# Minimalist home theater



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

8 year old TV; you had better find the manual. It might be online. You have to be able to turn off the internal speakers and send a signal out.

Most TVs send an unamplified signal out so you need an amplifier of some sort. A sound bar is the best way to go for that. For what it is worth before I continue, I did a test run using an old pair of Gateway computer speakers and the RCA jacks on the back of my TV.

Modern TVs cand sent the audio via HDMI, RCA or optical sound cable. Most of the sound bars include RCA and optical cables.

Just because it comes with 4 speakers and a woofer, you don't have to use it all. I choose the Vizio sound bar about 2 bumps up from the bottom because it has front left, right and center speaker all in one neat little package (I hate clutter). 

This would be the model with only the front speakers http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-S2920w-...UTF8&qid=1424717207&sr=1-2&keywords=sound+bar and might be all you want.

You are going to be amazed at how much better the TV sounds no matter what you buy.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

I'll measure and if 29" fits, might as well try it. :thumbsup: Pretty sure I have the original owners' manual.



Colbyt said:


> 8 year old TV; you had better find the manual. It might be online. You have to be able to turn off the internal speakers and send a signal out.
> 
> (SNIP)
> 
> This would be the model with only the front speakers http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-S2920w-...UTF8&qid=1424717207&sr=1-2&keywords=sound+bar and might be all you want.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

There may be slightly cheaper options out there but I do recommend 3 speakers. The guys at Best Buy said the Vizio are well thought of and some review I read agreed. cNet is good for reviews.


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

how about a pic of the area. i bought my wife an el-cheapo sound bar from walmart. for $50 it sounds pretty good, and is pretty small for a sound bar.


----------



## MT Stringer (Oct 19, 2008)

I don't use the speakers on the TV. The cable box goes to the Stereo which goes to the TV. Seven channel speakers driven by the stereo provide the audio.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> how about a pic of the area.


I rarely photograph anything, but I can look around for the camera.



MT Stringer said:


> I don't use the speakers on the TV. The cable box goes to the Stereo which goes to the TV. Seven channel speakers driven by the stereo provide the audio.


I'd love to do this, and hear the sound through our Klipsch Heresy speakers. However, we don't have cable, and the stereo is 1980's, nice enough stuff but I suspect the inputs are not Home-theater-friendly, due to the age.



Colbyt said:


> This would be the model with only the front speakers http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-S2920w-...UTF8&qid=1424717207&sr=1-2&keywords=sound+bar


Ordered this AM, it will more or less fit in the space I have. Later on, if I figure out how, "phase two" might what Stringer suggests, through the home stereo system.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

I went from phase 2 to the sound bar.  Just too many remotes, too much fiddlin' around and I was never allowed to turn them up enough really enjoy the sound FX.

You may be surprised how good music can sound from a sound bar. I listen to my ripped CDs via home network now.


----------



## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

Could you post us the model of the TV? Or at least what inputs/outputs it has?

I'm guessing the $$$ towards a soundbar could pay for 25% of a new TV, but that's not your question.

My in-laws have a soundbar in their living room tv that sounds nice. But your width is probably limiting to you.


----------



## MT Stringer (Oct 19, 2008)

Hmmm...looks like my Receiver has been discontinued. It is a Yamaha RX-V663
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-vH2HGWxwYTi/p_022RXV663/Yamaha-RX-V663.html

More bells and whistles than I will ever use. Although I have cables run through the walls to the Samsung flat screen, I only use the HDMI for the video.

A Sony BluRay Player is connected to the Yamaha also, as is the Comcast box.

I haven't touched the set up since 2009.


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

tiger1964 said:


> I'd love to do this, and hear the sound through our Klipsch Heresy speakers. However, we don't have cable, and the stereo is 1980's, nice enough stuff but I suspect the inputs are not Home-theater-friendly, due to the age.


if the tv has stereo outs. just connect it up ! oh, yes, it does have a stereo out = headphone jack.


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

Every 8-10 year old Plasma or LCD has optical/digital/analog outputs.
The Vizio Soundbars have all three, so he should be ok.

I installed a bunch of those for customers who wanted some better sound than their TV Speakers, and without going all 5.1 or 7.1.
It's also good for small appartments.

