How to get audio from home theater on ATV?

[neallip]

Equipment involved: New ATV, Sony LCD TV with 2 HDMI inputs, DishTV sat box, Sony home theater and HDMI splitter with 3 inputs and 1 output.

Problem/Situation: I can't currently use my ATV audio through my home theater. I am running the Dish and ATV into the HDMI splitter then into TV. The home theater (dvd) has it's own HDMI wiring into the TV.

I need a block diagram and/or instructions on how to set up the equipment so I can see/listen to ATV, dvds and Dish through speakers of home theater. Currently the only thing playing through home theater are dvds.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[mchalebk]

I'd be tempted to replace the HDMI switch (which is what I assume you mean when you say splitter; a splitter would actually go the other way, turn one output into multiple outputs) with a 4 input switch. They're pretty darn cheap (check Monoprice.com).

If you don't want to do that, does your home theater have any optical audio inputs? If so, you can use one of those. You can also use an optical to analog converter and run RCA plugs into your home theater. However, that would probably cost about the same as the new HDMI switch.

Edit: I just reread your post; do you have a spare input on the HDMI switch (you said it had 3 inputs and you only mentioned 2 devices going into it)?

 

[mstrze]

Since I don't know your exact model I can only say you should put your ATV, DVD player and Dish box as your three inputs into your Sony receiver while outputting the video to the HDTV (through HDMI I assume).


I hook up my audio from my ATV and DirecTV units usuing the optical cables, but some systems will transfer audio through HDMI. I believe ATV does but the question is: does your receiver accept audio this way...I know mine does not.



To put it perhaps even more simplistically....the receiver unit should be the MAIN componant of your system with the video output going to the HDTV and the audio output going to your speakers. All other boxes (Dish, DirecTV, BlueRay, CD burner, Tivo, Apple TV...etc) would be fed into your reciever inputs (video and audio) and you will switch between sources by choosing the source you want to watch (or listen to) on your Sony receiver.

Make sense?

 

[Rooskibar03]

Here is what I would do.

You say Sony Theater. I assume this is a "box" or all in one unit. I didn't take the time to look at back of the TV, but I assume there is an optical output on there and hopefully an optical input into the Sony "receiver"

Head over to MonoPrice and pick up a 4 into 1 HDMI switch, its cheap and works great. You will only use three for my setup, but it never hurts to have room to grow.

Run the Dish, Sony DVD, and Apple TV into the switch. From the switch go out to the TV's HDMI 1 input.

From the TV run an TosLink optical cable to the Sony Receiver. Then you can leave the input on "digital in", the TV on HDMI 1 and change the sources at the MonoPrice switch.

This will give you a nice clean setup behind the TV. 1 Cable in, 1 cable out and power. You can then focus on hiding the other cords inside your cabinet.

If you have a true component receiver from sony with audio and video inputs that would change the way I would do things, but from your description I don't suspect thats the case.