Home theatre audio experts: help please

[BlueDubbinTDI]

I bought myself a 55" Samsung TV on Black Friday for cheapish and Im happy with the screen and unhappy with the sound. I'm just now getting around to plugging in my 1 year old Vizio soundbar with a red and white component cable to the TV when I realize it doesn't even have any audio out like my old 42" does. Just 1 set of component inputs (empty) and 2 HDMI (which are taken up by my xbox 360 and cable box). What can I do to get my sound bar running through both the cable box for normal TV viewing and Xbox play. Don't plan on hooking anything else up I just like a little bass (wireless subwoofer + soundbar) to match the action on screen.

All else fails I'll look into getting a budget receiver and start building a real sound system. I really don't wanna do that until the FR-S is riding on coilovers and 18's though.

Thanks!

[subwaynm]

That new Bose All in one is great and simple. I have one sounds great and works great with all plugged components
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/...ater/index.jsp

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by Monogram

Panasonic makes a great box home theatre system for about $200.00. You can run both your television and Xbox into the home theatre receiver.

any chance you could find a link for me??

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by subwaynm

That new Bose All in one is great and simple. I have one sounds great and works great with all plugged components
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/...ater/index.jsp

seems to require audio out, so this would not work for me. Seems like a good deal from Bose no less though!

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by Monogram

http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/SC-BTT190

This is the better one that I own, and it works great for my needs.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/panasoni...&skuId=4841397

Any advice on the actual hookup process?

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by Monogram

HDMI from TV to blue ray.
HDMI from TV to Xbox.
I do not remember if the blue ray has a 2nd HDMI, and I do not know the configuration of your cable box, but if there is no 2nd HDMI on the cable box and blue ray, use the high definition and digital sound outputs from your cable box to the blue ray.

Your cable box will communicate through the blue ray player to your television.

I'm no expert, but maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in.

That's a hell of a lot more than I would know how to do. Thanks! If anyone can chime in and guarantee that 1 of those 2 systems he posted will work for my needs I'll probably jump on this week.

[n2oinferno]

Does the Vizio soundbar have an optical input? It'd really help here if you gave us model numbers for what you've got, otherwise we have nothing to look at. You may be set to go already, but just missing a cable.

edit: I just looked at the Vizio site, and I'm pretty sure every single soundbar has optical input. /edit

If you're even considering any of the above, stop now. Bose is decent but far overpriced for what it is, and there are really no worthwhile theater in a box systems anymore. Especially when the blu ray player is the amplifier, and part of it dies, so then you're stuck with a dead amp or a dead blu ray player. And the reported wattage can be fudged, so don't trust those either. I actually downgraded a couple months ago from an Onkyo receiver I was running in 2.1 with some old Onkyo bookshelf speakers and an 8" subwoofer. Ended up with a Sony HT-CT660 soundbar, and I'm pleased enough that I could recommend it. Do demo it in a store first though, if you're interested. Got mine from Best Buy during a 250 dollar one day sale. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HT-CT660-46-Inch-Wireless-Subwoofer/dp/B00C25I5TE"]Amazon.com: Sony HT-CT660 46-Inch Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer: Electronics[/ame]

I like it, it does its job fairly well, and sounds nearly equally good for my purposes, compared to my previous set up. I have a toddler and another on the way and I was tired of finding Hot Wheels that had been stuffed into the port hole of the subwoofer. I also wasn't going to invest a grand into new tower speakers because the kids will trash them. Maybe in the future when they'll leave my stuff alone. I was really close to getting the new Andrew Jones engineered Pioneer sound bar ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-SB23W-Andrew-Soundbar-System/dp/B00EHBPF6W"]Amazon.com: Pioneer SP-SB23W Andrew Jones Soundbar System: Electronics[/ame]), but it only has optical in, and not HDMI. Not all, but a lot of TVs will convert a 5.1 signal into 2.1 when going out through optical, so to get that "fake, kinda sorta, but not really, because it's still all in the front" surround from a soundbar, I went with the Sony. Both should be on display at Best Buy if you want to demo them. I can tell you right off the bat though, the Pioneer has a better cabinet (wood vs plastic and metal) and a warmer sound, and is better for music. But I use my TV for gaming, TV shows, and movies.. not music.

Right now my setup is HDMI from the TV into to the soundbar, and then my PS4, Wii U, and Xbox 360 all HDMI into the sound bar. Very easy to set up.

[SubaSteve]

Any audiophile will tell you to steer clear from any integrated tv speakers or soundbars. Invest in decent sound system imo.

[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by Monogram

I still don't know much about audio systems, but the Panasonic blue ray system has been outstanding. I had a prior model for about 5 years, but I could not get the software to update, so I bought a new complete box unit. If I have to spend $300.00 every 5 years, I'm ok with it.

