Hi all!

I see these converters and read the reviews and it seems some people can use it and some have problems on basically the same type of TV's

Like this one,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TV-Digital-Optical-Stereo-Analog-RCA-Audio-Converter-/220748838531?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D360431809289%26ps%3D54



I was looking at them to output the sound from the Panasonic Plasma optical output to a pair of Altec computer speakers with a 3.5mm male connection for better sound then the TV offers.

I am hoping to use this device so the speakers volume can be controlled by my remote, but very confused by the many reviews as to whether it will work or not.

Can anyone please give me the straight story or/and suggest a converter/cable that will work?

My tv is the Panasonic TC - P42ST30

Thanks!!

Hi all!

I see these converters and read the reviews and it seems some people can use it and some have problems on basically the same type of TV's

Like this one,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TV-Digital-Optical-Stereo-Analog-RCA-Audio-Converter-/220748838531?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D360431809289%26ps%3D54



I was looking at them to output the sound from the Panasonic Plasma optical output to a pair of Altec computer speakers with a 3.5mm male connection for better sound then the TV offers.

I am hoping to use this device so the speakers volume can be controlled by my remote, but very confused by the many reviews as to whether it will work or not.

Can anyone please give me the straight story or/and suggest a converter/cable that will work?

My tv is the Panasonic TC - P42ST30

Thanks!!

A) Isn't this the same thing? http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=6884&seq=1&format=2
B) You will not be able to control the speaker volume with your TV remote with the setup you outlined. If this is important to you then your best bet is to get a sound bar or get a cheap surround sound system. IT IS IMPORTANT YOU MAKE SURE WHATEVER YOU BUY SUPPORTS HDMI CEC OR AS PANASONIC CALLS IT, VIERA LINK. This will allow you to control speaker volume with your TV remote.

Hi all!

I see these converters and read the reviews and it seems some people can use it and some have problems on basically the same type of TV's

Like this one,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TV-Digital-Optical-Stereo-Analog-RCA-Audio-Converter-/220748838531?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D360431809289%26ps%3D54



I was looking at them to output the sound from the Panasonic Plasma optical output to a pair of Altec computer speakers with a 3.5mm male connection for better sound then the TV offers.

I am hoping to use this device so the speakers volume can be controlled by my remote, but very confused by the many reviews as to whether it will work or not.

Can anyone please give me the straight story or/and suggest a converter/cable that will work?

My tv is the Panasonic TC - P42ST30

Thanks!!
If the remote is the concern, you can always just buy a harmony remote...

To clear up possible confusion, no Logitech Harmony remote will not be able to control the volume of your computer speakers. The Logitech Harmony universal remote is a good idea if you have a receiver or speakers that does not support HDMI CEC but can be controlled by a remote.

To clear up possible confusion, no Logitech Harmony remote will not be able to control the volume of your computer speakers. The Logitech Harmony universal remote is a good idea if you have a receiver or speakers that does not support HDMI CEC but can be controlled by a remote.
It will if the Altec Lansings have a remote....

And it possibly would anyway by controlling the volume of the signal the TV passes to the speakers. Kind of analogous to how you can change the volume of your computer at the OS level or at the software level. OS will affect all software but software won't affect OS.

As an aside, I got this remote (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-RMVLZ620-Black/dp/B00385XUG0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329236331&sr=8-2) a few months ago and the learning function is excellent for controlling specific functions.

As to whether you'll be able to control the volume of the speakers through the TV, it's not likely when using an S/PDIF connection. The digital connections tend to just pass the sound to the speaker system.

It will if the Altec Lansings have a remote....

The point I was trying to get across was that the Logitech Harmony won't magically work unless..
The Logitech Harmony universal remote is a good idea if you have a receiver or speakers that does not support HDMI CEC but can be controlled by a remote.
Which was meant to elaborate on your possibly misleading post..
If the remote is the concern, you can always just buy a harmony remote...
Because the majority of PC speakers do not work with the Logitech Harmony remote. Please understand I'm not trying to be mean, pick on you or discourage you from helping others..


