Connecting PC speakers with HDTV

ByacoXX

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2008
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Hi, I'm trying to connect a Toshiba Regza HDTV with the same speakers as my desktop, i've got the Creative Inspire P7800 system. Is there some sort of switch i could use to share them speakers? Could i also have some way to jack in my laptop as well?
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,342
10,860
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This GE 3-port should do the job for you & it even has a built in mini-plug output for your PC speakers.


This Startech 4-port would also do the job and comes with a remote control too although you would also need to snag an RCA to mini-plug adapter to use it. (it also has video ports but you don't need to use them)
 

ByacoXX

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2008
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I'm looking at the Startech 4-port switch and it only has one output for the TV, I would like more than one output to connect my computer as well.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: ByacoXX
I'm looking at the Startech 4-port switch and it only has one output for the TV, I would like more than one output to connect my computer as well.

Input #1 TV
Input #2 Computer
Input #3 Laptop

Output = speakers

Note that with 7.1 computer speakers that lack digital input, you're going to be getting 2.1 only from your TV and Laptop unless you get some sort of fake surround going (Does the CMSS feature on the speakers just turn 5.1 into 7.1, or can it do 2.1 into 7.1?). (You could potentially get true surround sound from either source if you think you need it, but it's probably not worth it investing in additional hardware to get those speakers going vs. getting a new set that can do it already).
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: ByacoXX
alright thank you for your help!! =)

No problem.

You'll also need a few adapters to get everything hooked up right since the computer speakers will be using 3.5mm connections and the switch will be using RCA.

TV to switch will be RCA to RCA (no adapter needed)
Laptop to switch will need to go from 3.5mm to RCA (adapter needed)
Computer you'll just want to hook up the FL/FR output from the computer to the switch (adapter needed)

Switch to speakers will be RCA to 3.5mm (adapter needed)

So you're going to need 3 adapters to get it working... Depending on if you have cables already, you may want to get different gender ends on them. We can help you pick out specific gender cables if you want to get those now too.

Note: you'll need fewer adapters if you get a switch that is 3.5mm (1/8") based rather than RCA based. I don't know of any offhand to recommend.


As an alternative to all this if you want to save some money and have a soundcard with a line-in, you could run the TV's audio output to the computer's line-in. If your computer is always on, then you'd just need to mute / un-mute the line-in when you wanted to select the TV.

You could then plug the laptop's output into the auxiliary input on your P7800s.

Then you'd have laptop to speakers directly, and the TV's sound would run through the computer.
 

jays978

Junior Member
May 16, 2008
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hello guys...I also have the same problem. I want to connect my computer speakers to my hdtv. I have a smal Logitech X-240. Please help me out. thanks!
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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If you just need to connect it to a TV, you need a simple adapter. The x-240s are 2.1, so you don't need to worry about surround sound issues.

As long as your TV has stereo analog output, you just need something that will change RCA to the 3.5mm size that computer speakers use.

http://www.cablesforless.com/p...2x-male-rca-plugs.aspx
One of those will allow you to plug into the two RCA audio outputs on your TV and then you can plug into the adapter just as you would a computer.

If your TV has variable audio output, you'll be able to control the volume with your remote. If it's fixed level output, you'd have to adjust the volume on the speakers. You may be able to select which kind of output you want in the settings as well.

As for hooking up both the computer and the TV, you'd need to be able to switch it sometime or have both sources hooked up at once. You may or may not get good results hooking up both sources at the same time. One way you could do it is if you have the computer on all the time, you could hook up the TV's audio output into the "line-in" on your soundcard or integrated sound.
If you don't have the computer on all the time, you'd probably want to get some sort of switch box like was mentioned earlier in this thread.
 

chris9641

Member
Dec 8, 2006
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YOyo I am buying a new tv soon and will face the same problem. I was wondering however, if i could just connect the tv to my soundcard (X-Fi fatal1ty) through an optical cable then use the red and white wires from my xbox 360 and connect those to my tv.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: chris9641
YOyo I am buying a new tv soon and will face the same problem. I was wondering however, if i could just connect the tv to my soundcard (X-Fi fatal1ty) through an optical cable then use the red and white wires from my xbox 360 and connect those to my tv.