I'm running it on a 2012 65" Panasonic plasma, and it's better than anything I could hope to accomplish at any price.

Yeah, and that's why I almost just kept my mouth shut and didn't say anything.. Because it really makes me sound like an ass when someone recommends something and then I say "no, don't do that." In the end, if you're happy with what you're spent your money on, that's all that matters.

Originally Posted by SubaSteve

Any audiophile will tell you to steer clear from any integrated tv speakers or soundbars. Invest in decent sound system imo.

Of course, but that's audiophiles. Not everyone has the room, capacity, budget, or even the need for a really nice system. Judging by OP's response to Monogram, I'm not sure he qualifies as audiophile.

But hey, if he's got about 650 bucks to burn, he can get a decent 5.1 Denon or Onkyo receiver, a couple of Pioneer SP-FS52 floor standing speakers, and a Pioneer SW-8MK2 subwoofer.

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by SubaSteve

Any audiophile will tell you to steer clear from any integrated tv speakers or soundbars. Invest in decent sound system imo.

Pffft not even close to being an audiophile. I will post model numbers when I get home AMD see how far we get.

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Soundbar: VIZIO VSB210WS
TV: Samsung UN55FH6003

[n2oinferno]

Wow. Much as I hate to say it, looks like you own the first modern television I've ever come across that has no audio output whatsoever.

So here's how to make it all work.

Video:
HDMI from the Xbox to TV
HDMI from cable box into the TV

Audio:
You have a choice to make here. Your soundbar has optical (SPDIF) and RCA inputs. Optical is higher quality (digital instead of analog) and while I'm not sure about your cable box, I know your Xbox supports optical out. If you have the first gen HDMI Xbox, you may need this cable unless you want to modify the stock cable: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Toslink-Audio-Adapter-Xbox-Slim/dp/B009GUO15K/ref=pd_cp_vg_1"]Amazon.com: Monoprice RCA and Toslink Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Slim: Video Games[/ame]
If you have the S or newer Xbox, it has a built-in optical out so nothing else is needed.
Option 1:
a. Xbox optical out into soundbar SPDIF in.
b. Cable box RCA out into soundbar RCA in.
Option 2.
Both devices RCA out into soundbar RCA in.

There's a third option as well. If your cable box has optical out you can purchase an optical switcher and go from the xbox and cable box into the switch, and then the switch into the soundbar. But unless you have room for another small box, they're all going to be manual switches which can get to be a pain.

Hope this helps.

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by n2oinferno

Wow. Much as I hate to say it, looks like you own the first modern television I've ever come across that has no audio output whatsoever.

So here's how to make it all work.

Video:
HDMI from the Xbox to TV
HDMI from cable box into the TV

Audio:
You have a choice to make here. Your soundbar has optical (SPDIF) and RCA inputs. Optical is higher quality (digital instead of analog) and while I'm not sure about your cable box, I know your Xbox supports optical out. If you have the first gen HDMI Xbox, you may need this cable unless you want to modify the stock cable: Amazon.com: Monoprice RCA and Toslink Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Slim: Video Games
If you have the S or newer Xbox, it has a built-in optical out so nothing else is needed.
Option 1:
a. Xbox optical out into soundbar SPDIF in.
b. Cable box RCA out into soundbar RCA in.
Option 2.
Both devices RCA out into soundbar RCA in.

There's a third option as well. If your cable box has optical out you can purchase an optical switcher and go from the xbox and cable box into the switch, and then the switch into the soundbar. But unless you have room for another small box, they're all going to be manual switches which can get to be a pain.

Hope this helps.

It's the gen xbox that became shiny black with internal 250gb harddrive and internal WiFi with motion sense power button rather than press button.
The cable box is Comcasts HD DVR and its only about 6 months old so I'm sure its top of the line.

Will the tv just have no sound going to it with these options or what? The sound settings on the tv itself are a joke. But you already knew that lol

[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by BlueDubbinTDI

It's the gen xbox that became shiny black with internal 250gb harddrive and internal WiFi with motion sense power button rather than press button.
The cable box is Comcasts HD DVR and its only about 6 months old so I'm sure its top of the line.

Will the tv just have no sound going to it with these options or what? The sound settings on the tv itself are a joke. But you already knew that lol

Ok so it's the S model, cool. Then run your optical cable from the Xbox into the soundbar (or a switch, if you're wanting to do the cable box too) and HDMI into the TV.

That's correct though, the TV will just have no sound going to it. If there isn't an option in the menu to disable the TV speakers, just turn the sound to zero and use your soundbar to control volume.