Connecting 3.5mm headphones via R/L Audio Out

I don't understand why I need an amplifier or a audio receiver?

Most folks won't take the time to explain why but simply recommend items in this forum, which can be confusing. Let me translate.

The RCA outputs in back you see won't work properly with headphones since they are designed to be connected to either an amp or AV receiver. OTOH, what was suggested is not the correct type of headphone amp (1/4" instead of 3.5mm), and it lacks RCA inputs anyway. Whoops.

If you went with a simple $50 stereo receiver with RCA inputs (sometimes even less in garage sales/closeouts online), you could gain a more flexible & capable device than a headphone amp. A $.50 3.5mm to 1/4" headphone adapter would be the other item needed if you went that route.

I'd rather not spend the money on a stereo receiver.

I still do not understand the utility of the amplifier, what does it actually do that I need?

Will the following work?

RCA to 3.5mm >> 3.5mm to 1/4 Adapter >> Amplifier >> 3.5mm to 1/4th Adapter >> My headphones

You need an amp because the RCA audio out from the TV is likely a line level output and there will be no volume control to your headphones from this output. The line level out is not designed to drive speakers or headphones directly.

There are many other products to choose from. I only provided suggestions of what will work.

With what you suggested I would need 2 adapters which you did not specify, the "Will the following work?" that I posted above is precisely what you suggested but with an additional adapter.

Also, right now when I use [RCA to 3.5mm cable >> 3.5mm extender >> My headphones] I get no sound at all from my headphones and I assume the line level that you're saying I should experience would be above 0. I was initially under the impression that the sound would need to be converted from digital to analog but no one seems to be suggesting that?

Okay, yeah you would need an extra adapter, but that's evident. Again, the products I listed were suggestions only. You can do research on your own for headphone amps, but you could buy a cheap desktop audio system with RCA inputs and headphone jack and just be done with it. Check out some yard sales for some if you're so inclined. You should be able to tell exactly what cables and adapters you need by examining the product images/specs.

There are probably a couple of audio outputs from the TV. Most HDTVs have analog and digital outputs. The red and white RCA jacks you typically see are analog, so there is no digital to analog conversion. There will usually be a single digital audio out, but let's not even go there.

So I bought all of the stuff and your solution does work to output sound through HDMI, however, the sound output is the same as through the headphone jack ie: I can't hear voices.

I did find the real solution though, I went through sound settings (I know, this should have been step #1) and all I had to do was change right/left stereo output bias in either direction (either all of the way right or all the way left) and that fixed the problem, output through the headphones remains perfectly even, no idea why that works but it does so I'll stop asking questions for now.

and if you don't have other alternative means, you could still use the other recommendations but the cable should be change to this one http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3449316&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=4200494&utm_content=Exact&utm_campaign=PLA&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJDE152Er7cCFWZxMAods0YAAA&gclsrc=ds.ds and...get one more adapter because now you need one for the input as well.

Is what you're suggesting the same as the post I made above?