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Question

New BluRay / Surround Sound Systems lack HDMI Input?

Mar 21, 2018 4:15PM PDT

I need a good BluRay/Surround Sound system (preferably 4k but not critical). My problem is that I use a projector rather than a television type monitor to stream content. Projectors are not designed for sound, so I use the following configuration:

Roku/FireTV - HDMI - Surr. Sound/BluRay - HDMI - Projector

The box in the middle (Surround Sound/ BluRay) handles the sound and passes video to my projector.

These days, manufacturers have dropped the HDMI inputs on the surround sound boxes expecting you to use their own built in apps rather than Roku or Amazon Fire or use smart TV apps. They expect your TV to be the center of the above diagram and the TV is the output to a separate surround sound system that has only optical input for audio usually.

Projectors don't have optical out or HDMI out so this will never work for me. Any ideas??

Post was last edited on March 21, 2018 4:24 PM PDT

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I have to disagree. Here's why.
Mar 21, 2018 4:29PM PDT

You wrote " they expect your TV to be the center of the above diagram and the TV is the output to a surround sound system that has only inputs. "

This will fail fabulously if you tried that with the usual Samsung TVs. Why? Because Samsungs, all the models I've run into for years do not pass HD audion when the source is HDMI. "It's dead Jim."

The model that is expected from my experience and what I see all over is:
All sources to the Receiver then maybe an optical link from HDTV back to receiver for OTA and app sound.

In your case you don't have a HDTV so the usual receiver will do great.

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Answer
One step up from those will work
Mar 21, 2018 5:10PM PDT

Yes, they lack hdmi inputs because they aren’t AV receivers Wink

That said, you can just as effectively buy an ‘All in One’ 5.1 speaker system that only lacks the blu ray player but still has at least one or two HDMI inputs.
Look at Denon, Onkyo, etc. Blu ray players can be found for $50 too.

If better sound quality is important, build a system new over time, starting with basic AV receiver and decent stereo speakers.

Pro- tip: the used audio market is chock full of great stuff for hundreds less(!)

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Thanks
Mar 21, 2018 5:48PM PDT

Thanks guys - I just wish they would throw the stupid $50 BluRay player in to the box so I could have ONE box - why don't they do that any more? I have an AVR / BluRay player that is a few years old and is failing (Samsung HT E5400) This was an all in one box, but it will not work with the new Roku Ultra 4K and I need to have that for Charter / Spectrum as that company has contracted with Roku exclusively.

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I still hate Charter(!)
Mar 21, 2018 9:29PM PDT

They were always a PITA

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Charter - much improved on the Roku!
Mar 22, 2018 3:03PM PDT

Don't get me started on how much I hate Charter. However, after telling them to just drop all of my cable service, they offered me what they call the retention program which is a really good deal forever - not just for a year or so. The deal includes a package of about 50 basic channels, plus your choice of 10 additional a la carte channels so that you can tailor your package to what you watch. Total price for this AND 100MB internet is under $100 monthly. That's actually a pretty good deal, and may cause me now to drop Sling for Charter instead of the other way around. The menus for Charter on the Roku are 1,000 times better than their set top box menus, and its a pretty cool deal using the Roku for access rather than set top boxes.