Home audio & video forum: Audio Connections Problem

Give me the entire setup exactly how it's connected now. Something like the following:

DirecTV receiver (red/white out) --> (red/white input) AV receiver
AV receiver (HDMI out) --> (HDMI in) HDTV

Etc.

Include everything you've got in your system and how it's connected.

Without knowing that, I can tell you that often the audio output from HDTV is limited, including what netflix will permit in that fashion. On most TVs you are limited to stereo sound, even via the digital optical port. There have been several threads of late on this topic, FWIW.

The set up is as follows:

Direct TV box is going to the HDTV via HDMI cable

Sound System is going to the Direct TV box red and white audio cable.

That's it.

Now, what I want is have the sound of the TV go directly to the sound system, not via the Directv box. So I unplug the audio from the Directv box and plug into the HDTV.

I thought this is what most people did. Let's say I didn't have a Directv box hooked up and all I wanted was the TV to use the sound system. Cables are going from the TV to the sound system.......but nothing happens? Am I missing something stupid?

Please provide all makes/model numbers.

Also include which *direction* your audio cables are being connected to the respective input/output jacks on everything. See my examples above. For audio from the DirecTV receiver going to your AV receiver requires one set of audio cables, and a separate audio option from the HDTV back to the AV receiver requires a second set of connections. The question is whether your HDTV can do this, and if you have selected the correct audio input on your AV receiver.

That said, it sounds like you also need to give me your HDTV make/model number so I can check your audio options there too. Some HDTVs are restrictive in this regard.

I see your system like this possibly

DirecTV (HDMI out) --> (HDMI in) HDTV

DirecTV (red/white out) --> (red/white in) AV receiver
OR
DirecTV (digital optical or digital coaxial out) --> (digital optical or digital coaxial in) AV receiver

HDTV (red/white out) --> (red/white in) AV receiver
or
HDTV (digital optical out) --> (digital optical in) AV receiver

Please give makes/models so we can properly check this stuff

but you keep saying you have the sound system going TO the direct TV box. Unless you're saying it wrong it should be the other way around. The Direct TV box should go TO the sound system. What kind of sound system? With the newer ones you would plug all the external devices (direct tv, Roku, Playstation, etc.) into the sound system and then 1 cable out from the sound system to the TV.