I just purchased a new Panasonic HDTV & BluRay DVD player, both have optical digital audio outputs which I have plugged into my Sony AV receiver, using the receiver's TV & DVD optical inputs. However, I am unable to get true Dolby 5.1 digital from either device. The receiver will just stay on "Auto Format Decoding", then use simulated surround sound only. What must I do to get true Dolby Digital 5.1 sound? I was able to get it using my old SD DVD player connected to my receiver!

"Onkyo TX-NR801 AV receiver using a coaxial digital cable but cannot get sound from the AV receiver." In onkyo amp, choose DVD, then in digital audio settings choose coax1. Then enter. In blu ray player, digital output selection choose auto or bitstream .

Are you using AV cables from your DVD player to your TV? (the yellow,red and white ones) If you are the is a way to do this, since you have no other outputs at all is you will have to make one. With the purchase of a couple adapters and an additional av (audio only cord which is red and white) you can do this. The first adapter you need looks like this. http://www.globalgrabber.com/product/4507930-5mm-stereo-plug-2-rca-plugs-jacks/ You will remove the red and white AV cords from the back of your TV that run from the DVD player and insert them in the adapter to their respective colors on the adapter. Then you need to purchase a double female AV adapter that looks like this .http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=double+female+av+adaptor&hl=en&prmd=ivns&biw=1600&bih=799&bav=on.2,or.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14119505288159192113&sa=X&ei=S-V1TZPDJIKglAexv-ybCA&ved=0CI0BEPMCMAU# Then you need to put that adapter on the one you just installed so you can add the new AV cord onto it and run the new cord to the TV.That completes the sound of the DVD's back to your TV. Now for your headphones. You will need a double female 3.5mm jack input to put between your headphones and the remaining jack on the adapter. It looks like this http://www.buy.com/prod/3-5mm-female-to-female-stereo-audio-cable-coupler/q/sellerid/23962916/loc/101/216778563.html Play a movie and enjoy. This is the only way to do what you want with the current setup you have. These adapters and wires can all be purchased for less than $10 off of E-bay. If your not using AV cords then the only other way to do it with the current setup you have is --
You can purchase a reasonably priced receiver and hook your DVD, cable, and TV to it as well as your headphones. With no outputs on your TV there will be no way to hear your DVD's through your headphones. You can also purchase a very reasonably priced shelf speaker stereo. Many made in recent years have some audio inputs and of course inputs for your headphones.

use your tv as a common connection in your theatre system. Connect your hdmi blue ray player to the tv,connect the audio output of your tv (rca style cables -red&white) or if your tv and audio system has optical you can use that also.

Optical carries only 5.1 sound, no video. HDMI carries both video and sound. If your receiver doesn't have HDMI, check your TV for optical output. You can go BluRay to TV via HDMI, then TV to receiver via optical.

If you don't have optical out on your tv, you're going to need either a receiver with HDMI or a BluRay player with component output (blue, green, red).

Yes, you can connect the HDMI Cable from the Blu-ray Player to the TV directly and then, connect the Digital Optical cable from the Blu-ray Player to the Receiver.

Depending on the year of your model of VIZIO your digital optical output may be tied to the DTV input only. Meaning the only time you will have audio coming out of the digital optical output is when your using the tuner and your on a digital channel. If your television is newer and the digital optical output is in white on the back of the television than it is tied to HDMI and the DTV Tuner and you will pass audio through the digital optical output when using HDMI or the Digital Tuner.

Now to get connect the HT: Normally you would run a digital optical cable from the source device to the home theatre system. Meaning if it was a PS3 you would run a optical cable from the Digital Out on the back of the PS3 to the Digital In on the Home Theatre receiver. If it was a DVD player than you would run the optical cable from the DVD player to the HT receiver. If you have a newer VIZIO and the optical output is in white and not black than you can run HDMI from the PS3 to the VIZIO and then run a optical cable from the VIZIO to the Home theater receiver.

You will have to adjust the audio setting in the PS3 to run audio out of the HDMI port if it is set to run audio out of the Digital Out or AV out. Also, if your going to run audio from the PS3 to the HT receiver through the Digital Out then you need to change the audio setting in the PS3 to Digital Out.

1. Select (Sound Settings) under (Settings) in the home menu.
2. Select [Audio Output Settings].
3. Select the input connector on the audio device.

Channel numbers and audio formats that are supported vary depending on the connector in use. AV is 2 ch. only, Digital Out is 2 ch. & 5.1 ch, and HDMI is upto 7.1.

For this Sony, you have to use separate audio cable(s). Either optical in BD or Digital Audio in DVD (single coaxial cable will do the trick) I bet the display says UNLOCK. I had the same problem, very dumb.

Good day!

Check both for Optical

1) Check your DVD player make sure it is set to Dolby Digital or Optical Out or even AUTO (if applicable)
2) Check the Input source to the receiver say if you are using DVD on the receiver make sure the digital setting is set to either Optical or Auto

Is Yamaha HTR-640 a receiver? Try HDMI from PS3 to receiver or Sony HDTV. If HDMI from PS3 to receiver the you need and HDMI from receiver to out Sony HDTV. You could connect everything to receiver and HDMI out to HDTV. You can not have an HDMI cable AND an optical cable coming out of the PS3, only one or the other.