[calvinhobs]

I was wondering if it'd be possible on a a/v reciever on one end (optical out) and have it split to a left/right audio in on the back of a tv set? So the cable I'm essentially looking for would be a "Y" cable. At the single end it'd be optical, and at the other end it'd be left/right or red/white. Thanks

 

[calvinhobs]

I just looked...I think what I need is optical to rca in one cable...sound right?

 

[Squeek]

None such cable exists.

 

[rauer]

calvinhobs,

I think you should elaborate what it is exactly you're trying to do with a cable like that and maybe then people might be able to help you.

 

[tradja]

You're looking for a digitial-to-analog-converter (DAC). It is not a cable, it is a device. Digital sources, such as CD players, MD players, DAT, PC soundcards, etc almost always contain a built-in DAC (digital information from CD is converted to analog for output, via headphone jack or RCA). This is why you almost always have a choice of outputs on a nicer CDP. A basic or older CDP will sometimes only have RCA, headphone, or other analog output.

The optical output on your receiver can be run to an external DAC, and this is what you're looking for. An external DAC will convert the optical signal to the red-and-white, left-and-right plugs ("RCA") that you are looking for for your TV. The advantage of using an external DAC is that it can provide better digital to analog conversion than the onboard DAC. However, I don't know if it would be especially cost effective to run an external DAC from a receiver to a TV, but hey, this is headfi!

Search headfi, especially the "Dedicated Source" forum for "DAC" and you will find an overwhelming amount of information on the topic!

 

[rauer]

continued..

If you want to have the two channel output from your AV receiver to go to the RCA inputs on your TV set, you should use the analog out connectors your receiver probably has. Not that many would see the idea of using the TV as the speakers that the receiver runs.

The optical out you mention has a digital SPDIF signal and that must be converted to analog before playback (like what your receiver does with the signal going to the coax or optical SPDIF inputs). Again, even if your TV would miraculously have digital inputs (I do not know any such but that doesn't mean there isn't _any_), I don't see the idea to use them.

If your source is a DVD player, VHS deck, digital TV set-top-box, I'm sure any of those has analog outputs to use if you don't have speakers.