Expert: Wayne Tapia - 3/1/2008

Question
Hello Wayne,
Is there an adapter or .... to connect the digital audio output from a TV to audio inputs (Red & White RCA plugs) on a sound system?  I found a Y-cable at Radio Shack with a single RCA jack on one end, and two RCA jacks on other end, but I don't see how that could keep stereo or surround intact.
My 12yr old TV burned up yesterday, so I went out & bought a new Dynex 37" LCD. (DX-LCD37)  All is good until I go to hook up my surround sound system which worked great!.  The ONLY audio output I could find on the new TV was a single digital audio output jack.  There are no Red/White audio output jacks.  My surround sound system (Regent HT-2004)only has L&R inputs (switchable between 3 separate sources-TV, DVD, or other; but no digital audio.. (by the way, the sound of this Regent system has been surprisingly good!!)  Thanks, Jim

Answer
Hi Jim,

Sorry to say, but a digital audio out will never work with an analog input. The signal types are not the same.
Digital signals are basically 1's and 0's (ON & OFF commands). That's all digital is, a series of these commands...and how those 1's and 0's are patterned will determine if the bit stream is 5.1 surround audio, HD video, an mp3, a JPG, a word document, etc...
It's up to the receiving device to decode and determine what to do with that bit stream. If you send a digital signal to an analog input (which is looking for an analog waveform) you'll get nothing.

Think of it this way - you could have the best sounding compact disc ever created(digital), but it will never play on the finest record player/turntable (analog).

The Regent HT-2004 is an unofficial Dolby Pro-Logic system which can decode surround information embedded in stereo track. For a true 5.1, you have to have a digital input of some kind.