And it possibly would anyway by controlling the volume of the signal the TV passes to the speakers. Kind of analogous to how you can change the volume of your computer at the OS level or at the software level. OS will affect all software but software won't affect OS.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1371537

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1371537

Thanks for the info! :cheers:

The point I was trying to get across was that the Logitech Harmony won't magically work unless..

Which was meant to elaborate on your possibly misleading post..

Because the majority of PC speakers do not work with the Logitech Harmony remote. Please understand I'm not trying to be mean, pick on you or discourage you from helping others..



http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1371537


Thanks John!
So from what they are saying I still need a receiver to make the sound variable by using the receiver remote to change the volume because the digital output from the TV is not variable and cannot be changed by my TV remote in any way.

Did I get that right?

TY also for remote suggestions.

Thanks John!
So from what they are saying I still need a receiver to make the sound variable by using the receiver remote to change the volume because the digital output from the TV is not variable and cannot be changed by my TV remote in any way.

Did I get that right?

TY also for remote suggestions.

For S/PDIF audio, you'll need two things: A Decoder to convert the digital signal into a line-level analog signal and an amplifier to boost the audio signal strong enough to drive speakers.

If you get the device in the OP, you'll get a line-level analog signal, which can be used with any audio amplifier (e.g. computer speakers).

Thanks John!
So from what they are saying I still need a receiver to make the sound variable by using the receiver remote to change the volume because the digital output from the TV is not variable and cannot be changed by my TV remote in any way.

Did I get that right?

TY also for remote suggestions.

Yup.

Now if you get a receiver that supports HDMI-CEC your TV should be able to pass along commands to the receiver. In this scenario the receiver will turn on and off along with your TV and will automatically disable the TV speakers and use the receiver for sound. If you go this route make sure you get one with a Audio Return Channel. You'll want something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S3400-5-1-Channel-Theater-System/dp/B004O0TRDI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329339419&sr=8-2 This is what I have in my living room and it works pretty good with my Samsung TV.

If that is more than you want to spend you can look into a sound bar. Typically they do not have HDMI-CEC so you'll have to use a optical cable to connect your TV to it. The sound bar may come with it's own remote and you'll need a universal remote (the sound bar remote might be universal) if you want to use 1 remote to control both your TV and sound bar (assuming your sound bar supports a remote of course.) There was a Vizio sound bar for ~$60 on the front page but I'm not sure what features it has.

If you feel getting your PC speakers working on your TV is still the best option for you then you'll want to get something like the Creative Extigy. I use this on my desktop. I have optical output connected from my computer to the Extigy. Then I have my PC speakers connected to it. The Extigy supports remote control so you can use a remote to turn it on and off as well as controlling volume. Problem is this has been discontinued a long time ago. You can probably pick this up used on eBay for about $40-50 without remote and possibly no power brick. Once you have this with a power brick you can use this with your PC speakers and a universal remote (assuming your universal remote can be programmed to work with the Extigy of course. I use the original Extigy remote so I don't know what universal remotes will work with it.)

Another cheap option would be to get a cheaper low end receiver or maybe something from the used market that has optical input and pair it with some cheap speakers. You'll still need a universal remote (receiver remote might be universal) but it could be your cheapest option.

Now my recommendation would be to get the Onkyo setup linked above. It's $250 but it'll be a good upgrade from TV/PC speakers. The sound bar is a decent option and is a upgrade over TV speakers but I don't find it worth it IMO. A lot of people seem to love their sound bar so maybe it'll work for you. If both of these options are more than you want to spend I apologize for the erroneous information. In such case hopefully you get something useful out of the Creative Extigy info along with the possibility of a used receiver + cheap speakers.

If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask.

That was great information and Both you and Kakomu have been VERY helpful!

Thank you both for your time in helping me with this!