Connecting my home theatre to both my PC and TV

[Telcontar]

Hi,

I have this Sony Home Theatre system:

https/www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-BDV-E4100-Speakers-Blue-Ray-Surround/dp/B00CGFWF50/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1509824837&sr=8-7&keywords=sony+home+theatre+system

It is currently connected to my LG TV via HDMI ARC. The TV is also connected via HDMI to my PC. The PC is also connected via DP to a monitor. When I use the LG TV as the PC's display the audio works fine on the home theatre system. However, I'd like to also be able to use the home theatre as the PC's audio output (in 5.1) when I am using the monitor as the display (e.g. without using the TV as a display). Plugging the HDMI cable from the home theatre to my PC's HDMI ports (either motherboard or GPU) doesn't seem to work (no audio). My motherboard only has the 6 standard audio jacks. One potential solution I was thinking of would be to connect an HDMI cable from a PC HDMI port to something like this:

https/www.amazon.co.uk/Neoteck-Extractor-Optical-Converter-Splitter-DAC-1080P/dp/B01GH4MEYC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509822390&sr=8-3&keywords=hdmi%2Baudio%2Bextractor&th=1

And then connect the splitter's SPDIF port to the home theatre's digital optical in port via an optical cable. Would that work and if not, what other possibilities do I have?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Paul NZ]

Sounds similar to what I've done to the computer in the bedroom.

It's connected to a Sony 32EX400. I connected the PC to a HDMI port, I connected a BDV-E2100 bluray HT to the ARC port.

Connected an optical cable from the TV to the E2100. If I watch TV I can select the HT audio under the audio options on the TV

It switches the HT on changes the input to TV. Then goes thru 5:1 speakers

Same goes for the PC. My computer doesnt have optical either. It's only connected to the HDMI port on the TV.

It doesnt have speakers (plugged into audio out on it)

Does your TV and HT have optical connections??

 

[Telcontar]

Sounds similar to what I've done to the computer in the bedroom.

It's connected to a Sony 32EX400. I connected the PC to a HDMI port, I connected a BDV-E2100 bluray HT to the ARC port.

Connected an optical cable from the TV to the E2100. If I watch TV I can select the HT audio under the audio options on the TV

It switches the HT on changes the input to TV. Then goes thru 5:1 speakers

Same goes for the PC. My computer doesnt have optical either. It's only connected to the HDMI port on the TV.

It doesnt have speakers (plugged into audio out on it)

Does your TV and HT have optical connections??

The HT has a digital optical in port. The TV doesn't. But the thing is I want to use the HT as the PC's audio without actually using the TV as well.

 

[Paul NZ]

It maybe better if you buy a separate soundcard with optical in/out on. Then plug it into the optical on the HT. That should be it

 

[Telcontar]

It maybe better if you buy a separate soundcard with optical in/out on. Then plug it into the optical on the HT. That should be it

Do you think this one would work?

https/www.amazon.co.uk/CSL-8-channel-simultaneous-recording-equipment/dp/B01HM5KP5A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509834280&sr=8-2&keywords=sound+card+optical

It does appear to have SPDIF ports so it should be alright if I use its optical cable and plug it into its SPDIF port and into the HT's optical port?

 

[Paul NZ]

Yup that should do it. The Toslink out to Toslink in on the HT

 

[Telcontar]

Yup that should do it. The Toslink out to Toslink in on the HT

So I got the new soundcard and hooked it up to the PC and the toslink cable is plugged into the spdif out port of the soundcard and optical in port of the HT. However there is no sound at all. I have selected in the PC sound devices menu the "USB speakers" as the output device. I am attaching the pictures of the panels on the sound card and HT for reference.

What I have also tried is connected the HT to my monitor via HDMI, with the PC connected to the monitor as well and the PC connected to the HT through the sound card with optical. This doesn't work either, still no sound.

https/www.dropbox.com/s/o2uiikhg1ugrm21/81Rq7Un2E8L._SL1500_.jpg?dl=0
https/www.dropbox.com/s/8tl156j7gpb2oy6/ht.png?dl=0

 

[Paul NZ]

Did you change the input on the HT to TV??

