Is it possible to use a DVD home theater system as a PC sound receiver?
Posted by admin in Home Entertainment Q&AJun 17th, 2009 | 3 responses
Jamil T asked:
My current computer speaker's receiver stopped working. Instead of buying a new receiver i was wondering if it is somehow possible to use a DVD home theater system (Sony HT-C800DP) as the receiver? Is there any special cords i need to connect it to my computer? My computer has no special outputs for the player.
My current computer speaker's receiver stopped working. Instead of buying a new receiver i was wondering if it is somehow possible to use a DVD home theater system (Sony HT-C800DP) as the receiver? Is there any special cords i need to connect it to my computer? My computer has no special outputs for the player.
3 Responses to “Is it possible to use a DVD home theater system as a PC sound receiver?”
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Jamil – If the receiver has a spare RCA type audio input all you need to get is a standard RCA to 3.5mm cable. The 3.5mm end will plug into the headphone jack on the computer and the RCA end plug into the input on the receiver:
He’s got the right idea. However, with the the cord he suggests you won’t get surround sound. You will need to select “all channel stereo” or something similar to make use of all the speakers.
And monoprice.com is a great website for buying A/V cables, plugs etc. I’ve spent arund $100 there (the shipping is fairly expensive to Canada) and I’ve still saved probably $300 by not buying it in stores. They charge like $5 for an HDMI cable that could cost over $100 in Best buy.
If you just had regular computer speakers, then the connection is fairly easy. Get the 3.5mm to RCA adapter mentioned above, then connect the 3.5 mm end to where your current speakers are connected, and connect the RCA end to an open pair of inputs on your surround sound system, either the TV or Video Audio In jacks, taking care to connect the white connector to the left channel and the red connector to the right channel.
If you are already using both audio inputs, then you’ll need to buy an AV switch, which you should be able to pick up for about $20.
The link below is a PDF of your surround sound’s user manual.