OT question about sound

My knowledge of audio is almost nil so bear with me, I have a Virgin
media TV box which gives me my Sky stuff, it has one HDMI output which
goes up to the TV and works well, is there an Amp I can purhase which
will take the HDMI output and give me sound into some speakers and then
transfer the picture back up to the TV or am i screwed only having one
HDMI output?

It has ethernet and USB on the back as well, but thats all.

Ta
Alan

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Yes. Just about any HDMI surround sound amp.

I *would* go as far as to say *any* HDMI amp but I expect there's one
*somewhere* that won't do it.

or am i screwed only having one

No



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The answer's yes (eg
http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/sony/strdh500/sony-strdh500),
but there might be a simpler way.

What audio outputs does the TV have? you might be able to run a digital
out from the TV to an amp, so you don't have to use the amp as a
switching centre (and you can use an older - non HDMI - amp)

 

No idea, I shall crawl behind it tonight and have a look, i do remember
its a 42" LG something or other purchased two years ago.

Thanks
Alan

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Further to this, i do not have any audio out's on the rear of the TV,
just inputs, I do have 2 x scart, plus an optical out, can this optical
out deliver the sound to an Amp and then to speakers ok?

Alan

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Sounds [1] like you do have a digital audio out in the form of an
optical TOSlink connector, so any old AV amp should be fine.

However, if I were you, I'd ignore my comments yesterday about searching
out a non-hdmi amp as the new hdmi-switching amps are nice and cheap
already (as per Champ's link).

I'd still recommend simply connecting up the amp to the telly via the
optical though as it can save a lot of fannying about. I have an old
Sony TA-VA777ES battleship of an amp with but a single digital input in
use and it works fine [2]


[1] did you see what I did there?
[2] strictly, this is a lie. The amp works beautifully, but I have 2
digital inputs going in, a coax from the bluray and an optical from the
sky box; neither from the telly, but the principle's the same.

 

I did, i am awake.

Thanks for this, I shall search Richer sounds for an Amp which has a
optical input, plus a suitable cable i guess.

Alan

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Even the cheapest Sony amp at Richer Sounds has 3 HDMI inputs, 2 optical
and 1 coax so you should be OK.

I'd suggest sourcing your cables somewhere other than Richer though as
20-30 quid for an optical cable is taking the piss. A search for
"toslink cable" on ebay will turn up a number of alternatives for under
a fiver delivered.

 

Now thats "sound" advice, I shall indeed take a look at ebay for these,
and Richer for the Amp.

Ta muchly.

Alan

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I cant find a Sony amp at Richer Sounds which has an optical input, any
idea's?

Alan

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I suggest you look harder. I can't find a Sony amp at Richer sounds
which doesn't have an optical input!

SONY STRDH500
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 2
Hdmi 3 in/1 out

SONY STRDH510
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 2
Hdmi 3 in/1 out

SONY STRDH800
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 3
Hdmi 4 in/1 out

SONY STRDH1000
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 3
Hdmi 4 in/1 out

SONY STRDH810
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 3
Hdmi 4 in/1 out

SONY STRDA3500ES
Coaxial Inputs 1
Optical Inputs 4
Hdmi 4 in/1 out

 

Probably a good idea to check that they have adjustable lipsynch delay
in case Alan wants to connect things up properly.
I expect they all do these days if they have HDMI.

 

Might also be worth considering...

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hch-systems-with-blu-ray-disc/bdv-e370/tab/technicalspecs

Combined bluray/av-amp/speakers/sub with optical-in, internet video (for
iplayer etc) DNLA (for streaming content from your PC). It's even ready
for 3D. Even gets What HiFi's best bluray system under £500 in this
year's awards (if you're impressed by that sort of thing)

£270 at Richer after the current Sony cash back

http://www.richersounds.com/product/1-box-home-cinema-systems/sony/bdve370/sony-bdve370

As long as your telly has more than one HDMI socket you're sorted. Best
get on your hands and knees again.

 

Now i am confused, (it does not take much) so if this Sony Amp which I
can now see has both HDMI inputs and outputs can I connect the Virgin
Media box into the Amp, then from the Amp up to the TV with no problem?

Alan

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Only has one HDMI input, cheap LG crap.

Alan

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You can do just that should you wish. HDMI to the amp, then HDMI to the
telly.

However, depending on whether the amp allows the signal to pass through
when it's turned off, you might have to have the amp on all the time you
are watching the telly.

Then if you get a second HDMI source, such as a bluray, or a PC, or an
xbox, or a PS3 or.. or... you will need to have the amp on and use that
to select the input that you want on the telly, whether you want
amplified sound of not

If you wire up the other way, all the sources going in to the telly then
one output from the telly to the amp, you only need to have the amp on
when you want amplified sound, and it will always be amplifying whatever
the telly's showing

 

Looks like you're back to an HDMI-switching AV amp then.

Though until you've got more than one HDMI source, I'd still be tempted
to connect virgin to telly then telly to amp

 

Now that's a post I can understand, thanks, I shall indeed connect it
to the tellybox and then back to the Amp and turn it on when i want it.

Off to Richer sounds at the weekend then.

Thanks
Alan

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I'll agree up to a point.

For years we used the AV amp all the time, but rewired it for simplicity
(mainly as the pre-hdmi composite-video switching didn't pass the aspect
ratio information so T was fed up of my moaning at her for having
everyone either fatter or thinner than they should have been).

Now the AV amp is at the end of the chain, we find we tend to use it
only when we're watching films or music or Top Gear, but rarely for the
news or Eastenders etc

And as the telly's on for about 80 hours a week, it costs me about a
tenner a month just to use the AV amp all the time.

 

You have to subtract the cost of the gas that the central heating
doesn't use
when the AV amp is helping to heat the house.
And I think you are overestimating the power consumption of your amp.