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Connect TV, Home Theater and PC

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Hi,

I have a TV with 2 HDMI plugs, a Home Theater (sony DAV-TZ 135 http://www.sony.com.ph/product/dav-tz135 ) with 1 HDMI plug (it's a cheap one with unfortunately not much connections) and a PC with also 1 HDMI plug.

Right now I connect both the PC and HT to the TV through HDMI, the problem being that I can't use the HT when watching something or listening to some music from the PC. Even if I could, it would mean that the TV needs to be on all the time, which is not practical if I just want to listen to some music from the PC. Currently TV + HT as well as PC + TV works, but not PC + TV + HT nor (obviously, as they are not connected together) PC + HT.

I guess if the HT had 2 HDMI plugs, I could connect both PC and TV to it and maybe it would work...but again, there's only 1.

Looks like there's no other way to connect the PC to the HT if I'm only interested in the sound.

I've seen that there are HDMI splitters and wonder whether it would work for me. Some need a power source so that the signal will stay strong, others don't...here I would only be using short cables (1m or even less if I can find some), and the HT would only be interested in the sound (but I guess it doesn't really matter as both video and sound will be sent to the TV and HT, unless there's a way to split the signal, and only send the video to the TV and the audio to the HT).

Any ideas on what I could do?

Thanks.

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TV Authority

It looks like your Sony Home Theater does have an analog audio input. If that's the case, then I'd probably look into using a 3.5mm stereo to RCA Left/Right audio cable from your PC to the Home Theater (leave the HDMI cable connected to the TV). Change the default audio device on your PC from HDMI to the analog output. With this connection setup, video from the PC will still go to the TV, but the audio will play from the Home Theater.

-Wolf sends

Thanks for the reply Wolfshadw,

I don't have the HT in front of me but I think I've seen behind one white and one red plug, just like on the cable you're mentioning, so I guess that would be a cheap and easy solution.

Now I would end up with only stereo sound (not that I have lots of 5.1 things on my PC, but I might in the future - eg I'll probably rip some of my DVDs / Blurays so that I won't have to always swap discs). What could I do to have 5.1 sound from my PC?

I just thought that my motherboard has all the necessary plugs for 5.1 sound, I don't know whether something exists to split the cables of the speakers and subwoofer, so that I'd be able to plug them both on the HT and PC at the same time? That way I wouldn't have to turn the HT on...

Thanks.
TV Authority

Unfortunately, your HT probably won't do 5.1 surround sound from anything other than the DVD player. It's may try to simulate 5.1 surround (my Onkyo HT-3200 is hooked up the same way and it does), but true 5.1 surround sound isn't going to happen until you get a better HT, preferably something that does HDMI Audio processing or at least has a digital audio input (you'd also need digital audio output from your PC).

-Wolf sends
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Thanks again Wolfshadw, I'm really new to HT and don't really know how they compare, except looking at the price and power! This HT was free with the TV (or included in the price ^^), and the store didn't allow to choose a better one even if I added some money...So I'll just go buy a 3.5mm stereo to RCA Left/Right audio cable as you said.
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