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AVR connected to HD TV without ARC

  • 12-12-2020 03:02PM
    #1
    ifconfig
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 885 ✭✭✭


    This probably comes up a lot.

    Our current TV is a modest Samsung 40 inch LCD/HD TV (not 4k) purchased about 5 years ago.
    It has an optical digital audio out but it doesn't have a HDMI ARC connection.
    We also have a modest Acer projector which I've occasionally used for novelty.

    I am investing in a Denon AVR.
    90% of what we watch is from SKY HD box or Firestick.
    So far I've not used Saorview but the TV has a receiver and I can see myself eventually dropping the paid SKY sub.

    Anyhow on to my AVR / Home Cinema question.
    What are my options in terms of connections when wishing to alternate between Sky TV/Freesat built into TV/Firestick in terms of getting the Audio routed to the AVR.
    I am pretty sure that in the new year I will upgrade the TV to a modest 4K LCD TV with ARC on-board.
    But in the mean time what would the optimal cabling arrangement be to get sound routed to the AVR.

    I am assuming I will need to involve the optical TOSlink from TV-> AVR. Where do I connect Firestick (to AVR) or into TV ?


    We also have a PS3 that's never used for gaming any more (and I'm not a gamer). That could serve as a potential source for BluRay titles ( I have none but now I can probably make use of it for a while and eventually get a decent BluRay player, etc)

    Any advice would be very welcome

    -ifc


Comments

  • #2
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,063 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    If you have external speakers and you've disabled the TV's internal speakers, connect everything to the AVR. In that case and given your current setup, you won't need ARC or the optical cable, because all audio will originate at the AVR and the TV will simply be a video slave of the AVR with no audio function.

    You will need either ARC or the optical cable (to send audio from the TV to the AVR) if you use the Saorview tuner in the TV.

    The Firestick needs to pick up commands from it's remote via Bluetooth which is radio rather than infra-red so it should work fine if you plug it into one of the HDMI ports on the rear of the AVR but if there's a problem working the remote, try inserting it in the HDMI port at the front.


  • #3
    Gooey Looey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Gooey Looey


    Forget about the Toslink, it's obsolete and does not support any of the modern audio formats like Dolby digital plus that Netflix uses


  • #4
    ifconfig
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 885 ✭✭✭ifconfig


    Many thanks coylemj and Gooey Looey.

    This all makes sense.
    So it sounds like I can put the following AV sources into the various HDMI inputs on AVR :
    Firestick, Bluray player, Sky Box , 1 HDMI output to the TV, 1 HDMI output available for output to projector.
    I am getting Denon AVR-X2700H which has 2 HDMI outs.


    I haven't use Saorview at all so far but I just wanted to know what my options might be if I stopped my Sky sub in the new year.
    So, regarding Movies that RTE/TG4/Virgin channels broadcast on Saorview do they tend to broadcast them with the newer Dolby standards, assuming that the movie(s) supported that in the first place ?

    If so, I guess it does play into my plan to replace the TV with a newer one which has ARC support.


  • #5
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,063 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    ifconfig wrote: »
    So it sounds like I can put the following AV sources into the various HDMI inputs on AVR :
    Firestick, Bluray player, Sky Box , 1 HDMI output to the TV, 1 HDMI output available for output to projector.
    I am getting Denon AVR-X2700H which has 2 HDMI outs.

    Yes, that will all work as you intend.
    ifconfig wrote: »
    I haven't use Saorview at all so far but I just wanted to know what my options might be if I stopped my Sky sub in the new year.
    So, regarding Movies that RTE/TG4/Virgin channels broadcast on Saorview do they tend to broadcast them with the newer Dolby standards, assuming that the movie(s) supported that in the first place ?

    If so, I guess it does play into my plan to replace the TV with a newer one which has ARC support.

    I can't answer that question. Older threads on boards suggest that Saorview only broadcasts simple stereo. It might be worth starting a new thread over in Terrestrial and see what they have to say there.


  • #6
    Gooey Looey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Gooey Looey


    Saorview can broadcast in 5.1 surround if they want but they don't at present


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