Page 1 of 5.1 sound, how?

I have just bought some very cheap 5.1 sound speakers, does this mean i need a compatible tv to listen to this ?

You need a 5.1 sound source (ie a DVD), a decoder to process it (ie an amp or a player with a 5.1 decoder) then left, right, centre and rear speakers and a subwoofer for output.

This item was edited on Thursday, 19th January 2006, 20:33

Thanks Matthew, so i need to buy a dvd player with 5.1 sound then i gather ? Will this make the channels seperate when listening? Is the thing i need called an AV receiver?

This item was edited on Thursday, 19th January 2006, 20:41

Yeah, many players have a Dolby 5.1 channel decoder built in.

Or yup, you could go for an AV reciever - it`ll act as a sort of hub or control centre for your home theatre with the amp built in. But you have to make sure you get one with the appropriate outputs so it`s compatible with your speaker/woofer set-up.

This item was edited on Thursday, 19th January 2006, 20:56

Quote:
You need a 5.1 sound source (ie a DVD), a decoder to process it (ie an amp or a player with a 5.1 decoder)
You will find that nearly all DVD players will have 5.1 sound decoders built in (Dolby Digital, and for some DTS). These players have 6 phono connections to carry the six seperate channels of sound to an appropriate AV amplifier.
Alternatively you can bypass the DVD`s decoding and connect direct to an AV amplifier using a digital co-ax or optial toshlink cable to use the decoder built into the amplifier.
It is not possible to connect speakers to a DVD player - whether it has decoder or not - without amplification.

I think what Matthew is referring to when he talks about a player with built in decoding is built in amplification.
These machines are sold as all-in-one `home cinema` kits - the player has inbuilt amplification (with volume controls etc). They are very popular - but the quality is often way below that of a seperate AV amplifier/receiver and unlike an AV amp many don`t allw connection of other equipment such as turntable, CD player, video etc.

And of course when an all-in-one kit goes wrong you have to ditch the whole lot.
(Hence the number of posts on here from people asking how they can connect their old all-in-one speakers up to the DVD player they have just bought as a replacement!)

This item was edited on Friday, 20th January 2006, 00:01

Samantha - the first thing you need to check is the back of your DVD player. Look for a set of 6 phono sockets labelled for each of the channels - i.e. front L&R, centre, rear L&R, sub.

Then look at the speakers you bought. I would guess that the sub will have a set of corresponding sockets on the back - these may be in the form of 3 stereo 3.5mm sockjets (i.e. like the sort you plug headphones into on an MP3 player).

If you have both of these, you`re in luck - all you newed is the right cables to connect them.

Check this and tell us what you have, and we can take it from there.

R

Quote:
If you have both of these, you`re in luck - all you newed is the right cables to connect them
I wouldn`t take this advice if I were you......sorry Richard it`s simply wrong.
Samantha, your speakers need connecting to an amplifying device - either an external AV amp/receiver, or one that is integral to the player.
The presence of six phono sockets on the rear of a DVD player does not indicate that it has an integral amplifier.
My post above explains.

This item was edited on Friday, 20th January 2006, 08:19

buy a receiver. like this one

I have a Yamaha receiver and it`s brilliant.

It seems odd having things called receivers and amplifiers. Receivers decode and amplify so it`s the best to go for.

My DVD collection





67suissac[at]moc.tenretnitb/cassius76.html" target="_blank">JamesL

This item was edited on Friday, 20th January 2006, 09:22

No. If the sub has the connections for individual channels with the speakers connected from the sub, then it is likely to have the amp built in.

If not (i.e. the sub just has input for the sub channel, and all the other speaker shave their own inputs), then the connections to individual channels are likely to be to each speaker, rather than via the sub. In this case, as nice1 says, if the connections are like that (i.e. each speaker needs a connection from an amp) then of couse an amplifying device is needed.

I didn`t suggest that the DVD player has the amp built in - perhaps I should have made myself clearer - but I`m sure all is clear now.

I think if Samantha can give more details of what she has (DVD model/make and speaker set model/make) then we can work it all out properly.

Here are 3 ways to conect.

1: DVD optical toslink/ Coax digital to Av amp/reciever (a reciver is an amp with a radio). Amp to speakers with speaker cable. Amp to sub with a single RCA phono lead. This is prety much the standard way of connecting things.

2: DVD via 6 RCA phono to AV amp/reciver. Then as above for speaker conectoins. This method requires the amp to have 6 channel inputs.

3: DVD via 6 RCA phono to sub and then from sub to speakers with speaker wire. This system usualy is used in all in one systems and requires the sub to have 6 RCA phono ins.

Hope this help and clears things up.

All the best,

Dr 42%er.


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