If it's similar to my HT, thats what it switches to, so you get sound

 

[Telcontar]

Did you change the input on the HT to TV??

If it's similar to my HT, thats what it switches to, so you get sound

Yes the input is set to TV.

 

[Paul NZ]

Hmm if you selected USB speaker as the default speaker, is there an option there somewhere like 5:1, optical??

You may have to enable it under sounds somewhere to get it to "switch on"

 

[Telcontar]

Hmm if you selected USB speaker as the default speaker, is there an option there somewhere like 5:1, optical??

You may have to enable it under sounds somewhere to get it to "switch on"

I've configured the USB speaker for 5.1 and looked through every option to see anything relevant. Tbh I've searched every corner of the internet for solutions and tried pretty much everything I could find without luck, so I'm out of ideas.

 

[Paul NZ]

Is this it?? I wonder if you have to connect audio out to it as well?

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KJ5uhlIQvc

You did install the drivers right? It looks like there are drivers for it

 

[Telcontar]

Is this it?? I wonder if you have to connect audio out to it as well?

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KJ5uhlIQvc

You did install the drivers right? It looks like there are drivers for it

You mean having an audio cable from the pc into the sound card? Also, the drivers are installed. I know the sound card works because if I plug in some standard speakers to the sound card (on the 3.5mm jack) they work fine.

 

[Paul NZ]

Hmm did the drivers install a separate program (similar to sounds in control panel)?? That you can use. It may have different options in it

I would check the questions and answers on the amazon site you posted for it. The answer maybe there. Since they're customers who have purchased it .

 

[Telcontar]

Hmm did the drivers install a separate program (similar to sounds in control panel)?? That you can use. It may have different options in it

I would check the questions and answers on the amazon site you posted for it. The answer maybe there. Since they're customers who have purchased it .

It did not have any other programs installed. And I've already looked at amazon. Nobody described a similar problem. As I've said, normal speakers work with the sound card so it should be fine. The problem has to be related to the HT or the spdif ports or a combination of the 2.

 

[Aria1066]

From the Sony BDV-E4100 manual - when using the optical cable - set [Control for HDMI] in [HDMI Settings] of [System Settings] to [Off] (page 50).

 

[Telcontar]

From the Sony BDV-E4100 manual - when using the optical cable - set [Control for HDMI] in [HDMI Settings] of [System Settings] to [Off] (page 50).

Tried that as well but it was the same.

 

[Telcontar]

Alright, I've sorted it. Turns out I was using the optical cable wrong. It had plastic bubbles at each end I thought they were part of the cable (I've never used optical cable before), but it turns out I had to use it without them. I feel really stupid now for wasting 2 days trying out all sorts of things when all I had to do was remove some plastic bubbles...

 

[Paul NZ]

Ah right yup, you have to take the cover off it to use it..Good to hear you fixed it

 

[Wyrus]

Sounds similar to what I've done to the computer in the bedroom.

It's connected to a Sony 32EX400. I connected the PC to a HDMI port, I connected a BDV-E2100 bluray HT to the ARC port.

Connected an optical cable from the TV to the E2100. If I watch TV I can select the HT audio under the audio options on the TV

It switches the HT on changes the input to TV. Then goes thru 5:1 speakers

Same goes for the PC. My computer doesnt have optical either. It's only connected to the HDMI port on the TV.

It doesnt have speakers (plugged into audio out on it)

Does your TV and HT have optical connections??

Hey Paul,
I have been planning to buy SONY BDV-E2100 for a while now as my PC surround speakers to watch surround movies(pirated), but there is something that is holding me back because there are many posts saying that surround sounds from PC is not going to play through home theater system properly(It will be played in stereo). And I saw that e2100 only support PCM 2 channel on sony official site. so I assume any audio from PC which is not Dolby DIgital or DTS will be output to e2100 as stereo. Is that true ?

Then I saw your comment here, you were able to let PC 5.1 surround sound play through e2100! magically! I only have a question, can we just play anything from PC to the e2100 just as we play something through normal PC speakers ?

I only want to use e2100 as my PC surround speakers, just passing through sound, my movies are mostly encoded in Dolby TrueHD or other unsupported audio format in e2100.