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General discussion

optical input but no optical output - what to do?!

May 31, 2010 8:08AM PDT

My home entertainment system has no digital input for audio, only an optical input or a coaxial, but my TV has no optical output only the coaxial or a digital output. Is there any way I can output the sound via the digital output into the optical input via a converter or something else? Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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(NT) They are the same, just worded differently.
May 31, 2010 11:50AM PDT
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Same, same, same . . .
Jun 3, 2010 4:14AM PDT

Digital audio is carried three ways.

HDMI

Optical

Coax

If you have any of the three, the encoding is digital. The flavor of the digital will depend on the source, as in Dolby, etc. Generally, what goes in comes out.

My Dish Network receiver has both optical and coax, and the signal is on both ports all the time. Something like a PS3 has a choice of output; optical OR coax, but not both at the same time. (Which is why I returned mine.)