Connecting my devices to 5.1 system

rdb2012

rdb2012

rdb2012

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Hi guys, I have a blu ray player with 5.1 surround sound. I also have my tv, PS3 and 360 that are connected to the blu ray player to make use of of the 5.1. Now the problem is it only has one optical out so what i had to buy some sort of optical splitter. But it's not very effective.

I am wondering if there is any other ways that I can connect the consoles and tv.

This is the spliiter that i bought:

http://www.cable-trader.co.uk/image...l_TOSLINK_SWITCH_SELECTOR_SPLITTER-130843.png
 
Why not spend a few extra on a nice Onkyo amp (other brands are available) and feed everything into it via hdmi..... Problem solved!

Apart from that no idea sorry, never split an optical myself
 
rdb2012 said:
How much would that be?
Click to expand...

You are in the same boat as a lot of people with BD/home cinema kits. There's rarely enough inputs for more than one or two devices. The optical switch is the next logical step. The trouble is it's manual and the manufacturing accuracy isn't that great. Anything like this that sells for £5-£15 is going to be made in China for pennies.

A better solution would be a remote controlled optical switch

If you are serious about getting a solution that works, and the idea of spending £70 on an optical switch doesn't phase you, then Elrein's suggestion is probably the best long term answer.

What you'll need is a Blu-ray player, an amp and some speakers. The last two items can be bought as very competitively priced packages from certain manufacturers. Have a look at the Yamaha YHT398 and Onkyo HTS3505. Both of these include an amp that is 3D compatible and does full HD Audio decoding. If HD Audio from your Blu-rays isn't a priority then the Yamaha YHT196 foregoes that feature and is available from discounters for under £180. These kits will come with basic speaker cables.

Add a Blu-ray player from £50'ish+ for standard and £60'ish+ for 3D and you'll have the core of your system sorted. Add a few cables bought cheap on line an you'll be in business.
 
Looks like a good deal for 100 smackers, however it's not as simple as connecting your current speakers to it. Connecting the five surround speakers should not be too much of a problem, but the subwoofer might be. The Pioneer AV receiver requires an active subwoofer, which has it's own built in amplifier. If the 5.1 Blu-ray system uses a passive subwoofer, which works off the surround amplifier, then you're going to have to buy an active subwoofer as well.

Which Blu-ray 5.1 system do you have?
 
The likes of an Onkyo 608 can be had for about 200 quid second hand. Whathifi product of the year a few back. I bought it new and have all my devices plugged into it. Xbox, ps3 etc
 
rdb2012 said:
http://www.lg.com/uk/home-entertainment/lg-BH6220S-home-cinema-system
Click to expand...

As I suspected, that uses a passive subwoofer. You'd require a AV receiver that has connections to power the subwoofer itself. I'm not sure this is possible with new standalone receivers. Most, even the budget ones now, have a connection for an active subwoofer. You can tell because a AV receiver that uses an active subwoofer has a RCA/phono connection. A AV receiver that powers a passive subwoofer will have speaker type connection. AV receivers that take a passive subwoofer are probably only available new to buy as part of a whole package. Onkyo's HTS3505 5.1 kit has a passive subwoofer, just as an example.

I'm guessing you are going to have to look for second hand AV receivers. You may come across one of the ones that takes a passive subwoofer.

This is the problem with these all in one BD/DVD based 5.1 systems; as Lucid mentioned, there are very few inputs for other devices. Not only that, but they are not upgradable and you can't just replace the main unit or speakers at any point. They really are too limited. They are cheap, but that's all they have going for them in my opinion.
 
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