# Connecting a TV to speakers via HDMI



## KJax

I recently bought a TV during all of the great Black Friday deals. It has built-in speakers, but I found out the hard way that they're not quite loud enough. Since I didn't plan for that, I wasn't paying attention to audio outputs.


The TV has nothing marked as an Audio Output, but it does have HDMI ports. Would I be able to hook up a new sound bar with an HDMI port to the TV? My hesitation is that the HDMI ports aren't marked as in-/output, and clicking the Input button on my remote shows all of the HDMI ports as an input option.


A second question to this situation: if I connect a sound bar via HDMI, and have an XBox 360 connected to the TV via another HDMI port, will that work/will I be able to hear the sound coming out of the speakers from the XBox?


Thanks in advance for you help!


~HDMI n00b KJax


----------



## Otto Pylot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *KJax* /forum/post/21483415
> 
> 
> I recently bought a TV during all of the great Black Friday deals. It has built-in speakers, but I found out the hard way that they're not quite loud enough. Since I didn't plan for that, I wasn't paying attention to audio outputs.
> 
> 
> The TV has nothing marked as an Audio Output, but it does have HDMI ports. Would I be able to hook up a new sound bar with an HDMI port to the TV? My hesitation is that the HDMI ports aren't marked as in-/output, and clicking the Input button on my remote shows all of the HDMI ports as an input option.
> 
> 
> A second question to this situation: if I connect a sound bar via HDMI, and have an XBox 360 connected to the TV via another HDMI port, will that work/will I be able to hear the sound coming out of the speakers from the XBox?
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for you help!
> 
> 
> ~HDMI n00b KJax



Your tv should have an optical out. Use that to connect to the soundbar or an avr. Make sure you turn off the tv speakers. The best the optical out will do though is 5.1 depending on where your source originates (internal ATSC tuner).


----------



## alk3997




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *KJax* /forum/post/21483415
> 
> 
> I recently bought a TV during all of the great Black Friday deals. It has built-in speakers, but I found out the hard way that they're not quite loud enough. Since I didn't plan for that, I wasn't paying attention to audio outputs.
> 
> 
> The TV has nothing marked as an Audio Output, but it does have HDMI ports. Would I be able to hook up a new sound bar with an HDMI port to the TV? My hesitation is that the HDMI ports aren't marked as in-/output, and clicking the Input button on my remote shows all of the HDMI ports as an input option.
> 
> 
> A second question to this situation: if I connect a sound bar via HDMI, and have an XBox 360 connected to the TV via another HDMI port, will that work/will I be able to hear the sound coming out of the speakers from the XBox?
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for you help!
> 
> 
> 
> ~HDMI n00b KJax



Just filling in a bit more on what Otto said, the HDMI ports on your TV are input only. I know of some sound bars that act as HDMI hubs that have both inputs and outputs. So, the source would connect to the sound bar and the sound bar to the TV.


There are other solutions but your best bet is exactly what Otto said - optical digital output. If your TV does not have optical (or coax) digital audio outputs, then you may be stuck with the analog audio outputs that are on the back of most TVs.


----------



## KJax

I took a look yesterday at the back of my TV - there is one coax but it's not marked as an 'output,' so I'm guessing that's to plug in cable.


So the best solution sounds like finding a soundbar with multiple HDMI inputs and 1+ HDMI output. Connect the sources (i.e. XBox, Wii, etc.) via HDMI to the soundbar inputs, then connect an HDMI from the soundbar to the TV HDMI input.


Was that correct?


So sorry - I'm tech savvy in other areas, but definitely haven't familiarized myself with this yet. I really appreciate all of the help!


----------



## alk3997

Off the top of my head, yes that's the best way for under $200. Over $200, I'd go with an A/V receiver.


The digital audio version of coax uses a single RCA plug not a f-connector like with a cable or antenna input.


----------



## Otto Pylot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *KJax* /forum/post/21483970
> 
> 
> I took a look yesterday at the back of my TV - there is one coax but it's not marked as an 'output,' so I'm guessing that's to plug in cable.
> 
> 
> So the best solution sounds like finding a soundbar with multiple HDMI inputs and 1+ HDMI output. Connect the sources (i.e. XBox, Wii, etc.) via HDMI to the soundbar inputs, then connect an HDMI from the soundbar to the TV HDMI input.
> 
> 
> Was that correct?
> 
> 
> So sorry - I'm tech savvy in other areas, but definitely haven't familiarized myself with this yet. I really appreciate all of the help!



What brand of tv do you have? I'm surprised that there isn't an optical out. Just remember that HDMI audio only goes one way, unless your tv and soundbar/avr both have ARC (Audio Return Channel). Soundbars are usually used for just receiving audio and nothing else, but like alk3997 said, there are soundbars out there that pass thru video but I'm not sure how well they work (sync issues?). Your other option would be to use headphones but that's funky. And, before you ask, you can't really hook up external speakers thru the headphone jack. It's not a powered output in the sense that it couldn't adequately push the audio thru external speakers. If you're the creative type, you could probably come up with something using the headphone jack but it would be more hassle than it's worth. Another option would be to look into a HTiB (Home Theater in a Box), which is a receiver and speakers in one package. In fact, that would give you the best audio to start with.


----------



## KJax




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Otto Pylot* /forum/post/21484132
> 
> 
> What brand of tv do you have? I'm surprised that there isn't an optical out. Just remember that HDMI audio only goes one way, unless your tv and soundbar/avr both have ARC (Audio Return Channel). Soundbars are usually used for just receiving audio and nothing else, but like alk3997 said, there are soundbars out there that pass thru video but I'm not sure how well they work (sync issues?). Your other option would be to use headphones but that's funky. And, before you ask, you can't really hook up external speakers thru the headphone jack. It's not a powered output in the sense that it couldn't adequately push the audio thru external speakers. If you're the creative type, you could probably come up with something using the headphone jack but it would be more hassle than it's worth. Another option would be to look into a HTiB (Home Theater in a Box), which is a receiver and speakers in one package. In fact, that would give you the best audio to start with.



I was surprised too. I'd bought a really inexpensive Coby 32" LED at the end of November. It must've been on sale in order to clear their stock of that one, because they now have an updated version which comes with a coax audio out. The one I'd bought does not have a coax audio out (would've been so much easier with that one little output).


So if I set it up with the right soundbar as I'd described (sources --> soundbar --> TV) the audio would come out of the soundbar and the video would still transmit up to the TV?


Worse case scenario, I'll try to Craigslist the frickin TV and I'll be better informed for purchasing a different one.


----------



## Otto Pylot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *KJax* /forum/post/21484324
> 
> 
> 
> So if I set it up with the right soundbar as I'd described (sources --> soundbar --> TV) the audio would come out of the soundbar and the video would still transmit up to the TV?
> 
> 
> Worse case scenario, I'll try to Craigslist the frickin TV and I'll be better informed for purchasing a different one.



That should work but with an inexpensive tv like that, and a soundbar that passes HDMI who knows if there won't be some sort of incompatibility or flakiness on the tv's HDMI side of things. I don't want to rain on your parade but you may end up spending money on a soundbar that just won't meet your needs. Craigslist is certainly an option. You may end up spending more on a new tv, but combine that with a good soundbar or even an HTiB (there are really good systems for under 300) you'll be much much happier. Just my $0.05 (inflation).


----------

