connect samsung tv digital audio (optical) to creative 5.1 surround sound

[Jodesta]

I have a converter to change the black/orange/green to rca red/white. This worked perfect on my old tv as it had rca audio out.

My new tv only has digital audio (optical) out only, i dont even think it has a headphone jack (forgot to check this before i bought it dam!)

What im wondering is can i swap the rca converter i have to an optical one or do i keep the rca one and attach an rca to optical one as well?

Ive seen some rca optical converters on ebay and they have a power adapter. Why do they have to have power? The one i currently use doesnt.

 

[americanaudiophile]

To be clear your old TV had analog RCA audio out and you had a "converter" to feed your speakers with 3 stereo mini plugs? If so this sounds like it wasn't a converter but just a way of splitting the stereo output to feed all the inputs of the speakers. Wasn't real surround sound just 5 channel stereo and could be done passively so did not need a power supply.
If you want real surround then you need something like this:
http/www.ebay.com/itm/like/261325168149?lpid=82
Your TV would need to output 5.1 channel audio so check that this is an option in the audio menu.
The device that takes an optical digital audio output and converts it to an stereo analog output is called a DAC an has active components in it that require power to work.

 

[Jodesta]

To be clear your old TV had analog RCA audio out and you had a "converter" to feed your speakers with 3 stereo mini plugs? If so this sounds like it wasn't a converter but just a way of splitting the stereo output to feed all the inputs of the speakers. Wasn't real surround sound just 5 channel stereo and could be done passively so did not need a power supply.

Yes, that's right. it was a little box thing I got on ebay that (prob not explaining the best) but yea, it was true surround sound just all 5 speakers went at same time type thing.

If you want real surround then you need something like this:
http/www.ebay.com/itm/like/261325168149?lpid=82
Your TV would need to output 5.1 channel audio so check that this is an option in the audio menu.
The device that takes an optical digital audio output and converts it to an stereo analog output is called a DAC an has active components in it that require power to work.

So the thing on ebay - does this completely replace the splitter I had with my old tv or do is still need that to plug into this?

Thanks