HDMI/Audio Question

[toddwinkler]

Here is a question about the optical audio output.

I have my brand new Tivo Series 3 hooked up to my new Sony 50E2000. I have the Tivo hooked to the TV via HDMI.

Before, I had the one optical input on my surround sound receiver coming out of the TV. The problem is that my Tivo is not playing in 5.1 when hooked up like that.

When I plug the optical cable to the Tivo, I do get surround sound.

Is it the Tivo or the TV not passing the Dolby Digital audio out from the HDMI correctly? My guess is the TV is not passing the audio back out correctly even though it is receiving it via HDMI, but I wondered if anyone else had a similar setup.

[hookbill]

Did you check to see in the audio settings for TiVo to make sure your set for Dolby? If it's set for Dolby to PCM that could be the reason your having this problem.

[toddwinkler]

It is set to Dolby Digital.

[hookbill]

I'm probably asking the obvious but there is only two other reasons I can think of. First, is there anything in your settings on the TV for audio? The other, and probably the dumbest question but I have to ask it, is your TV capable of Dolby 5.1 (mine isn't).

[toddwinkler]

I'm probably asking the obvious but there is only two other reasons I can think of. First, is there anything in your settings on the TV for audio? The other, and probably the dumbest question but I have to ask it, is your TV capable of Dolby 5.1 (mine isn't).

I looked through the settings on the TV and saw nothing that would exclude it from passing the signal.

The TV is a 2006 model and maybe I falsely assumed it would pass the Dolby Digital after it received the signal via HDMI. I do know the TV will transmit the Dolby Digital signal when tuning a channel off of it's internal ATSC tuner.

[doorpro]

I also get a problem passing the sound through my HDMI to my Sony KDS-60A2000 Tv. I get a message on the screen that basically tells me that it wont pass through so i had to go back to the old Fiber Optics for the sound.
This however should be fixed today when I get the new Directv DVR which I am not looking forward to after enjoying my Tivo's for so many years but this thing does have a lot of great upgrades that Tivo just aren't supporting, at least not in the series 3 machines..

regards,
Doug.

[derekcbart]

I ran into a similar problem when I first got HDMI equipment. I thought that all I needed to do was to hookup the HDMI cable to get HD video and surround sound. Unfortunately, this is not exactly the case. HDMI does something called "pass through" which means that you can only get the audio playback from the last part in the chain. Since your TV is always going to be the last part of the chain and it can only playback stereo audio you cannot have surround sound.

What you need to do is to have the S3 connected to an AV receiver using HDMI and Optical. Then you have the receiver connected to the TV by another HDMI cable. This way you get HD video going to the TV and 5.1 audio played back through the receiver.

I know that it is a little counter-intuitive since all of the literature says that you only need to use the HDMI cable for both audio and video, but this is what I have discovered that you need to do.

[etsolow]

Here is a question about the optical audio output.

I have my brand new Tivo Series 3 hooked up to my new Sony 50E2000. I have the Tivo hooked to the TV via HDMI.

Before, I had the one optical input on my surround sound receiver coming out of the TV. The problem is that my Tivo is not playing in 5.1 when hooked up like that.

When I plug the optical cable to the Tivo, I do get surround sound.

Is it the Tivo or the TV not passing the Dolby Digital audio out from the HDMI correctly? My guess is the TV is not passing the audio back out correctly even though it is receiving it via HDMI, but I wondered if anyone else had a similar setup.
I had exactly the same issue. After a little research I determined that my TV was unable to pass through 5.1 sound from its HDMI input to the optical output. Annoying, but I just run the optical cable straight from the S3 to my receiver. I'm guessing your TV has that same limitation. (Unless I misunderstood... was this HDMI input -> optical output working for 5.1 before?)

[ashu]

OP, unless you NEED optical output from the TV to the Home theater receiver (for what? Watching OTA tuned channels? Do that on the S3 TiVo nistead!), I would recommend you leave the optical cable connected from the TiVo output to the receiver.

Optical passthrough is oddly only partly implemented on many TVs, and as etsolow alluded, perhaps yours doesn't pass through 5.1

[toddwinkler]

Thanks for all the help. I had the antenna hooked up to my TV in the rare instances the Tivo was recording 2 shows and I wanted to watch broadcast. That is why I had the optical output coming out of the TV.

Maybe I just need to invest in an optical switch.

[ashu]

Thanks for all the help. I had the antenna hooked up to my TV in the rare instances the Tivo was recording 2 shows and I wanted to watch broadcast. That is why I had the optical output coming out of the TV.

Maybe I just need to invest in an optical switch.

Yeah ... or a better receiver (least recommended option, unless you hav e a dire need for more devices!!). Or an HDMI switch (like monoprice.com's) that takes multiple HDMI, or one that muxes Optical inputs (Octava makes one) with multi HDMI sources etc.

Your choices are only limited by the depth of your wallet.

[Styx]

I have been doing some research into AV Receivers and wanting to do HDMI pass through, but just because HDMI passthrough is available on a device, it does demand further clarification before making a choice.

Why?

Well, it depends on the version of the HDMI ports on the TV or Receiver.

HDMI 1.0 - Video passthrough only
HDMI 1.1 - Video and Audio (5.1) passthrough

Unfortunately, the JVC RX-D702 receiver I was looking at does the later, but has an copy protection (HDCP) conflict with TiVo Series 3 and certain shows. Therefore connecting the TS3 to the JVC is not going to work for me, while using CableCards.

[ashu]

Pity your receiver has the conflict. Of course, that would only be for channels/shows marked as such, right? Are you sure it won't even negotiate with your TV via the receiver in question? That sounds surprising!

The S3 seems super-compliant with all kinds of receiving devices, from everything I hear so far.

[tripmaster]

I had exactly the same issue. After a little research I determined that my TV was unable to pass through 5.1 sound from its HDMI input to the optical output. Annoying, but I just run the optical cable straight from the S3 to my receiver. I'm guessing your TV has that same limitation. (Unless I misunderstood... was this HDMI input -> optical output working for 5.1 before?)

This explains why I cant get audio from my receiver, perhaps, using HDMI? Tivo->Denon 4306->TV (no speakers on TV)

I needed the optical to make it work.

[Styx]

Just as a side note, I just learned that the TiVo Series 3 HDMI is a video only source. Or at least that is what TiVo claims.

[tripmaster]

Just as a side note, I just learned that the TiVo Series 3 HDMI is a video only source. Or at least that is what TiVo claims.


I cant test this because i removed the speakers from my flat panel TV and am using my receiver only...

[etsolow]

Just as a side note, I just learned that the TiVo Series 3 HDMI is a video only source. Or at least that is what TiVo claims.
But that's not true... I got audio when using only HDMI from the S3, just not 5.1 audio, because my TV doesn't pass it.

[ashu]

My stereo TV also received audio over HDMI from the S3. Of course, now my TV's speakers are disconnected, HDMI from the S3 comes to it via a 5x1 switch and (optical) audio goes straight to the HT receiver, as the Good Lord hath intended :)

[windracer]

This thread and this one (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=330005) have some excellent information in them. Thanks!