So you have three sources?

360
TV
Computer

and you're trying to use what as speakers?
 

jays978

Junior Member
May 16, 2008
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0
Thank you guys for answering my questions. Now I have another crazy idea for my parent's home theater. We have a Sony SS-U571AV theater system with Amp, CD player etc. The wires are those copper tipped wire with +/- where it is inserted into the switch. Do I need to use any special switch or converter to connect to the TV or do I have to go through the amp or CD player? Please let me know. Thanks in advance!
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,204
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Originally posted by: jays978
Thank you guys for answering my questions. Now I have another crazy idea for my parent's home theater. We have a Sony SS-U571AV theater system with Amp, CD player etc. The wires are those copper tipped wire with +/- where it is inserted into the switch. Do I need to use any special switch or converter to connect to the TV or do I have to go through the amp or CD player? Please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Could you link to a picture of that system or some info on it from a website? I found a couple mentions of it looking on google for 5 seconds, but I didn't see anything conclusive.

Is it a couple stereo speakers + a receiver + some source components?

If so, you can hook the TV through it if you connect the TV's analog audio output to one of the inputs on the receiver. Just switch the receiver to that input and the system will play the TV's audio.
 

jays978

Junior Member
May 16, 2008
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hey yoyo, yes its that kind of system. When you refer to the TV's analog audio output are you just reffering to any of the rwy cable ports or something else? I have a Toshiba Regza also if that helps.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,204
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Originally posted by: jays978
hey yoyo, yes its that kind of system. When you refer to the TV's analog audio output are you just reffering to any of the rwy cable ports or something else? I have a Toshiba Regza also if that helps.

Can you give me the model number?

The TV is going to have several inputs on it, but hopefully it also has audio output capability. This may come in the form of digital out or analog out (or both). Using one of those audio outputs from the TV, you should be able to hook up to the receiver.

Without the model number of a list of inputs / outputs on the TV and receiver I can't be sure though.
 

kbphoto615

Junior Member
Apr 7, 2010
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I have a set of Logitech X 540 5.1-CH PC multimedia home theater speakers and I have my xbox 360 running to my Panasonic Viera HDTV via HDMI Cable. I wanna know how to hook the speakers up to the TV so that when I play my xbox 360 the sound will come out the t.v. first and then finally out of the speakers. basically I want the speakers to play whatever comes through the t.v., originally I was using RCA cables and had an adapter to get the speakers to work. But now I got the new t.v. and use the HDMI cable, which makes the sound come out of the t.v.

I want the speakers to play everything, regular television, and whatever is on the xbox 360. Any suggestions on how to do this?
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
I want the speakers to play everything, regular television, and whatever is on the xbox 360. Any suggestions on how to do this?

Does your tv have any outputs for audio ? Digital , L+R ?
That is what you need.
Then you can connect an external amplifier to that output, hopefully a digital one. Most tv have a setting where you can change the audio output between stereo and PCM or RAW for external receivers. Note that some tv do not support volume control through the tv for an external receiver so you would need a remote to control that separately
 

kbphoto615

Junior Member
Apr 7, 2010
5
0
0
Does your tv have any outputs for audio ? Digital , L+R ?
That is what you need.
Then you can connect an external amplifier to that output, hopefully a digital one. Most tv have a setting where you can change the audio output between stereo and PCM or RAW for external receivers. Note that some tv do not support volume control through the tv for an external receiver so you would need a remote to control that separately
Im sorry I dont know what to look for im kinda new with all this tech stuff, especially tv's and stereo equipment. I mainly do computers.
My TV is a panasonic viera tc-32x1
I tried to find a picture of the hookups on the back of tv to no sucess.
EDIT
I do have a digital audio out connection on the back of the TV. I have a L/R composite audio in.
 
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