Home audio & video forum: How can I test my 5.1 surround ?

Retrace all your connections while studying those diagrams in the operating manual. That's for starters...

In today's world of several types of connectors & other components to possibly connect, the instruction manual wiring diagrams are intimidating at a glance. However, I have gotten everything connected by hunkering down & really studying those diagrams. They are so complicated with sparce written explanation, it's very easy to get those connections wrong somehow.

That leads to your dilemma. Would be nice if you had an electronics savvy neighbor with some basic test equipment because it seems you have some malfunction that you need some kind off repair pro to diagnose. With some knowhow & basic test equipment it might actually be fairly elementary, but I gusss you're going to have to pay todays' unfortunately high diagnostic fee to find out.

Sorry not to be more helpful.

Any DVD that is THX certified (Signs with Mel Gibson for example) gives you an option to use a THX audio and video test that's part of the DVD menu. It's pretty basic, but it gives test signals for each speaker in a 5.1 configuration so you can easily hear what's working. It also has a video test pattern, which is a large white square with 6 or 8 other white squares that have different shades of white, and the goal here is to be able to see the whitest of the squares but also barely see the rest of the white squares too. You then adjust the Contrast or Picture setting to change the TV until satisfactory.