I installed the Vizio Soundbar with the Subwoofer, at Costco a mere $130 or so and it sounds pretty good.

And no, they will not produce Surround sound like many believe, they just give the Sound a much better volume and punch.

Good luck!


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Deja-vue said:


> And no, they will not produce Surround sound like many believe, they just give the Sound a much better volume and punch.
> 
> Good luck!



For me the operative word is clarity, the difference between a cheap cordless phone and a landline with a desktop phone.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Well, the sound bar arrived and I spend two hours on the install Friday night -- failure.

The sound bar came with two kinds of cable, one called an digital optical cable, and a 2-into-1 more conventional cable. The TV was new enough to have the digital output, I tried that, hooked up, no sound. For the conventional cable, I found several audio IN sockets, none Audio OUT. Tried them anyway, no harm, didn't work.

For settings, (Panasonic 32LX something or other, I should post that), found the audio settings and could turn off the internal speaker no problem, never found a setting to turn ON an external one -- the sound bar instruction booklet said to set it to something called PDM.

Having lost the TV owner's manual, found it on-line but when I went to print it out, had printer problems and maybe my helpful IT-pro neighbor will help out on that tonight (new wireless router not recognizing the printer). I just can't win.

Also, I dragged out a small TV we have that I'm going to install in our breakfast nook, could not make the sound bar on that work either, again could not find an audio setting TURN ON EXTERNAL SPEAKER.

So, right now, unsure if I'm failing to get a signal OUT of the TV, or the speaker is defective, or what. At least the sound bar is getting power, the little indicator lights work.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Post a non live link (leave off the www and http and Let me see what your manual says.

With mine I have to disable the internal and enable the output jack. Those functions are contained in the TV setup menu.


----------



## MT Stringer (Oct 19, 2008)

tiger1964 said:


> Well, the sound bar arrived and I spend two hours on the install Friday night -- failure.
> 
> The sound bar came with two kinds of cable, one called an digital optical cable, and a 2-into-1 more conventional cable. The TV was new enough to have the digital output, I tried that, hooked up, no sound. For the conventional cable, I found several audio IN sockets, none Audio OUT. Tried them anyway, no harm, didn't work.
> 
> ...


What is the source for your TV signal? Is it from rabbit ears, cable box, satellite dish, what?

More info would be helpful like model number of the TV and what equipment you have.

You may be right. The signal goes to the TV and there it ends. 

So, it appears to me the signal needs to be split before the TV so the audio can be fed to the sound bar. That is the duty of the stereo or media center such as the one I posted. At least that is the way I see it.

Hope this helps.
Mike


----------



## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Can you play anything else, such as a CD player, into the sound bar?

To prove that the sound bar is accepting audio.


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

Got a Remote for the Soundbar?
Switch inputs on it.
Also, make sure that the Digital Audio out (optical connector) is enabled on the TV. They are not always enabled by default.
Cheers,


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

> So, it appears to me the signal needs to be split before the TV so the audio can be fed to the sound bar. That is the duty of the stereo or media center such as the one I posted. At least that is the way I see it.


:thumbdown:

With all due Respect, every TV build in the last 10 years has a Digital and analog output. You don't have to "split" the Sound.
Whatever comes into the TV, Antenna, DirecTV, XBox, Blu-Ray, goes automatically to the digital/analog out.
:thumbsup:


----------



## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

An easy way to find out if you're getting an optical audio signal is to disconnect the cable from the sound bar while still connected to the tv, which should be on. Look at the end of the cable and see if you have a red light shining through it. If so, that tells you the tv is outputting the signal and the problem is with the sound bar. If there's no red light at the cable end, then the tv isn't outputting the optical audio and you'll have to search the tv menu to correct that.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Dave Sal said:


> Look at the end of the cable and see if you have a red light shining through it. If so, that tells you the tv is outputting the signal and the problem is with the sound bar.


Saw that for the first time last night. My neighbor came over to straighten out the computer's wireless router so we could print out the TV owner's manual (forgot to bring it with me to state what model #), and he decided to try figuring out the sound bar while there.

What we ended up with was that the sound bar just wouldn't get a signal from the TV directly, it's on a rooftop antenna (analog signal?) However, it produced sound from the Blu-Ray player just fine. So, we listen to the TV speakers for news and such, and my wife can crank up the rock-n-roll on the discs and get the sound via the sounds bar. Just a little more manipulating with yet another remote control.

