HDMI in to a HDTV does not give 5.1 out through optical?

[cmdrdredd]

I have been reading that on most (all?) HDTVs that use HDMI that you cannot use HDMI in to the TV from a source such as an HD Cable box and get 5.1 surround out via the optical port. Is this true? If so what is the way around this limitation? Go out from the HD Cable box to a Receiver's HDMI in to process the sound and pass the video through to the TV?

I guess the simple solution is to use the Coax out from the box in to the TV and the optical out to the receiver. Kinda defeats the point of HDMI that way.

Do I have this all correct? Just found this while reading some HDTV reviews.


In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

edit: obviously 1080p is not going to be necessary in this case so the quality between coax/component/hdmi should be very minor no?

 

[CMC79]

I believe that is the way mine works as well--my PS3 is hooked up via HDMI but I have to run a separate optical cable to my receiver. I don't have the problem with cable TV because I use a CableCard, which for me at least will allow 5.1 to be passed out to the receiver from the TV via optical as well. Because of all this, I ended up having to buy a cheap toslink switch from monoprice to handle the TV, Xbox360, and PS3 audio.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

Digital coax will have the same audio quality as HDMI

Component will have very similar picture to HDMI. Sometimes its a bit better sometimes its a bit worse...but in general its the same.

 

[s44]

Try the all-HDMI solution first. If you have handshaking issues, switch around (either non-HDMI, or connect the box directly to the TV's second HDMI if it has one and use optical/digital coax to the receiver).

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

Digital coax will have the same audio quality as HDMI

Component will have very similar picture to HDMI. Sometimes its a bit better sometimes its a bit worse...but in general its the same.

so doing component video out and Optical Audio out won't make a noticable difference in quality? Cool.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

Digital coax will have the same audio quality as HDMI

Component will have very similar picture to HDMI. Sometimes its a bit better sometimes its a bit worse...but in general its the same.

so doing component video out and Optical Audio out won't make a noticable difference in quality? Cool.

Contrary to what stores want you to think....nope. Little to no difference.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

Digital coax will have the same audio quality as HDMI

Component will have very similar picture to HDMI. Sometimes its a bit better sometimes its a bit worse...but in general its the same.

so doing component video out and Optical Audio out won't make a noticable difference in quality? Cool.

Contrary to what stores want you to think....nope. Little to no difference.

I did notice that using HDMI gave a better picture than component did from my PC. That could be because it's going through some other conversion that doesn't happen from DVI to HDMI conversion.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

In short is the best way to go as follows?: HD Cable via HDMI out to the receiver and then out to the TV?

Yes. But you very well may run into HDCP handshaking issues with this pass-through setup.

It's a pain.

hrm...so what to do?

What I want to do is HD from a cable box to my TV's HDMI (if possible) I also have component and coax to use as well.

I guess the question is...will Component or Coax have a noticable loss in quality?

Digital coax will have the same audio quality as HDMI

Component will have very similar picture to HDMI. Sometimes its a bit better sometimes its a bit worse...but in general its the same.

so doing component video out and Optical Audio out won't make a noticable difference in quality? Cool.

Contrary to what stores want you to think....nope. Little to no difference.

I did notice that using HDMI gave a better picture than component did from my PC. That could be because it's going through some other conversion that doesn't happen from DVI to HDMI conversion.

With a PC it matters more to stay digital than with a cable box. With a PC you have very crisp text which with any blurring becomes very evident. With television, you'll never notice that.