How do you get surround sound from a TV signal?

Question

I have a 46" Sony Bravia LCD but I don't know how to get 5.1 channels of sound for TV. I also have a surround sound system and have the TV connected to it via can hdmi cable and the red/yellow/white cable. The hdmi cable sends the audio from DVD's that the surround sound system plays. The other cable is what I use to get sound from the TV onto the sound system but it is only stereo (the TV channels always advertise 5.1 sound). Can I get the hdmi cable to send audio from the TV to the sound system or do I have to buy new cables?

Answer 1

This article may help you. goodluck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_so...

Answer 2

If you have cable, or Satallite, I would hook up an optical cable (minimum) from the cable or sat box to your reciever), If either box has HDMI then use this (as long as the reciever is HDMI compliant.

You will then be able to get 5.1 surround sound from any HD channel (all others will be broadcast in stereo)  Now if hooked up either with optical or HDMI, or even red and white analog cables you can still get surround sound from stereo sources, by applying ProLogic IIx to all stereo sources in your recievers setup menu.  Once you do this, all HD channels will still be in 5.1 surround sound (unless you have 7.1 then you can add Prologic to make 5.1 to 7.1 sound) but all stereo sources will be converted to "Simulated Surround Sound" using Prologic IIx post processing to either 5.1 or 7.1 depending on how many speakers you have set up.

But please remember unless you have HD channels you won't be able to get Dolby Digital 5.1 in it's purest form.  Otherwise you have to go with simulated surround sound, which sounds very good.

Answer 3

You have two choices, the first is if your TV has an HDMI OUTPUT you can run it to an HDMI INPUT on your receiver. If it does not, as most TVs don't, you'll have to run a digital audio cable from the output on your TV to an input on your receiver. The TV will have either an HDMI output or a digital audio output (it can be either optical or coax) that you can hook to an input on your receiver.

You are correct that the red, white, and yellow cable transmits only stereo sound and composite video. You may have to buy a cable or two but they are fairly cheap if you don't go to a stereo or big box store. I got my cables from Newegg for $5-$10 a piece. Paying $70 or more for a hunk of wire is insane.