port isn't HDMI 2.1 with eARC, it supports eARC on HDMI 2.0.

No big deal if you're not gaming at 4k120fps.

As long as you're not hoping to hook up the speakers to your HTPC only, and have the TV send sound back to the 1030 on HDMI (from broadcast TV or whatever) to pass through the computer and then to your speakers, you won't be using ARC/eARC anyway. I don't think it's possible with the video card.

As the poster said above, if you're happy with how things are, no reason to change anything.

You can look for a TOSLINK optical switch if you need optical from the TV separately to the speakers. I got one for about $20

 

[SmallTownUSA]

It probably doesn't matter in your situation, but the one port isn't HDMI 2.1 with eARC, it supports eARC on HDMI 2.0.

No big deal if you're not gaming at 4k120fps.

As long as you're not hoping to hook up the speakers to your HTPC only, and have the TV send sound back to the 1030 on HDMI (from broadcast TV or whatever) to pass through the computer and then to your speakers, you won't be using ARC/eARC anyway. I don't think it's possible with the video card.

As the poster said above, if you're happy with how things are, no reason to change anything.

You can look for a TOSLINK optical switch if you need optical from the TV separately to the speakers. I got one for about $20

Thanks for responding, Michael. I took the chicken way out on this and completely removed the Logitech speakers, going only with headsets for the wife and me (we need separate volumes anyway). When we have company, we will use the built-in speakers on the Sony. They aren't great, but not much different than the Logitech (at least to our ears). Put the Logitech and Samsung TV on Marketplace .

 

[Michael7877]

Thanks for responding, Michael. I took the chicken way out on this and completely removed the Logitech speakers, going only with headsets for the wife and me (we need separate volumes anyway). When we have company, we will use the built-in speakers on the Sony. They aren't great, but not much different than the Logitech (at least to our ears). Put the Logitech and Samsung TV on Marketplace .

Nice.
I've read the TV speakers in the A8H are a bit of an upgrade over the 2019 A8G (my tv) - more bass apparently. It should do fine for company, I used the speakers in mine for 3 months