Uh-Oh! (how do I get audio?)

I just got a new streamer box and suddenly realized that there doesn't seem to be any way to get analog audio out of the thing and into my "ancient" analog AVR. Bummer.

Every device I've ever used up to this point always had left and right audio out of some kind (either RCA white/red or a mini headphone jack at the very least.

Now what? (My TV doesn't even have any kind of audio-out, either. I've always gotten it directly from the device.)

Edit to add: I guess the TV does have an optical output. Maybe there's an adapter out there, somewhere...

 

TV does have an optical-out. No good for the analog AVR.

Streamer only has HDMI out. It does have a USB port, maybe that could be utilized, somehow.

 

Thanks, Jimmie. I will look into those.

It's an FTV2. I noticed on the side of the box it came in that it's supposed to have Bluetooth support for headphones and game controllers.

I wonder if I could I could somehow use that to output audio to an old smartphone or tablet that has a headphone jack...

I'm definitely gonna have to figure out a solution because there's no f'n way I'm gonna watch with the TV speakers!

Another (temporary) solution I'm considering is using an HDMI splitter into one of my capture boxes that has a headphone jack on it.

It'll be a right mess, either way. (I can't believe I didn't even consider this before ordering it.)

 

Well, I decided to go with the jimmie57 solution.

After taking a minute (yeah, that's about all it took) to set up the FTV I realized that converter is by far the most practical (if not the most elegant) solution.

It appears it will get its power directly from the (unused) USB port on the back of the TV.

If this works well enough it could wind up solving other annoyances as well. Not only might I not have to change audio inputs on the AVR as often, but it may possibly help to eliminate a nasty recurring ground loop hum (remember those?) that pops up every once in a while.

 

My best guess is it's roughly 25 or so. (DPLII was just making its way into the higher-end stuff around that time).

I got a great deal (nearly half-off) on an open-box item and it was next to the highest-end that audio store sold.

Long story short my OT-3 vintage mid-range AVR (like jimmie57's with optical and coax-in but no HDMI) crapped-out a couple years ago and I realized I still had that old DPLII lying around.

After I connected it up and got it going (no intention of ever using DPLII, 2-ch only) I thought it sounded so much better than the digital unit I decided not to replace the AVR for a while, but try to save a few bucks for a new display.

It really does have great sound from its main front amps. Nice and clean. And I was particularly stunned at how good the D/A converter is in the old HR21 is (especially the music channels)!

Also, the first time I heard my ripped (and uncompressed) CDs from the analog outputs in the box that has those I was equally stunned.

(I'm hoping the D/A conversion in that adapter is half as good.)

 

I've still seen 2-ch stuff in catalogs. I think they're kind of intended for small-scale P.A. type or DJ use, but they're not real expensive I don't think.

 

Yeah, I think that's even mentioned somewhere on the page for that device, to turn off Dolby "to reduce static" or something like that.

I'm not even sure if my TV passes 5.1 from HDMI to its optical port, (maybe from OTA only). I've already got the DVRs set to PCM. The big question is what'll happen from the streaming box. It does work through the TV speakers (yuck!) so I'm sure there's at least a stereo PCM signal available at its optical port.

If this works as well as I hope it does, then I'll probably be able to just leave the AVR set to that input and not have to change it between the streamer and the HRs (only having to change the input on the TV instead of both). This will be nice.

P.S. I just realized that longrider in the above quotes may have been referring specifically to when Sony stopped producing stereo only audio equipment. Yeah, I have no answer to that.