PLEASE HELP!! NO SOUND FROM T.V.!! (ONLY DVDs)

 

New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
Hi!
My boyfriend recently bought me a surround sound system for Christmas. I attempted to follow the instructions for installation, but I don't hear anything from my speakers when watching TV! However, when I play movies and play games through my Playstation, the speakers work perfectly.

The current set-up is as follows:
-My Playstation has a cord (with red, yellow, and white) coming out of the back. I have the yellow portion of that wire running into my TV for video. The red and white portions are plugged into the back of my receiver in the "DVD input" area.

-The surround sound system came with another cord that has the red, white, and yellow plugs on BOTH ends of the wire. On one end, I have the red and white going into my TV and the yellow is not plugged in anywhere. On the other end, the red and white are plugged into my receiver in the "TV input" area.

Based on the instruction manual, I thought I did everything correctly! Still no audio when watching TV! The surround system also came with another cord (which I don't know what it is used for)...this cord is only about 2 feet long and it has yellowish/orange plugs on both ends. I don't know what to do with that part! On the back of my TV, I only have the red, white, and yellow inputs along with the cable jack...nothing else. Is it possible that my TV is not compatible with the speaker system? Or did I do the set-up incorrectly? Is there another cord that I need to buy? I'm very confused haha!

If anyone knows what I did wrong, I'd really appreciate your advice!! My boyfriend is coming in town on Wednesday, and I'd really like to impress him with my technological ability! Also, if anyone can describe the problem, please try to do so in very simplistic terms because in reality, I'm not the most savvy person with technology!
 

Gold Member
Username: John_s

Columbus, Ohio US

Post Number: 1316
Registered: Feb-04
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-The surround sound system came with another cord that has the red, white, and yellow plugs on BOTH ends of the wire. On one end, I have the red and white going into my TV and the yellow is not plugged in anywhere. On the other end, the red and white are plugged into my receiver in the "TV input" area.

You have to make sure that those red/white cables are actually going into an output on your TV, and not and input. It will clearly say "TV audio out" (or similar words) on the TV's back panel. Some TVs have two types of audio outputs, fixed and variable, which we can discuss later if necessary.

If you are using a cable box, it is better to feed the audio from the box's red/white audio outputs into the sound system rather than use the red/white outputs from the TV. That way, you can have independent volume control on the TV and on the external sound system.
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New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-07
Hi John S!
Thank you for your response but I simply worded my original post incorrectly! The red and white cables are going into "TV output". I can't figure out the problem and it is very frustrating! Like I said before, the back panel on my TV only has 2 things: a.) the cable jack & b.) the red/white/yellow. Once again, thank you for your response, but I have everything set up like you said, and still no audio! Also, I do not have a cable box in this room in my house - just cable coming from the wall - could that be the problem?
 

New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jan-07
Ahh! Anyone please?!?
 

Gold Member
Username: Samijubal

Post Number: 3233
Registered: Jul-04
If you only have yellow/red/white on the TV, they are inputs, not outputs. You can use a stereo VCR or DVD recorder if you have one.
 

New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 4
Registered: Jan-07
I do not have a stereo VCR or DVD recorder. Are one of these necessary? I only have the TV, Receiver, and 5 speakers. Or I think I read that a digital cable box would also work. If a cable box, stereo VCR, or DVD recorder are needed, does anyone know how much one would cost? I'm looking for the cheapest way to just make these speakers work! Thanks again and sorry for making this complicated!
 

Gold Member
Username: Hawk

Highlands Ranch, CO USA

Post Number: 1093
Registered: Dec-03
OK, Megan, take a deep breathe. Relax. It is likely that this is just a case of the sound routed to the wrong input, but we can find this out. Don't get side-tracked worrying about gear you don't have (VCRs, etc.). We need to sort this problem out first.

1. First, the single RCA cable with the "yellowish/orange plugs at both ends" sounds like a digital coax cable, intended to send a digital signal from a DVD player to the receiver. Sounds like you currently have only stereo sound going from your DVD player to your receiver (since you indicate that you have red and white leads connecting the DVD with the receiver). Using the digital coax cable to an appropriate digital input on the receiver will give you 5.1 sound when watching a Dolby encoded DVD. You probably will have to "assign" a digital input to the DVD player--see the receiver's instruction manual for how to do this.

2. No sound from the tv. Hmmm. I assume this means you have no sound from the tv through the receiver and not just no sound at all? John S. correctly told you to make sure that the stereo sound leads (red and white plugs) are connected from the TV's "Audio Out" jacks. However, the other end must be plugged into an appropriate stereo (red and white) input on the receiver. It is easy to plug them into an output jack (on the receiver) rather than an input here, or to put the leads into the wrong input. Double check and make sure that the inputs you are using for the tv are what you are selecting. In other words, if the stereo sound cables from the TV outs go to Aux 1 (or whatever you intended) on the receiver, make sure you are selecting Aux 1, and not Aux 2, or Satellite, or any other source. Usually, when I run into this problem with someone who asks my help, they have plugged the cables into the wrong input, or they are selecting the wrong input depending upon how you look at it. Double check it to see. HT receivers are bewildering in their array of inputs and outputs on the back--it is very easy to choose the wrong one if you aren't very careful.

3. If it looks right to you, and you still do not get the sound, try scrolling through all inputs to see if you find the sound on another input. Something may be cross-wired.

Try these steps and let me know.
 

Gold Member
Username: Samijubal

Post Number: 3235
Registered: Jul-04
Like I said before, if there's only yellow/red/white on the TV, they are inputs. Outputs would be red/white only. You can use a cable box. You could probably pick up a used stereo VCR for next to nothing these days. Look at thrift stores, pawn shops or ebay.
 

New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 5
Registered: Jan-07
John S, Hawk, and David Massey-
First and foremost, I want to thank all three of you guys. You all properly diagnosed the problem I was having with the surround system. I was just too oblivious to notice!! I've been frantically making phone calls today to try to fix this issue, and finally a man at Radio Shack was able to convince me that I had outputs plugged into inputs (like you all said). To solve the problem, I am about to go to a local pawn shop to purchase an old VCR (thanks David). Once again, thank you guys for your help and I'm sorry for listening more carefully!

-Megan
 

New member
Username: Megan92600

Post Number: 6
Registered: Jan-07
EDIT: *I'm sorry for NOT listening more carefully.
 

Gold Member
Username: Hawk

Highlands Ranch, CO USA

Post Number: 1099
Registered: Dec-03
NO PROBLEM!!!

I am really glad we were able to help. Truth be told, yes, it is an obvious problem; and it is one we have all made at one time or another!!!
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