Playback Issues - Audio/Video & Power

[lexluthor5]

I've got a TCL 55S405 on the way.

I don't have a receiver with HDMI.

Am I able to output DD5.1/DTS from this TV in Roku mode to my receiver via optical audio?

If so, what specific settings do I need?

[dgrace]

Page 10 of the manual saying that you can output surround audio with optical to your avr. It looks like the video choices are only hdmi or composite. I'd think you'd want to run hdmi from roku to tv and digital audio from tv to avr, but this is probably what you were planning.

[lexluthor5]

Rpku is built into the TV and then I'm playing audio via optical to the receiver.

[Heyitsrick]

The specs say it will pass through Dolby Digital Plus and process Dolby Digital for output. I guess it depends on the capability of your receiver, then, as most streaming services are Dolby Digital Plus now. The older Roku Ultra would convert Dolby Digital Plus to standard Dolby for output on optical.  Not sure if the TV is going to convert Dolby Digital Plus or just pass it through. If it only decodes standard DD and not DD+ and your receiver doesn't decode DD+ then you'll only get stereo out of it via optical.

What receiver do you have?

[lexluthor5]

I have a pretty ancient receiver, Sony STR-K660P.  I'm pretty sure it will only do DD5.1 and DTS.  I thought I had read somewhere that in TV/Roku you can select the capabilities of the receiver and it'll send that.

Doesn't this except from the manual indicate that the TV won't output DD Plus at all through optical?  In that case, it must just send it as DD, no?

----
SPDIF optical – The TV has an SPDIF optical connector that outputs a digital audio
signal. To use the optical output, connect a TOSLINK optical cable from the amplifier
to the Optical or SPDIF connector on the TV.
Note: Dolby Audio™ supporting Dolby Digital Plus™ format is not available through the SPDIF
optical output. This format is only available through the HDMI® ARC connection.

[twiceover]

It should convert.  I have this TV and a receiver hooked up via optical.  My receiver isn't capable of DD+ on an optical connection (Only via ARC).  So far everything labeled DD+ has been converted to DD/DTS.  In the Roku menu, Audio section, you need to change the Optical/Toslink connection to whatever your receiver can handle.

I do have HDMI from my receiver -> TV so I could use ARC, however Roku disables the TV speakers when connected to the receiver via ARC and the receiver is on.  This just didn't work right for my setup.  

[lexluthor5]

Great, I appreciate the reply and feel a lot better now.  I know the receiver is ancient, but it works and I don't really want to replace it at the moment.

[twiceover]

"lexluthor5" wrote:
Great, I appreciate the reply and feel a lot better now.  I know the receiver is ancient, but it works and I don't really want to replace it at the moment.

I hear ya.  It's constantly a battle of what is new and when to buy.  I'll milk my receivers until they are dead.  For what I need of them, they do just fine right now.
Enjoy the 55s405.  Hope you got in on the Amazon/Target deal this last Sunday.  That was an insane value.  So far I'm very happy with the TV.  Sure it can't do "Real HDR" but for $300 I wasn't really expecting it to even be as good as it is.

[lexluthor5]

Yes, got it from Target on Sunday.  Didn't have the additional red card discount though, but still a great deal.  Looking forward to getting it all hooked up once my mounts and cables arrive.

[franck3d]

Sorry to resurrect, but this is my exact setup as well!
New 55" TCL TV and old Sony receiver.

I have a new optical cable on the way from amazon (my old one is only 3 foot and too short now), so I'll be doing this connection soon but I wanted to ask;

Can you control the volume with the roku remote with this setup?
I've been spoiled by having a single remote for tv and streaming media and would love to keep my other remotes in storage!
I realize I would need my sony remote to power the receiver, but I'll never need to change input or other options once I'm optically plugged in.