can't get Surround from TV's digital audio output

[akrako1]

Just bought a Olevia 242T FHD (42" 1080p LCD).

Manufacturer's info page:
http://www.olevia.com/en-us/Products/2Series/242TFHDLCDHDTV.aspx

My problem is that I cannot get the TV to output 5.1 Surround in any way. I've tried using both the optical output, and the digital rca output (using brand new cables). My receiver always reads the audio as stereo, and switches to either Stereo, or a Pro Logic II mode. As sources, I've tried OTA broadcast TV and my digital cable signal via HDMI (Motorola cable box from Comcast). If I tune in an OTA HD station, next to the resolution, the TV will tell me that I'm getting a DD5.1 signal. The receiver (getting the sound from the tv via digital connection) just shows Stereo. My cable box will also be telling me that the channel contains DD5.1, but my receiver just shows Stereo. If I connect the optical out from the cable box directly to my receiver, I get DD5.1 (the Motorola cable box seems to be able to output sound thru the HDMI and optical simultaneously). Somehow, I just can't get a surround signal out of the TV - I have to bypass it and send the audio straight to the receiver. This can't be right. I've looked thru all the menus/manuals for the TV, and I can't find anything relevant - they just say to use the digital connections to get surround. Any ideas? It is a brand new TV, so I haven't messed with updating the firmware.

Thanks.

[Nelson37]

Check the audio menu options for pass-thru options, LPCM, digital, etc. It should be able to do this, but no guarantee.

[akrako1]

there's nothing like that in the on-screen menus...

I just can't fathom why it wouldn't be working for OTA signals... It'll say on-screen that I'm receiving 5.1 sound, but that's not what's going out the digital audio outputs... how else would you hear that 5.1 sound if not out the digital audio outs? I wouldn't think that would even be something I'd have to turn on.

[yoda313]

Somehow, I just can't get a surround signal out of the TV - I have to bypass it and send the audio straight to the receiver.

What do you mean by bypass it to the receiver? How else were you planning on processing the 5.1 signal? The way I can get it to work on my Westinghouse is to hook a fiber optic cable from the fiber optic output on the tv itself and send it to the fiber optic input jack on my surround receiver. Than I can get 5.1 surround. Now please note most commercials and news shows aren't surround sound so the signal will switch back and forth from 5.1 to stereo.

I don't believe you can have the tv speakers working at the same time as outputting 5.1. But you wouldn't want to any way with the echoing effect that would happen.

But simply put a fiber optic or digital coax cable from the tv to the surround receiver is the only way to get the 5.1 out. If that doesn't work there may be a chance something may not be working right on your tv. If you are still under warranty you could try to get it looked at.

[akrako1]

I've tried both fiber optic and digital coax going from the TV to the receiver, no luck. Sorry, by "out of the tv", I was talking about the digital audio signal coming out of the tv's audio outputs, and going to the receiver. I've already disabled the tv's internal speakers thru the menus.

[akrako1]

no other ideas??? Is this really how the TV is supposed to work? Anyone have any experience with Olevia and surround? Thanks

[dLee]

I don't own an Olevia TV, but I did look at the audio sections of the product manual that you linked to.

Most people would connect the audio directly from the source device (Comcast/Motorola box) to the receiver.

Your OTA issue would probably derive from the fact that your TV can only produce stereo sound - so the 5.1 OTA signal is downmixed to stereo by the TV - and - the TV only passes its native stereo signal thru the digital audio outs.

I almost never connect a TV to a receiver, so I can't say if any TV's act as a passthru device.

The only other possible explanation I can think of is to look at your receiver's setup.

My receiver can be set to AUTOmagically accept input and deliver output at the highest quality possible. It can also be set to selectively accept only certain types of input and to selectively output the audio in different formats.

So if I were to set the input and output to stereo, it would downmix a 5.1 input signal to stereo and output the same even though I've got a 5.1 speaker setup. If I had the input on AUTO and had a 5.1 input signal but the output was set to stereo, it would output stereo (FL + FR).

Some satellite/cable boxes have OTA capabilities. If yours does and you hook it up directly to the receiver, it might pass the OTA 5.1 signal through correctly.