My Humax Forum » Freeview HD » FVP 4000T, 5000T

How to use Toslink for audio out

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    douglasb

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    I've done a search but didn't find anything that quite matched my situation.

    I have a FVP 4000T and have just bought a new amplifier (Cambridge Audio SR20) which has Toslink inputs. I can see music files on my NAS and can play them through the TV (HDMI) however I thought that I'd have a try at playing them through the new amp. It isn't working...

    I have a new Toslink cable running from the FVP to the amp. With a bit of trying, the plugs "click" into place in the sockets on the FVP and the amp. (I have removed the protective covers from the ends.... ;-))

    I've selected the correct digital input on the amp but I'm not getting any sound.

    In the FVP menu I have the S/PDIF audio set to stereo rather than Dolby 5:1. Am I missing something such as having to direct the audio output to the S/PDIF rather than HDMI? When I look at the amp end of the Toslink cable there is a red light which suggests to me that there is an audio signal being sent by the FVP.

    Any thoughts will be very welcome.

    | Tue 3 Jul 2018 19:23:53 #1 |
  2. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    Turn up the 4000T box volume to max using it's remote control.

    | Wed 4 Jul 2018 8:45:37 #2 |
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    douglasb

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    Thanks Graham

    Your suggestion has helped but I've found that the answer doesn't really work for what I wanted.

    I selected the appropriate digital input on the amp, turned the volume up to full on the FVP, and .... nothing. (I had wondered why the volume mattered as I thought that S/PDIF was digital so it would be just a stream of ones and zeroes and volume would make no difference. Perhaps I am missing something here).

    I then wondered if because the TV was connected using HDMI this was directing audio to HDMI rather than S/PDIF so I switched the TV off. The result was sound from the FVP through the amp. The volume control on the remote adjusted the input level, however as I was looking to select tracks on the NAS using the choices in the menu on the TV it looks like this isn't going to work for me.

    It isn't a problem as I didn't buy the amp with this as a main requirement but I just though that it would be nice if I could select tracks from the NAS via the FVP and play them through the amp.

    Now, does anyone know how to keep the TV on and connected on HDMI but with audio going out on S/PDIF?

    Thanks.

    | Thu 5 Jul 2018 19:06:14 #3 |
  4. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    douglasb - 26 minutes ago  » 
    Thanks Graham
    Your suggestion has helped but I've found that the answer doesn't really work for what I wanted.
    I selected the appropriate digital input on the amp, turned the volume up to full on the FVP, and .... nothing. (I had wondered why the volume mattered as I thought that S/PDIF was digital so it would be just a stream of ones and zeroes and volume would make no difference. Perhaps I am missing something here).
    I then wondered if because the TV was connected using HDMI this was directing audio to HDMI rather than S/PDIF so I switched the TV off. The result was sound from the FVP through the amp. The volume control on the remote adjusted the input level, however as I was looking to select tracks on the NAS using the choices in the menu on the TV it looks like this isn't going to work for me.
    It isn't a problem as I didn't buy the amp with this as a main requirement but I just though that it would be nice if I could select tracks from the NAS via the FVP and play them through the amp.
    Now, does anyone know how to keep the TV on and connected on HDMI but with audio going out on S/PDIF?
    Thanks.

    Try setting the digital hdmi out to stereo as well.

    S/Pdif is digital but it can support several digital audio codecs. If the destination doesn't have the required decoder you get zilch,

    DTS and Dolby Digital up to 5.1.

    LPCM up to stereo (2.0)

    MP2/MP3 ( SD channels use mpeg layer 2 setting the output to stereo is supposed to convert dolby digital to MP2).

    Suspect there is a bug that fails to make this conversion if you retain surround on HDMO out.

    | Thu 5 Jul 2018 19:42:00 #4 |
  5. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    douglasb - 26 minutes ago  » 
    Thanks Graham
    Your suggestion has helped but I've found that the answer doesn't really work for what I wanted.
    I selected the appropriate digital input on the amp, turned the volume up to full on the FVP, and .... nothing. (I had wondered why the volume mattered as I thought that S/PDIF was digital so it would be just a stream of ones and zeroes and volume would make no difference. Perhaps I am missing something here).
    I then wondered if because the TV was connected using HDMI this was directing audio to HDMI rather than S/PDIF so I switched the TV off. The result was sound from the FVP through the amp. The volume control on the remote adjusted the input level, however as I was looking to select tracks on the NAS using the choices in the menu on the TV it looks like this isn't going to work for me.
    It isn't a problem as I didn't buy the amp with this as a main requirement but I just though that it would be nice if I could select tracks from the NAS via the FVP and play them through the amp.
    Now, does anyone know how to keep the TV on and connected on HDMI but with audio going out on S/PDIF?
    Thanks.

    Try setting the digital hdmi out to stereo as well.

    S/Pdif is digital but it can support several digital audio codecs. If the destination doesn't have the required decoder you get zilch,

    DTS and Dolby Digital up to 5.1.

    LPCM up to stereo (2.0)

    MP2/MP3 ( SD channels use mpeg layer 2 setting the output to stereo is supposed to convert dolby digital to MP2).

    Suspect there is a bug that fails to make this conversion if you retain surround on HDMI digital audio out.

    | Thu 5 Jul 2018 19:42:36 #5 |
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    douglasb

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    Thanks Graham. It is now working and I'm an idiot!

    I checked the HDMI audio setting and it was on Stereo. I repeated the test of selecting the correct input on the amp but this time I turned the amp volume up a lot! I could then hear the sound through the amp and also the TV. I then muted the TV sound and I had a picture on the TV with sound through the amp.

    If I'd bought am amp with Wifi/NAS/DAB/Internet Radio access built in it would have cost an extra £150. Now for a £10 Toslink cable I can do the same.

    Thanks again.

    Doug

    | Fri 6 Jul 2018 17:10:55 #6 |
  7. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    douglasb - 56 minutes ago  » 
    Thanks Graham. It is now working and I'm an idiot!
    I checked the HDMI audio setting and it was on Stereo. I repeated the test of selecting the correct input on the amp but this time I turned the amp volume up a lot! I could then hear the sound through the amp and also the TV. I then muted the TV sound and I had a picture on the TV with sound through the amp.
    If I'd bought am amp with Wifi/NAS/DAB/Internet Radio access built in it would have cost an extra £150. Now for a £10 Toslink cable I can do the same.
    Thanks again.
    Doug

    Did you follow the step to use the box volume control to set the box output to max. Humax boxes have variable output on toslink and the default is only 50% of the standard level used where the output volume is fixed.

    | Fri 6 Jul 2018 18:09:13 #7 |
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    douglasb

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    The one thing that I did correctly was to set the box volume control to max. The resulting volume from the TV overwhelmed the sound from the amp until I turned it up a lot. Hence why I could only hear it when I disconnected the TV from HDMI (and in my mind it kind of made sense that the box would only send audio output to one interface and as it detected a TV on the HDMI that was where it sent the audio to).

    | Fri 6 Jul 2018 18:28:44 #8 |

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