Help setting 5.1 surround sound to TV

Sekerali

Commendable
Nov 10, 2016
8
0
1,510
I have a Cello 50" TV (cant find exact TV name). I want to setup some 5.1 surround speakers to work with the TV. The TV has multiple devices connected through HDMI, and used for standard watching channels.
The goal is to have the surround speakers work/enabled for all devices with the integrated speakers always disabled. The TV manual says to use digital audio out (optical) to connect to a 5.1 audio system.
I have currently purchased no surround equipment and as a bonus would like some help on finding some good ones (UK, must be wall mounted).
 
Solution

I realize you like this to be simple, but reality gets in the way.

To answer your (real) question, without an AV Receiver in the middle, you are looking for those integrated home theater speakers. Those are self-powered speakers that work by themselves, as long as it has an Optical Input, it will work, BUT and this is a HUGE BUT, not recommended due to often limitations, in-flexible blah-blah, and the end not able to do everything what you will be expecting them to do.

The PROPER WAY HARDWARE is: TV ----> AV Receiver ----> Passive (unpowered) individual speakers. This provides the most...
If your budget allows an AV receiver (Marantz is very good, Onkyo at a lower price would be fine too) and speakers would be the best way to go. Visit local shoppe and do some listening. The way a surround system sounds when it isn't loud is very important. You need to hear details and have clear dialogue.
Make sure that your TV will pass surround sound via the optical output. You can do that by checking whether the TV has more than one audio output type in the menu. If not then you would connect all your sources to the receiver directly. Even if it did pass surround sound if you use a BD player that should be connected to the receiver directly to get the best sound quality.
 

Sekerali

Commendable
Nov 10, 2016
8
0
1,510
The TV has a surround option (just says surround) but the manual specifies 5.1 surround with the optical output. So to my understanding, i should just get an AV receiver with speakers connected to it, and have that connected to the TV optical output? Other devices will be fine connected directly to the TV?
 

I realize you like this to be simple, but reality gets in the way.

To answer your (real) question, without an AV Receiver in the middle, you are looking for those integrated home theater speakers. Those are self-powered speakers that work by themselves, as long as it has an Optical Input, it will work, BUT and this is a HUGE BUT, not recommended due to often limitations, in-flexible blah-blah, and the end not able to do everything what you will be expecting them to do.

The PROPER WAY HARDWARE is: TV ----> AV Receiver ----> Passive (unpowered) individual speakers. This provides the most flexibility.

The PROPER WAY to hook up the above is: Components (cable box, blueRay player, game console etc) -----> AV Receiver -----> TV. This way the AV Receiver "routes" the various video inputs to the TV and at the same time extracts audio information, again from the components and send them to speakers.

 
Solution

Sekerali

Commendable
Nov 10, 2016
8
0
1,510
Thanks. Last question.. if im moving the HDMI cables for other devices from the TV into the AV receiver, how will the TV let me switch from displaying each device? (source --> HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3 .etc)
 

You don't. TV will be on HDMI-1 permanently, you tell the Receiver to do the switching.

This is like when you moved from antenna to cable service. You don't switch channels anymore with the TV, you switch channel via the set-top box. And yes, you will have to deal with a few remotes on your coffee table so budget for a universal if not already have one.
 

The Receiver will take care of it, each receiver brand does it a little differently.

With my box, when receiver gets a surround signal, it locks in whatever codec it needs (dolby,dts) and enables that. If it detects stereo, I have it configured to play in ALL STEREO mode, each vendor will have a different name for this, but basically means replicate Fronts to Rears, bass management still enable, meaning sub still getting HFE, and center I forgot exactly what it does but long story short stereo will play on all speakers, if that's what you want AND you may have to manually (once-off) configure it to do so.
 

Sekerali

Commendable
Nov 10, 2016
8
0
1,510
Thanks for the help. But i still feel very unconfident so id like to double check please. (sorry)

If i buy this http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr252/onky-txsr252-blk would it be correct to be doing the following:
Connect AV receiver to TV via optical and HDMI.
Connect my current setup of 2 PCs and a PS3 into the HDMI slots of the AV receiver, ignoring the labels other than remembering which device is in which label.
Connect the speakers into the AV receiver.
Press the button on the AV receiver to select what device to display.

Also i have never setup a TV for channels before until recently where i just slapped a cable from the wall into the TV for freeview. But basically i should just ignore it and it will automatically play stereo through all the surround speakers?
 

Clovis559

Commendable
May 12, 2016
10
0
1,570


First part yes. Though why two PCs to the same setup. You can only play one source at a time. You technically could do this.

Your over the air channels, that could be a different story. You might need to have sound output from the TV to the receiver. It would help a lot if you had the model of your Tv. Maybe even a picture of your Tv.
 

Paul NZ

Admirable
Sounds similar to what I've done. I'm using a Bravia with optical out and a Sony BDV-E2100 which has optical as well

Found a spare optical cable I used to use for a soundcard Connected it. Now I can either change the sound to the tv or it goes thru the stereo to the speakers