Quick Question About Toslink Cable

Toslink is certainly capable of 5.1, yes. But do the videos you're trying to watch contain 5.1 channels?

try going toslink directly from the mac mini to the receiver, you'll need an adaper like this or get a mini toslink to toslink cable.

sometimes TVs don't pass properly, it might be a setting in your TV is wrong, or your TV isn't able to handle that type of audio.

As far as I know, the toslink output on most if not all TV's is only for outputting surround from the in-built tuner and wont pass through surround from a HDMI input.

Yep, the headphone jack is also the mini-toslink jack.

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Yep as posted u wanna go from the mini to your amp of you'll end up with audio delay issues

It's not your cable, its the TV.

The optical output from TV's was designed to pass only 2 channel PCM so the user couldn't send a clean digital 5.1 signal to recording equipment via a reciever.

There were several TV's (the older Pioneer Plasma's) that had no internal speakers, but came with an external soundbar, and were able to bypass the law that way. But AFAIK there are none currently on the market.

My two Panny plasmas do not have any audio sync issues when passing 2 channel PCM but the sound level was so low its almost useless when coupled with the low audio output from Handbrake transcodes.

Sure would be nice to send one signal from the TV to the stereo though.

There is an HDMI switch sold thru monoprice that has a digital optical output that is said to pass the 5.1 signal. The reviews are pretty decent. What stopped me is the need to use a remote to switch inputs. It does not auto switch, and my Harmony remote is full of devices.

My 2 cents

downingp said:

Thanks for the input. So if I get a mini-toslink to toslink either adaptor or cable going directly from my mini to the receiver, I should be good to go?

Click to expand...

Yes, this is the way to go. As others have pointed out, most TVs don't do 5.1 passthru.

When I run my HDMIs (X360, Comcast STB/DVR) directly to my Sony XBR LCD, which then has an optical TOSlink down to my Yamaha YSP-4000, the soundbar reports that it's receiving a 5.1 channel signal. Is it lying to me?

Most != all but it's impossible to answer your question with what you've provided. XBR is a product line spanning many years. How about a specific model number for others to use to verify? It's unlikely that the soundbar is lying but we're just speculating at this point.