Any A/V gurus here? PS3 and HDMI/optical audio connections...

[jcardona1]

Ok before I go joining another forum i'd figure i'd ask here first. just ordered a ps3 and should be arriving in a few days (i know, it only took me a few years to get one ha!). i'm not too sure about the connections and how to get the best sound & video quality. here's my scenario:

- i want to hook up the ps3 with an HDMI cable for video, and an optical cable for audio

- i have an HDTV, HD receiver (directv), and a dvd player/surround sound system. all components have the necessary hdmi/optical audio ports.

- now, what should i be connecting to what? i want to be able to hear the sound from the ps3 through my surround sound speakers both for video games and for bluray. my tv's speakers are turned off

i know the HDMI cable should go from the ps3 to the tv, but what about the optical audio cable? does this also go to the tv? or to the receiver? or the surround sound receiver?

am i making this more complicated than it is??

 

[Dragon Hunter]

i think it should go to the surround sound receiver

 

[dookie]

hdmi carries both sound and video so you only need that one cable connected to your home theater receiver from your ps3. You might also have another hdmi connected from your ps3 to your tv in case you don't want to turn on your receiver on those days you don't want the full surround sound and only the sound from your tv. a toslink cable will not be able to carry HD sound to your receiver. make sure you have the correct sound setting in your ps3 for hdmi before you begin. hdmi is an auto sensing device so it might switch around on you without you knowing...

 

[jcardona1]

hdmi carries both sound and video so you only need that one cable connected to your home theater receiver from your ps3. You might also have another hdmi connected from your ps3 to your tv in case you don't want to turn on your receiver on those days you don't want the full surround sound and only the sound from your tv. a toslink cable will not be able to carry HD sound to your receiver. make sure you have the correct sound setting in your ps3 for hdmi before you begin. hdmi is an auto sensing device so it might switch around on you without you knowing...

hmm ok so i have one of those cheapy dvd players that come with a surround sound kit. i think it only has one HDMI port. not at home so i cant check for sure. so how would i hook this up if it only has one port? this is the one i have:

 

[Nemesis]

^ most surround sounds only have an output hdmi port. In most cases you would connect the hdmi from the ps3 to the tv. Then buy an optical cable and connect it from the ps3 to the surround sound.... that's how mine is set up, and it works great.

 

[jcardona1]

^ most surround sounds only have an output hdmi port. In most cases you would connect the hdmi from the ps3 to the tv. Then buy an optical cable and connect it from the ps3 to the surround sound.... that's how mine is set up, and it works great.

thanks for the input, that's kinda what i was thinking. now i dont remember how i hooked everything up, but i think i'm already using the optical port on my surround sound receiver, i think i have it connected to my HD cable box. would i need to get one of those optical audio switchers?

 

[Nemesis]

Yes, unless your surround sound has more than 1 optical input. Or you can just switch the optical cable from your cable box to the ps3. I put my ps3 on the shelf above my cable box, so I wouldn't have to buy one of those.......hey I'm cheap

 

[dookie]

if your surround has one input, can you connect your ps3 to it? If so that's all you need. I don't think an optical cable can transfer HD sound so you don't want to do that if you can avoid it.

 

[jcardona1]

here's what the back of the surround sound unit looks like. one HDMI, one optical audio port

 

[dookie]

just plug your ps3 into the hdmi and you're done. don't use the optical.