New TV and Surround Sound System

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
T

TomC

Active member
Joined
May 23, 2009
Posts
36
Location
Fulltimer
Hi all - a newbie here
Need help on getting my new LG LCD TV to work with my existing surround sound. After installing the new TV in place of the old Sony I discovered the audio output on the LG is fixed not variable and therefore the TV remote will not control the volume on the surround sound. The old Sony had a Winnie installed device that was wired into the back of the TV and the audio jacks plugged into it. The speakers on the LG are not very good and want the ability to use the  surround sound as before. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tom
 
You really need to give us more information if you want an answer. Which model LG TV do you have? Which surround sound system do you have? How are you attempting to hook it up? In other words, specifically which audio output are you using on the TV -  HDMI, RGB, etc. Specificially which audio input on the surround sound are you using? Hooking up any modern tv to any surround sound system should be extrememly easy. The owners manuals for both products should contain a wealth of wiring diagrams for most any situation.
 
Tom,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry to be short on the info but here is what I know. TV model is LG 26LG30 which is a 26" set. The surround system was a built in option on this Winnie '04 Journey and is labeled "DHS". It has 5 speakers and 2 woofers. There is a wire apparently coming from the surround system  with 2 bannana ? jacks that were originally plugged into the device coming out of the back of the old Sony. I was told that the device, which I cut from the old set before disposing of it, is a filter. I plugged the 2 jacks into the "audio out" connection on the back of the LG. I get audio from the surround system but it cannot be controlled. There ar no wiring diagrams per se for either the LG or the DHS system. LG tech support did tell me that the audio out on the set is "fixed" not "variable ".
An audio guru at Best Buy also said the same thing about all the other 26" LCD TV's that he was familiar with.
I am getting desperate with the poor sound quality from the LG and appreciate any help.
Thanks,
TomC
 
Ok, you have a number of different options on how to hook this thing up. The worst way is to use the audio outputs of the tv. If that is what you are using then then "banana jacks" you are using should look like the picture I posted. What you should really be using are HDMI for the best sound and for being able to control the volume. However the surround sound system must also have an HDMI port for that to work. If it doesn't have an HDMI port then you must either buy a surround sound system with an HDMI port or use another one of your options to wire this up. Here is a copy of the manual that shows many wiring configurations:

http://us.lge.com/download/product/file/1000004187/LG30_User_Manual.pdf

 

Attachments

  • plug.jpg
    plug.jpg
    7 KB · Views: 33
Can you not feed the "fixed" audio into the surround input and control the volume with the audio system remote?
I know everyone wants to control the world with a single remote, but that may not be possible in your case.

Right now, with the digital converter, TV and my surround system, I require three remotes to get the job done.  With a little therapy, I think I'll survive the trauma of it all ;) :D
 
Thanks Tom and Lou for the replies. Yes, the jacks look like those shown but I don't have them connected since the fixed sound is too loud. The TV obviously has an HDMI port but I don't think the surround has one. I was told the amp for the surround system is hidden behind a panel on the floor in the drivers area so I may have to crawl around for awhile to find it. BTW, are 70 year old guys allowed to do that?? 
Thanks for the manual. I'll check out the options.

Lou, I wouldn't mind another remote but the system doesn't have one. The surround sound is either controlled by the dash radio when a switch is set to "radio" or by the old TV remote when the switch was set to "TV".

TomC
 
I would seriously consider upgrading your surround sound system. It is 6 years old anyhow. Get a new one with a HDMI port and everything in your world will be beautiful. The DHS system you have is not a true surround sound system from what I have read, it only synthesizes the extra channels. You can pick up a very nice unit for under $200. Remember you don't need to get one with speakers, just the receiver.
 
seilerbird said:
I would seriously consider upgrading your surround sound system. It is 6 years old anyhow. Get a new one with a HDMI port and everything in your world will be beautiful.
Click to expand...

I don't see any HDMI outputs from that TV. (just HDMI inputs) How is he going to use HDMI TV audio?

I'm using Digital Audio output from my HD-TV in my stick house system into my home theater system.  Volume is controlled by the audio system remote.  His TV does have digital audio out.
 
When you use a surround system, you normally control the audio volume with its control (usually a remote) rather than the tv control. A surround system is an amplifier and sound processor, not just a set of speakers.

Since you say you don't have a remote for the surround, perhaps  all you do have is a set of speakers. In that case, you can't use the audio output jacks on the tv, which are intended to go to an amplifier. Does the tv have external speaker jacks or terminals?
 
I have a 2003 Itasca Horizon and replaced the CRT TV with a Sharp 32" LCD.  

I have the DHS unit which is located under the foot rest under the steering wheel. The Winnie part you described is an isolator which reduces hum caused by ground loops in the system. I connected the audio output from the TV to this device.

There was a setup selection in the TV setup menu which I could use to select the fixed sound level or a regular audio volume controlled by the remote. Have you checked the menu for audio options? If so, change to each and see what happens.

The switch which says radio or TV, probably in the compartment over the windshield on the right side has to be set in the TV  position as before. The Radio power switch on the dash has to be set to the AUX position same as before.

This might help.
 
Lou (onaquest) said:
I don't see any HDMI outputs from that TV. (just HDMI inputs) How is he going to use HDMI TV audio?

I'm using Digital Audio output from my HD-TV in my stick house system into my home theater system.  Volume is controlled by the audio system remote.  His TV does have digital audio out.
Click to expand...