That said, all the equipment is getting older, I'll likely be back here soon as I plan to simply replace everything with a new system, TV and all. Thanks for the help! :thumbsup:


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Tiger, something just isn't configured correctly or your TV may not be compliant with modern standards. If you are in the US they isn't any off air analog signal any more; everything is digital. A few cable companies still push an analog signal on some of the basic plans.

My antenna goes to my TV coax input. My cable goes to my HD TIVO which is connected to the TV via HDMI. The SD TIVO goes to my TV composite inputs. My Blu-Ray is connected via HDMI. The sound bar is connected via Optical cable.

The sound bar works with every device.

Once upon a time the sound receiver was designed to be the hub. Modern TVs are designed to be the hub and the sound system a part of it. I would guess that a 8 year old TV is right around the shift point but I would guess it is still the hub.

If you have a USB port, I would check the Panasonic site for a firmware update.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Colbyt said:


> Tiger, something just isn't configured correctly or your TV may not be compliant with modern standards.


Both are possible. Behind the system is a rat's nest (TV, Blu-ray player, DVD plater/recorder, VHS player!) that I got up and running once, years ago, and have been loathe to touch! I'm just glad that none of the wires run to the toaster oven.

And the TV dates to, hmm, 2002.

Unless it just stops working, I'll live with the stopgap measure and start shopping around for a new, comprehensive, system. :whistling2:


----------



## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

tiger1964 said:


> Saw that for the first time last night. My neighbor came over to straighten out the computer's wireless router so we could print out the TV owner's manual (forgot to bring it with me to state what model #), and he decided to try figuring out the sound bar while there.
> 
> What we ended up with was that the sound bar just wouldn't get a signal from the TV directly, it's on a rooftop antenna (analog signal?) However, it produced sound from the Blu-Ray player just fine. So, we listen to the TV speakers for news and such, and my wife can crank up the rock-n-roll on the discs and get the sound via the sounds bar. Just a little more manipulating with yet another remote control.
> 
> That said, all the equipment is getting older, I'll likely be back here soon as I plan to simply replace everything with a new system, TV and all. Thanks for the help! :thumbsup:


Don't give up so quickly. It's probably something simple like a menu adjustment. The over the air TV signals are now digital. If you posted the model number of the TV it would help so we could skim thru the manual. Since you've got the Blu-Ray player working you're halfway there. Did you mean that you saw the red light coming from the optical cable connected to the TV?


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Yeah, I printed out the owner' manual and meant to bring it along for the model # if nothing else, and then forgot.

Yes, my neighber specifically showed me the red light, I was musing that I couldn't tell if the TV was failing to send a signal, or if the sound bad was defective. Red light showed that something was getting through.



Dave Sal said:


> Don't give up so quickly. It's probably something simple like a menu adjustment. The over the air TV signals are now digital. If you posted the model number of the TV it would help so we could skim thru the manual. Since you've got the Blu-Ray player working you're halfway there. Did you mean that you saw the red light coming from the optical cable connected to the TV?


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Ah crap! I went looking for my manual, found my digital cable and realized I lied to you in the post above and it might be a really simple fix for you.

I am not using the optical cable. It was not quite long enough for my temp setup. I am using the RCA out jacks on the TV and the TV menu is set to fixed output (which on my TV means it sends at a consistent volume level). The volume is adjusted via the SB remote.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Panasonic model TC-32LX24, sorry for the delay in posting that.

And my neighbor could't find RCA *output* jacks on the panel, either. I rather thought that odd.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

It does not appear that you have any. The manual does not show an optical out either.

Does yor SB have HDMI and are you using your second port on the TV? Not sure that would work.


----------



## MT Stringer (Oct 19, 2008)

tiger1964 said:


> Panasonic model TC-32LX24, sorry for the delay in posting that.
> 
> And my neighbor could't find RCA *output* jacks on the panel, either. I rather thought that odd.


I didn't read the whole manual, but page 39 shows the diagram for hooking up the external speakers.

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TC32LX24.PDF

Hope this helps.

Note: Your TV looks very similar to the two 32 inchers I have in the bedrooms just different brands - Insignia & Samsung.


