HT1586: Apple TV (1st generation): Guide to ports and connectors

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ZabiDee
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Q: Apple TV & surround sound

To get the audio on my Apple TV via my surround sound I have plugged my AV2 cable to the headphone jack on the TV, does this mean I need to still get a digital optical audio cable?

Apple TV

Posted on Jun 26, 2013 3:17 PM

by Winston Churchill,Solvedanswer
Winston Churchill Winston Churchill
Level 10 (104,053 points)
Apple TV
A:

Well it sounds like it is working for you then, but it's not clear how your Apple TV is connected to your tuner, it cannot work by being connected to a headphone jack.

Posted on Jun 27, 2013 3:55 AM

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ZabiDee

Q: Apple TV & surround sound

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jun 26, 2013 3:25 PM in response to ZabiDee
    Level 10 (104,053 points)
    Apple TV
    Jun 26, 2013 3:25 PM in response to ZabiDee

    Welcome to the Apple Community.

     

    Unfortunately, you can't plug your Apple TV audio into a headphone jack, because they are both outputs.

     

    Ideally you should plug the output from your Apple TV into your surround sound system optical input with an optical cable. Does it have one.

  • by ZabiDee ,

    ZabiDee ZabiDee Jun 26, 2013 4:01 PM in response to Winston Churchill
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    Jun 26, 2013 4:01 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    It doesn't have an optical input just the Av1/2 and the s-video out , the av2 is currently connected to my TV allowing me to play the apple tv audio through my surround sound speakers.

  • by Winston Churchill,Solvedanswer

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jun 27, 2013 3:55 AM in response to ZabiDee
    Level 10 (104,053 points)
    Apple TV
    Jun 27, 2013 3:55 AM in response to ZabiDee

    Well it sounds like it is working for you then, but it's not clear how your Apple TV is connected to your tuner, it cannot work by being connected to a headphone jack.

  • by ZabiDee ,

    ZabiDee ZabiDee Jun 27, 2013 4:46 AM in response to Winston Churchill
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    Jun 27, 2013 4:46 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    The Apple TV is connected to the TV via the HDMI then the audio from the TV is connected to the AV2 input via the headphone jack, it seems to be working fine, I was just wondering if I needed or could use a digital optical audio cable as my surround system is analog?

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jun 27, 2013 5:34 AM in response to ZabiDee
    Level 10 (104,053 points)
    Apple TV
    Jun 27, 2013 5:34 AM in response to ZabiDee

    I suspect it's not a headphone input but a mic or other input port, but I don't think that matters too much since it's working.

     

    It seems that your TV is acting as a Digital to analogue converter, not all TV's do this. However, it will only work in stereo and not surround sound. If you have surround sound analogue inputs you might consider a multi-channel DAC, but I have no information about how successful other users have been using such a converter.