[lipcrkr]

My installation arrives Wednesday, i'm new to DirecTV. I read a previous post, about two years ago, that the H24 doesn't have optical? My A/V receiver and my Cable box have optical. I want surround sound 5.1 to go along with my HD receiver. Everything will be hooked up (minus the DirecTV box) until he arrives. But will he have both boxes on the truck to see my setup? I use HDMI but i use an optical link from my my TV to a Cable modem so i can get sound from my PC which is connected to the TV.

 

[RunnerFL]

The H21 has an optical output, the H24 does not. You'll be very lucky if the installer has an H21.

 

[samrs]

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=117744

H21s have optical H24s don't, most new insalls get H25s. Likely not to be an option.

 

[dualsub2006]

When my PC was connected to my TV I did optical out of the TV for sound and it worked fine through my sound system.

Is there something special about your setup?

 

[RAD]

When my PC was connected to my TV I did optical out of the TV for sound and it worked fine through my sound system.

Is there something special about your setup?

Most TV's optical output won't pass a DD5.1, except for an OTA/ATSC station, they'll just pass DD2.0 audio when using an HDMI input.

 

[mdavej]

That was the rule a few years ago but not anymore. What model TV? My recent Sony passes DD5.1 from all sources. When I got it, I was able to remove 5 toslink cables from my system and greatly simplify my macros.

 

[RAD]

My newest set Samsung 2011 PN51D8000 doesn't pass DD5.1 via its TOSLINK from a HDMI input, only ATSC/OTA channels.

 

[ghontz1]

My 2009 LG plasma has HDMI from my H23 Directv receiver then toslink from my TV to my Sony receiver and i get 5.1 surround sound or whatever Directv sends through the receiver 5.1 or 2.1 whichever is available.

 

[texasbrit]

back to the original post, if you need optical and your DirecTV receiver only has digital coax just get a converter, they are cheap enough.....

 

[RunnerFL]

back to the original post, if you need optical and your DirecTV receiver only has digital coax just get a converter, they are cheap enough.....

And work very well.

 

[mdavej]

lipcrkr, are you sure your AVR doesn't have coax? Most receivers I've seen that have optical also have at least one coax. That will save you from having to buy a converter.

 

[lipcrkr]

Thanks for all your responses. It looks like it doesn't matter as far as the box. I have HDMI from my Cable box (DirecTV box Wednersday) to my A/V receiver. My optical goes into my Computer then goes to my A/V receiver. I do have both optical/digital audio so that's cool. Also, i don't need Ethernet because it bypasses the Cable box. So i have HDMI from the TV to the A/V and HDMI from my PC to the Cable modem. I'm keeping Internet but switching to DirecTV, On my HD TV i use HDMI 2 to watch my TV and HDMI 1 to watch the Internet. Just a button away.

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

^^^
I think you are over complicating things

Just run HDMI from the DirecTV box to your AVR & HDMI from your PC to your AVR

That's what I do and it works great. Very easy to use too.

 

[charlie460]

Is there a reason DirecTV omitted the optical output in favor of coax S/PDIF? It doesn't make any sense to me, since Optical is certainly in more widespread use than coax. Cheaper to implement, maybe?

 

[lipcrkr]

^^^
I think you are over complicating things

Just run HDMI from the DirecTV box to your AVR & HDMI from your PC to your AVR

That's what I do and it works great. Very easy to use too.

Don't i have to use HDMI from the cable box (or DirecTV) to the TV?

 

[randyk47]

Don't i have to use HDMI from the cable box (or DirecTV) to the TV?

Personally I run all of my HDMI inputs through my AVR's and then just one HDMI from my AVR's to my TV's. I find that a lot easier to switch sources than switching at the TV. I think there was, or is, some concern about picture quality but I can't see a difference and certainly no issues with my surround sound systems.

 

[BLMN]

Personally I run all of my HDMI inputs through my AVR's and then just one HDMI from my AVR's to my TV's. I find that a lot easier to switch sources than switching at the TV. I think there was, or is, some concern about picture quality but I can't see a difference and certainly no issues with my surround sound systems.

just shut off all video processing options on the AVR and it wont compromise the picture quality, it will work more like a pass through. thats what i do and it has the same picture quality as if the hdmi was straight to the tv. no need for multiple cables like 1 for video and another one for audio. thats the beauty of hdmi

 

[mdavej]

Can you post a diagram of your setup? After reading your posts in detail and the other comments, your connections do sound needlessly complex. If your AVR takes HDMI, you don't need another audio connection.

 

[lipcrkr]

My A/V does take HDMI, but won't i lose some of the Video processing as opposed to TV to DirecTV?

 

[wahooq]

HDMI provides superior sound quality as well as 2 way communication for web-based sound...and 7.1 vs 5.1 available for fiber optic......optical is on the way out