There is no such thing as a HDMI input. It is a port, it goes both directions.

rvroamer wrote "Since you say you don't have a remote for the surround, perhaps  all you do have is a set of speakers. In that case, you can't use the audio output jacks on the tv, which are intended to go to an amplifier. Does the tv have external speaker jacks or terminals?"

It is a surround sound amp and not just speakers. Otherwise he would hear nothing when he hooked up his tv to the speakers. The surround sound system that Winnebago uses is called something like DVS named after some fool who has people convinced he has "golden ears" and can hear better than everyone else. There is most definitely an amp there, but it is expecting a volume that is controlled not fixed. When it is fixed like that it is fixed into the max volume position so if you run it in without a volume control or preamp you will have nothing but distortion.
 
seilerbird said:
There is no such thing as a HDMI input. It is a port, it goes both directions.
Click to expand...

Wrong!

That 26LG30 TV does not output audio through it's HDMI (input) ports.  I understand HDMI interface capabilities and in this case the HDMI ports are input only......... (we are discussing audio/video signals here, not control signals)

There is indeed an amp involved in TomC's coach.  It has no volume control of it's own.  It requires a variable signal input.  I find nothing in the TV manual you provided that allows the audio signal to be anything but fixed amplitude.
 
Lou (onaquest) said:
Wrong!

That 26LG30 TV does not output audio through it's HDMI (input) ports.  I understand HDMI interface capabilities and in this case the HDMI ports are input only......... (we are discussing audio/video signals here, not control signals)

There is indeed an amp involved in TomC's coach.  It has no volume control of it's own.  It requires a variable signal input.  I find nothing in the TV manual you provided that allows the audio signal to be anything but fixed amplitude.
Click to expand...

Wrong!

It sure does output audio through it's HDMI ports. I quote from page 20
"No separate audio connection is necessary. HDMI supports both audio and video."

It doesn't get any plainer than that. The entire purpose of HDMI is to be able to carry up to 8 discrete audio channels and video on one wire. If there was no audio on this wire there would be no reason for the port to exist.
 
Tom, everything on that page refers to HDMI/DVI IN

Audio from the set top box or video player does indeed enter the TV via the HDMI cable, but the TV does not  produce an audio signal for output on HDMI.

The limited audio connections are described on page 30.  No mention of HDMI audio output.

As the manual says; select which HDMI port you want for your input source.  (no additional audio connection required)

"It doesn't get any plainer than that"...........
 
Lou (onaquest) said:
Tom, everything on that page refers to HDMI/DVI IN

Audio from the set top box or video player does indeed enter the TV via the HDMI cable, but the TV does not  produce an audio signal for output on HDMI.

The limited audio connections are described on page 30.  No mention of HDMI audio output.

As the manual says; select which HDMI port you want for your input source.  (no additional audio connection required)

"It doesn't get any plainer than that"...........
Click to expand...

HDMI
DVI IN

They are not the same thing, buy yourself an HDMI cable and you will find out how they work.
 
seilerbird said:
HDMI
DVI IN

They are not the same thing, buy yourself an HDMI cable and you will find out how they work.
Click to expand...

My friend, you are impossible. ::)

Seldom right,  but never in doubt, comes to mind :D.

I'm sure that I own more HDMI cables and HDMI capable equipment than you do.
AND, I understand it a lot better too.........
 
Again thanks for all the great input. I've certainly learned a lot.
Judway: I checked the audio options on the setup menu and I do not have the options that you have. I'm thinking now that I made a bad decision on the purchase of the LG TV that only has a fixed audio output. However, reading the info in the LG owners manual, I found the following descriptions for connections on the back of the TV:


AUDIO OUT
Analog audio output for use with amps and home theater systems

                            and this one


DIGITAL AUDIO OUT OPTICAL
Digital audio output for use with amps and home theater systems.
Includes an optical connection.

Maybe I should take the advice and replace the existing amplifier with a new one that has a remote volume control and hook it up to either the analog jacks or the digital optical port on the TV.
BTW, do you have an idea on accessing that amp under the foot rest?

Any more ideas?

TomC





 

 
There is no such thing as a full-duplex HDMI or DVI port, and I'll be happy to argue this on behalf of the forum.

Now
Tom: If you haven't already, hook up either the analog audio RCA or the optical outs of the TV into your surround system if it will take it, and go back to the audio menu of the TV, shut off the local speakers, and see if you have external output control at that point. I installed a Sharp in our Meridian and found that the pre-amped outputs changed from fixed to variable when I did this.

Also, and I don't know the model#, but the Sony combo VHS/ DVD/ Surround system in the Meridian has an optical input (OBTW- These aren't bi-directional either), so I'm running fiber between the two and it works great with full control of the audio from the TV remote.

(edit: spellin')
 
Jeff, thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion.

The problem with being able to help further on TonC's situation is not knowing what inputs (if any) his amp will accept.

I would have thought that some Winni owners would have pulled that thing out by now, and could tell us.
 
Mines a stand-alone box, and it surprisingly had a fiber input, haven't crawled around the built-in :(. But as mentioned on my Sharp, it does what Tom was looking for, it just wasn't documented.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 749 (members: 5, guests: 744)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,928
Posts
1,387,654
Members
137,677
Latest member
automedicmobile
Back
Top Bottom