Smart TV & 5.1

[njb52]

Please excuse me because I am beginning to do research on a new home entertainment system to replace my existing one and it is all new to me.

My 5.1 channel audio amp is the hub of my current system, which I run all devices through and then to the TV. I have read on this forum that some Smart TV's have an Audio Return Channel that uses an optical cable to the audio amp so you can get true 5.1 channel sound. If I connect each of my devices (Satellite receiver, DVD player and future Streaming box) to the Smart TV with separate HDMI cables, will the single optical cable to my amp transmit audio corresponding to whatever device that I am using at the time? Or do I need separate optical cables for each device running from the TV to my amp?

Thanks in advance

 

[boosted1g]

No, you don't need separate optical.

First of all if the 5.1 amp has hdmi you should be running all devices to amp and then just output to TV.
Most TVs even have an audio return channel on the HDMI port so if you don't need any sound output out of the TV then you can use that and not even need an optical.
If that is a no-go then you can still use an optical return as an input to the receiver.
When using the smart TV functions you will need to switch the receiver to the optical input.


If the amp does not have hdmi then you would run all of your HDMI and video connections to the TV and just run optical out from the TV to the AMP.
Then you would just leave the amp on the optical input.

 

[madmatt30]

Be warned that a lot of TV's produced in the last 2 years will not pass Dolby digital from other hdmi sources via optical.
Something to do with Dolby licensing costs.
My old lg plasma did no problem ,after upgrading to a sharp aquos led I had to replace my old Panasonic receiver for a Sony one with 6xhdmi & arc capability.

 

[njb52]

No, you don't need separate optical.

First of all if the 5.1 amp has hdmi you should be running all devices to amp and then just output to TV.
Most TVs even have an audio return channel on the HDMI port so if you don't need any sound output out of the TV then you can use that and not even need an optical.
If that is a no-go then you can still use an optical return as an input to the receiver.
When using the smart TV functions you will need to switch the receiver to the optical input.


If the amp does not have hdmi then you would run all of your HDMI and video connections to the TV and just run optical out from the TV to the AMP.
Then you would just leave the amp on the optical input.

Thanks very much for answering my question, boosted1g, and the two options (using the ARC or the optical). I am glad that I can use the optical cable from the smart TV and just keep my receiver/amp set to its optical in port. It alleviates the complexity of using my AMP as a central hub.

Thanks also, madmat30, for the caution on whether or not Dolby will be transmitted via optical.