How do I watch Cable TV in surround sound?

[namrfumot]

Just got a Sony STDH500 receiver and I'm having trouble hooking everything up.

We got the Blu-Ray player hooked up and can listen to it in surround sound. Now I'd like to be able to watch Cox cable TV in surround as well. Right now we're using compnent cables out of the cable box into the TV.

So to get it in surround I tried going AUDIO OUT of the tv to AUDIO IN on the receiver but it didn't work (using RCA cables).

What gives?

[Drexl]

Does the cable box have an optical output? Connect that to the receiver if it does, and note that some shows won't be in 5.1.

BTW, I think this is better suited for the DVD and Home Theater Gear forum.

[The Cow]

What's the brand/model of the cable box?

(also, not all channels/shows broadcast in surround)

[Mr. Salty]

So to get it in surround I tried going AUDIO OUT of the tv to AUDIO IN on the receiver but it didn't work (using RCA cables).
Usually, the audio outputs on a TV are for its own internal tuner, not a pass-through for other components. You will need to connect your cable box's audio output to your Sony receiver, using the highest quality audio output available on the cable box. That's probably optical.

[shelland]

You can't get surround via RCA cables (unless you're running analog for each channel). You need digital cables from either the cable box or TV to the receiver. Depending on the setup, HDMI from the cable box would be the simplest to get both the audio and video. But optical would work too for just the audio.

[rexinnih]

What everyone above has said. My cable box has an optical out that I have connected to my receiver for surround sound.

[Mr. Salty]

You can't get surround via RCA cables (unless you're running analog for each channel).
That isn't true. You can get matrixed four-channel Dolby Surround (aka Pro-Logic) from stereo RCA cables. It just won't be Dolby Digital 5.1.