How Do I Hook Up My Surround Sound Without An Optical Cable?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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If you want to connect a soundbar to the TV without HDMI or optical, you have two options: go high-tech with a wireless connection or

mid-tech with 3.5 mm aux or RCA cables

. You can also use an auxiliary device to convert coaxial cables to another type of connection.

Can I use HDMI instead of optical cable?

Both cables can be had pretty cheap. The biggest difference is that HDMI can pass higher-resolution audio, including the formats found on Blu-ray: Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio. These formats

can’t get transmitted across optical

. … So if you want just a single cable between two devices, HDMI is your pick.

What if your TV doesn’t have optical output?

One of the simplest solutions is to

buy an HDMI ARC to Optical Audio Adapter

. … The adapter adds an HDMI port for the TV (ARC enabled) and an output for the optical, so you just need to plug cables from both audio devices into the adapter, and you should be good to go.

Is it better to connect Soundbar with HDMI or optical?

The major difference is that

HDMI cables

can pass higher resolution audio which includes formats found on Blu-ray like Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master audio. Fiber optic cables won’t be able to transmit these high-res sound formats. HDMI can also pass video signals. … Such soundbars many not have HDMI inputs anyway.

Do you need optical cable for surround sound?

HDMI supports more audio formats and might save you an extra cable if your system supports ARC or eARC. However,

an optical connection will sound just as good as

HDMI if you don’t need anything more than stereo or compressed 5.1 surround sound.

What if my TV doesn’t have HDMI ARC or optical?

You

won’t get sound from just your tv to your sound bar

if you don’t have HDMI ARC/Optical/Digital Coax, if all you want is just tv sound. If you’re connecting other devices to the bar, you’ll get video out to tv and sound to the bar from the devices. Example: No sound from over the air tv without those connections.

How do I connect my Samsung TV to my home theater optical cable?

  1. Insert the digital optical audio cable into the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT port of the TV.
  2. Insert the other end of the digital optical cable into the DIGITAL AUDIO IN port of your external speaker.
  3. Press the Home button on the remote control and select Settings.

Can you use both HDMI and optical audio?

Both HDMI and optical pass digital audio from one device to another. Both are better than analog (the red and white cables). Both

can pass multi-channel audio

, like Dolby Digital. … So if you want just a single cable between two devices, HDMI is your pick.

What’s better HDMI or optical?

The major difference is that

HDMI cables can pass higher resolution

audio which includes formats found on Blu-ray like Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master audio. Fiber optic cables won’t be able to transmit these high-res sound formats. HDMI can also pass video signals. … You might not have an option of HDMI altogether.

Which is better AUX or optical?

In terms of audio quality, aux is more open to line loss and interference. … Higher quality aux cables can also help as they’re better shielded.

Optical

isn’t foolproof either. Though not prone to interference in the way that aux is, digital can ‘lose’ data, especially over longer cable runs.

How do I get my TV to recognize my soundbar?

  1. Next, connect one end of an HDMI cable into the HDMI IN (ARC) port on your TV.
  2. Connect the other end into the HDMI OUT (TV-ARC) port on your soundbar.
  3. Next, change the source on your soundbar to the D.IN.

What is the best way to connect a soundbar?

It’s better to connect your soundbar with

an HDMI cable

because it provides better quality sound. While HDMI and optical connections both pass digital audio from one device to the other, HDMI is capable of handling higher-resolution audio.

What is the best way to connect soundbar to TV?

The best way to connect your soundbar to your TV is with an HDMI cable. This is because HDMI transfers audio digitally, which means it will be raw and uncompressed. Also, HDMI cables can handle the most high-end soundbars, including ones that support surround sound.

How do I connect my home theater to my TV without HDMI ARC?

How do you connect a TV to a receiver without HDMI? You can use

any RCA audio cables

, a composite video cable, a 5-cable component RCA video cable, or an HDMI converter that matches the input option you have available.

How can I connect my home theater to my TV without ARC?

If you find that your TV, A/V receiver or home theater (HT) system does not support ARC, you will need to use Option 2:

Coaxial Digital Cable, Optical Digital Cable

, or Option 3: Audio Cable to connect your devices.

Is there a difference between HDMI and HDMI ARC?

HDMI and HDMI ARC are, for the most part, the same.

The difference occurs on the receiver side

. The attached device has to be ARC compatible, otherwise, it won’t work. … Most soundbars have a port labelled HDMI ARC, similar to the one on your TV.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.