Need help w/ interconnections between TV set and external speakers

[il_colonnello]

This might be a bit tricky, not sure if it can be done at all:

I just bought a TV set with an integrated DVD player (this one). And I also have these Alesis studio monitors and a small Behringer mixer.

The mixer is really only for convenience - it gives me a more convenient volume control than using Windows software volume control (if the signal comes from my laptop) and obviously it has several line and tape inputs so I can connect more than one device to the monitors at the same time. The Alesis monitors are self-amplified, there is no external amplifier.

Now, the integrated DVD player has a coaxial audio output for connection to an external amplifier - the idea is to be able to connect an amplifier and a set of external speakers for watching DVDs with Dolby etc. I don't care for surround sound or anything, I would just like to hear DVD film audio on my Alesis speakers. Is there any way to connect the DVD player's coaxial audio output to the Behringer mixer? Within the setup I can set the coaxial port to SPDIF/PCM (for a 2-channel amplifier). Is there a cable that will connect the coaxial audio port to 2 line inputs on the mixer?

 

[Rambo]

post pics of the backs of the units. will be far easier that way.

 

[whiteslashasian]

I thought most modern TV's had some kind of RCA (left and right) output for sound...that would be easiest.

Pics of the rear connections would help.

 

[sonick]

Coaxial audio is a digital output. Your mixer seems to be pure analog. You won't be able to hook up the two via coaxial.

As others have said, if there's a Line out/Aux out/TV out jack on the TV, use that.

 

[il_colonnello]

Originally Posted by sonick

Coaxial audio is a digital output. Your mixer seems to be pure analog. You won't be able to hook up the two via coaxial.

As others have said, if there's a Line out/Aux out/TV out jack on the TV, use that.

Yes, a friend of mine who works in music production has just explained as much. He said either I get some sort of a digital-analogue converter (like this) or, more simply, a standalone DVD player with regular RCA out.

(There is no headphone out or line out on the TV.)

 

[sonick]

I can't remember right, but I don't believe most DVD's output pure PCM that standalone DAC's require. Usually it's Dolby Digital 2.0, which does not work with those.

Your cheapest bet is getting a stand-alone DVD player.

 

[il_colonnello]

Originally Posted by sonick

I can't remember right, but I don't believe most DVD's output pure PCM that standalone DAC's require. Usually it's Dolby Digital 2.0, which does not work with those.

Your cheapest bet is getting a stand-alone DVD player.

In the setup menu I can set the coaxial port to be either SPDIF/RAW or SPDIF/PCM. The manual claims that the former is for Dolby, the latter for 2-channel audio.

Either way, since standalone DVD players start somewhere from €35 and the converter is €50 plus extra cables I might as well get a standalone DVD player.

 

[otc]

are we 100% sure it does not have any RCA jacks? they look like this:

Any new TV should have one set of Red/White ones that gives you audio out.

If not, does it have a jack for headphones? Then you just need a headphone->rca cable.

This would be ideal since you aren't doing surround sound (and at least on my TV, the TV's optical/coax audio does NOT pass through 5.1 from hdmi, only from the tuner)

 

[il_colonnello]

otc, there are definitely neither RCA jacks nor a headphones out. The device was 225 euros and has built-in DVB-T *and* built-in DVD - they had to cut corners somewhere.

Getting an external DVD player makes the built-in one redundant but it's still the easiest and least costly solution short of returning the TV set to amazon and looking for a whole new combination of TV + DVD player (and that's just too much hassle).

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by il_colonnello

otc, there are definitely neither RCA jacks nor a headphones out. The device was 225 euros and has built-in DVB-T *and* built-in DVD - they had to cut corners somewhere.

Getting an external DVD player makes the built-in one redundant but it's still the easiest and least costly solution short of returning the TV set to amazon and looking for a whole new combination of TV + DVD player (and that's just too much hassle).

I would use this situation as an excuse to buy a bigger/better TV and a blu ray player or something similar.

 

[otc]

not even a headphone jack? and yet it has digital audio out? wtf

 

[Movin]

Is the unit equipped with a scart connector?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

They are pretty standard in european devices, not so widespread in the US I heard.
Scart has both connection for Stereo Input and Output and you can get adaptor cables with a scart connector on one side and RCA on the other (video in/out, audio in/out).

 

[il_colonnello]

Great hint Movin, you're the best! There is a SCART connector. I've just tried and it works with an adapter from SCART->RCA! The best thing is I discovered I already had that kind of adapter from a previous application, except I never thought to use it for signal output.

That settles the matter, thanks for the help!

 

[whiteslashasian]

Wow, I don't think I've ever encountered a SCART connection here in the states...

Great that it works out in the end though!