KDL-40EX503 Audio output issue

[abealing]

I have a new KDL-40EX503 TV and BDP-S370 Blu-ray player with a Virgin V+ box.  I have connected the V+ Box to the TV via HDMI  and to an AV amp via optical lead from the V+ for use when required as oposed to using the TV speakers but there is a delay on the sound. This is a known issue with the V+ Box.  As a work-round I have connect the AV amp to the TV via another optical cable and this cures the sync issue.  However, to get a Dolby or DTS through-signal from the TV,ther than stereo, I seem to have to set the TV audio out to EITHER its own speakers OR optical  out and this is inconvenient as I want to choose between the TV speakers day to day and the AV amp when I want, not necessarily all the time.  Has anyone else encountered the same issue.  How do I get the TV to pass through the audio signal it receives to the optical output including Dolby/DTS so that I can use my AV amp when needed? But not otherwise?

[Meestar]

Hi Abealing,

I have also been struggling a bit with this - I have a similar set-up KDL-40EX503 and Virgin V+ Box. I have an old Aiwa surround sound amp, and tried getting it all hooked up. I understand that the optical should be taken from the Virgin box, but as you, there is a delay on the signal. To compound this, I also have to set up the HDMI Override on the Virgin box to get Dolby from the box - and then I don't get as good a sound from the TV alone. I also tried the optical from the TV, but as you, I am frustrated that it will go to either the TV or the Amp but not both - this seems a bit limiting on behalf of the TV and I can't see why a both option could not be provided. However, if you revert to the connection on the Virgin box, you should be able to set a delay in the aurround sound amp, so the sync issue is resolved - as my amp is so old, I am a bit limited, but it is close to perfect - the Aiwa uses the speaker distance setting to change the delay, but a newer amp should have this as a delay setting. So search out that setting and see how you get on. 

[abealing]

Hi Meestar

Many thanks for the detailed reply.  Indeed you have explained exactly the same issue that I am suffering with.

I have raised an issue with Virgin on their forum:

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/TV/Sound-out-of-sync-when-connecting-v-via-optical-lead-to-AV-am...

It seems that it is a known issue with the original V+ Box that there is a delay, I think, on the optical audio output whereas I would have expected the delay to be on the video side as it has to pass through the HDMI which I understand involves some processing.   If you can follow the link to that thread you will see references to this and another V+ user who had the same issue, who got his box replaced with the new Samsung version which does't seem to suffer the same problem. As its something Virgin has under investigation, they may correct the old boxes with an update but as you will see I have requested a replacement box if this is the only way to solve the issue at present.

I have also emailed Sony to check if there is any way of setting the TV to output both to its speakers and the optical out which would make our work-round with the optical feed from the TV, practical but your reply has confirmed that I am on the right lines and its one or the other.

You might wish to follow my Virgin thread and if they agree to replace my box you might want to request the same.

Andrew

[Meestar]

Hi Andrew,

I'll check out the Virgin thread - thanks for the link. But I have a Samsung box and am having this problem, so on the face of things, the Samsung box does not appear to fix the issue. But there is a chance that my issue is not quite the same as yours, as I have just checked my TV/AV, and I think that the V+ box is actually ahead of the TV, so perhaps my problem is simply that the TV processing via HDMI is introducing the lag as would be expected, but that your issue is indeed down to the older box.

Good luck with the swap!

[mark-harri]

Anyone using ARC over HDMI to get the audio to their surround sound system? I have the same set up - KDL37EX503, Virgin box (plugged into TV on HMDI 4 port) and sony BDV bluray/surround sound connected on HMDI 1.

I can get TV sound to the BDV unit through the HDMI ARC, but after a while the sound stops coming. I'm sorry, I haven't worked out whether the sound is stereo or a digital format - I'm still trying to diagnose the more basic issues I have.

I take from these posts that my problem is not going to be simply solved by plugging an optical cable in either to my Virgin box or TV.

This is frustrating as this looks like a pretty basic set up to make use of HD broadcast. It was this reason I bought 2 sony units, expecting them to work together, and at the moment the best I can reliably get is TV sound.

[mark-harri]

So I've fixed this - faulty HDMI cable.