How To Connect A Digital Home Theater System

There are two ways to connect your TV to a Home Theater System (HTS):

• With an Analog Stereo to mini stereo (3.5mm to RCA). See picture below.
• With a Digital Optical Cable. See the picture below.

For instructions explaining how to connect a Digital Home Theater to your TV, review the type of connection you will be using below:

Analog Stereo Connection

To connect analog stereo cables from your TV to a HTS follow these steps:

1. Using the analog stereo cables, connect the mini stereo (3.5mm) plug to the AUDIO OUT on your TV.
    

2. Connect the RCA plugs to the AUDIO IN on the HTS.
3. Turn on you HTS.
4. Using the HTS remote, set the HTS to the input you connected the audio cables to.
   Note: The HTS remote has a button that switches between different inputs. You must press this button to complete this step.  
5. You should now have sound from you home theater system.

Note: If you are experiencing a problem with echo, set the television's volume to zero or set the televisions speakers to "External". For instructions on how to do this click here.

Important: Depending on the settings in your HTS, all the speakers of the HTS may not output sound when it receives a two channel (stereo) signal.

However, many Home Theater Systems have a feature that takes a two channel and simulates surround sound in other words makes the two channel signal play through all speakers.

If your HTS is recieving a two channel signal from your TV, you must turn this feature on for all of your speakers to work.

Consult your HTS owners manual to learn how to turn this feature on.

Digital Optical Cable

To connect a digital optical cable from the TV to the Home Theater System follow these steps:

1. Using the digital optical cable, connect the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT from the TV to the DIGITAL AUDIO IN on your Home Theater System.

2. Turn on your Home Theater System.
3. Using the Home Theater's remote, set the Home Theater to the input you connected the digital optical cable to.
   
   Note: Most Home Theater remote's have a button that switches between different inputs. You must press this button to complete this step.

4. The sound should now be coming out of the Home Theater's speakers. 

Note: If you are experiencing a problem with echo set the televisions volume to zero or set the television's speakers to "External".

For instructions on how to do this click here.

This TV sends Digital 5.1 Audio out of the digital optical connection if all of the following conditions are met: 

• You are using a coaxial (RF) cable going directly to the TV (no Cable Box or VCR).
• You are on a Digital Channel.
• That channel is broadcasting 5.1 digital audio.
• You have an Optical Audio Cable connected from the TV to your Digital Home Theater.
  

If all of the above conditions are not met, the optical cable only transmits a two channel stereo signal to your HTS. 

Depending on the settings in your HTS, all of the speakers may not output sound when receiving a two channel signal.

Many Home Theater Systems have a feature that simulates surround sound.

However, many Home Theater Systems have a feature that takes a two channel stereo signal and turns it into a multiple channel, multiple speaker signal, simulating surround sound.

If your HTS is receiving a two channel signal from your TV, you must turn this feature on for all your speakers to work.

Consult your HTS owners manual to learn how to turn this feature on.