BlackMontels

I just bought a RCA 700W Dolby Digital/DTS Home Theater System w/5 Speakers and 200W Subwoofer Model: RT2500 from Best Buy about a week ago and im having trouble hooking it up for surround sound with my DVD player. Im a little new at the whole true surround sound thing so im needing a little help on how to hook it up.

Im hooking the reciever to my Samsung DVD611 the back looks like this:



The back of the reciever looks like this:



As of right now I have the DVD player and the Reciever connected by an Optical cable for audio and a RCA adapter for video. On the front of the reciever there is a bottom marked 6 channel and whenever I turn it on there is no sound. My question is do I need to buy a decoder? If I do what one and were can I get one because I cant find one. Or do I need to buy a new DVD player with the 6 jacks in the back for 5.1?

Any help would be greatly appricated as RCAs customer service has not responded yet.

Thanks!

cowanrg

have you even THOUGHT about reading the manual?

Mr. Salty

No offense, but yeah, that was my first thought too. This should be covered on, like, Page 2.

Short answer: Optical out to optical in. You might have to assign the inputs on your receiver, but to do that you'll have to read the manual.

One other note, if your TV supports it, use S-video for the video signal, not RCA. Both your DVD player and receiver support it.

collven

I'm sure the button for 6 channel is if you're receiving a signal from a source with a built-in decoder. In other words, you would have 6 RCA cables from the dvd player to the receiver. You are using the receivers decoder, so the 6 channel button doesn't apply to you. But, that's just a guess, since I don't have the owner's manual sitting in front of me (sorry, I used to work in technical support at the local cable company, and I'm still amazed at people who expect others to know more about their own equipment than they do).

bmello

Typically, you have to tell the receiver which inputs are digital. How does it know that "optical input 1" is coming from your DVD player, CD player, MD player, XBOX, etc.

BlackMontels

I have tried all of the items that you have suggested and still nothing from the back surround speakers. (And yes they are hooked up correctly) I have READ the manual several times, but it doesnt say much about it. The manuals 40 pages long, but only 5 pages are english.

So in order to get the 6 channel to work I would need to get a new DVD player with the 6 RCA jacks for audio correct? I have assigned the Reciever and DVD player for Optical 2 which is for the DVD player input jack on the reciever and Optical one is the input jack for Satallite.

karnblack

Make sure the set up your DVD player's menus properly also. There may be a setting in the DVD player for stereo or 5.1 speaker set-up.

The 6 channel analog input on your receiver is for DVD players with integrated decoders or for multi-channel audio players such as SACD or DVD-A.

Your DVD player transfers the full 5.1 channel sound through the optical cable, and if your receiver has built-in DD5.1 or DTS decoding then it should work.

Also, as Mr. Salty mentioned, get S-video cables if your TV supports it.

BlackMontels

I have the S-Video cables they are just waiting until I figure the sound issue out first.

I went to the program screen for the DVD player and set it up like the instructions said and hooked them up with the optical cable, but the back speakers still arent producing any sound. The reciever has Auto Detect so it is reconizing the Optical Cable. I messed around with the different surround settings, Dolby, 3Stereo and Pro Logic and none of them will give me sound out of the back speakers. Could I just have a bad Optical Cable or does it sound like more then that? I rechecked the hookup of the speakers and it is correct and all the wires are secure.

Brian Shannon

When you say you have no sound, are you talking about the receivers internal test tones?

I would start there before moving to other pieces of equipment.

BlackMontels

I just checked and yes im getting sound out of the back speakers when I try the test tones. But I dont get any sound out of them when I try to pay a DVD.

Brian Shannon

Ok good.

Now check the settings of the DVD player, make sure it is set properly for the type of audio stream you want to send out. Make sure that your receiver is set to recognize that stream, sometimes there is an auto format decode option. Next make sure that the optical cable is tight. If you can try a coax connection for the audio instead as a test. Last be sure to use some test material with good rear surround effects and be sure it is in 5.1 and not something like 2.0 etc.

Good luck.

Goldblum

I had this same problem happen to me awhile back. I second the advice about checking the options on your DVD player to turn on DD and DTS. I spend so much frustration with my receiver and speakers never realizing the "problem" was simply an option that needed to be switched on my DVD player.

Best of luck.

-GB

Mr. Salty

Also, be aware, not all movies will have a lot of sound coming out of the rear speakers, and even the ones that do, there isn't sound coming from the rear all the time, just when it's called for.

C_Fletch

Yes, sounds like you have the ability to have surround. Definately check the DVD players options as well as the receivers options. Mine has an auto detect feature as well as a manual feature. If your receiver is set to manual you'll have to manually switch the current mode to surround. If it's in auto and your not getting sound in the rear speakers check the setting on both the DVD player and when you get into the sound options of the movie you are trying to play make sure you have 5.1 selected. Sounds like you are doing everything right but have missed one thing.

That's one bad thing about HT......sooo many variables. A week ago i took all of my HT apart to change out my entertainment center and add a new TV. I labelled every wire, cable, etc , etc. It made things soooo much simpler.

Good luck, hope you figure it out.

Boot

Sacrilege!

KWilliamTaylor

if your dvd player is set to output a digital signal, then the next check would be to make sure the receiver knows that you have rear surrounds attached to it and that the dvd input has an assignment. check the receiver settings (usually where your speaker selection can be made to small/large, off/on) and give it a whirl.