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

Colbyt said:


> It does not appear that you have any. The manual does not show an optical out either.
> 
> Does yor SB have HDMI and are you using your second port on the TV? Not sure that would work.


It clearly shows a "digital Audio out" on page 27 of the manual.
:whistling2:


----------



## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

Deja-vue said:


> It clearly shows a "digital Audio out" on page 27 of the manual.
> :whistling2:


Correct. It also shows the optical digital audio out in the diagram on page 39.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

MT Stringer said:


> I didn't read the whole manual, but page 39 shows the diagram for hooking up the external speakers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

There are two different manuals online for that model. The second one I DL does show that. The first did not.


----------



## Bob Sanders (Nov 10, 2013)

tiger1964 said:


> MT Stringer said:
> 
> 
> > I didn't read the whole manual, but page 39 shows the diagram for hooking up the external speakers.
> ...


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Bob Sanders said:


> tiger1964 said:
> 
> 
> > Does the sound bar support (or is it set up for ) PCM sound through the optical input?
> ...


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

> and still the sound comes out great when playing a disc, silent when watching broadcast


That means that the "broadcast" is not supporting digital audio.
(I wonder why, here in LA we have a couple of hundred free over-the-air channels, and they all broadcast digital.)
Are you sure you scanned the Air for digital Channels?

If you had a digital cable box connected, it will play through the Soundbar.
Same for PS3, PS4, XboxOne, etc...you get the Idea.
For the optical connection to work, we need digital signals from the TV.

So if you hook up the analog connections (RCA plugs, red and white) you should hear sound even from the old analog broadcasts.
Cheers,


----------



## five.five-six (Mar 8, 2015)

tiger1964 said:


> MT Stringer said:
> 
> 
> > Absolutely, but that's the optical cable output -- what I said we could not find was RCA audio output jacks.
> ...


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

five.five-six said:


> tiger1964 said:
> 
> 
> > it's probably a 3.5mm jack
> ...


----------



## five.five-six (Mar 8, 2015)

Deja-vue said:


> ah...nope.



Then you need a vanco 280515


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

five.five-six said:


> Then you need a vanco 280515


Thanks -- but to what outputs on the back of the TV would I connect it? The only audio outputs found so far is the digital optical cable output. Or are you suggesting I connect it there and use this box to convert that to analog?


----------



## five.five-six (Mar 8, 2015)

tiger1964 said:


> Thanks -- but to what outputs on the back of the TV would I connect it? The only audio outputs found so far is the digital optical cable output. Or are you suggesting I connect it there and use this box to convert that to analog?


Yes. it will translate the Dolby digital to stereo so you can hear audio on all your content.

EDIT, are you sure there isn't a 3.5MM jack? they put them in weird places some times.


----------



## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

Bob Sanders said:


> tiger1964 said:
> 
> 
> > Does the sound bar support (or is it set up for ) PCM sound through the optical input?
> ...


----------



## Bob Sanders (Nov 10, 2013)

Dave Sal said:


> NTSC is no longer broadcast in the U.S.


In name only.
In the new Digital era frame rates, resolutions, and audio muxing standards continue as normal in SD tv. 



> The majority of NTSC transmissions ended in Japan on July 24, 2011, while Mexico completed their transition in 2012, the same year as the cessation of NTSC broadcasts in the Japanese prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.[4] Digital broadcasting allows higher-resolution television, but digital standard definition television continues to use the frame rate and number of lines of resolution established by the analog NTSC standard.


----------



## tiger1964 (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks, everyone -- I think this has run its course. Not going to buy that Vanco item, $$$ considering we've really, really come away from this experience ready to simply replace everything.

:hang:


----------



## five.five-six (Mar 8, 2015)

LOL, that Vanco part is like $50 and everything will work like you wanted.


----------



## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

This is getting ridiculous.
Installing a Soundbar requires no technical knowledge whatsoever.
He had all the suggestions, tips and hints from hobbyists and Pro's alike.
Yet he can't manage to perform these simple tasks.
:furious:

I've been working on *real *Home Theaters for about 25 years, all sizes, configs, you name it. And had Customers, well, from the "i know everything-Guy" to the "I got real money but no idea-Guy", but this is getting real annoying.
Best of luck on your Future projects.
No longer posting in this thread.


----------

