So, my boss just got a new LCD TV, pretty cool, and he wants to have all the latest stuff. So, he wants to have his audio connected through HDMI. This is where it gets tricky, on the TV he has like 5 HDMI ports but they are all inputs. So I figured you could use the HDMI inputs for Satellite, DVD, etc. and then use the components or the digital audio output from the TV to the audio receiver but when I went to an audio shop today the guy says when you use the HDMI inputs the other outputs are locked out. Is this true? Seems like it defeats the purpose. Can anyone shed some light on HDMI?

Thanks,
-Dan

 

He's just trying to get you to buy an HDMI receiver, and those are expensive. If you use HDMI on a DVD player or cable box, you can still use the other ports such as component and optical/digital out. What the audio guy could be saying too is that HDMI uses HDCP (Copy protection ).

 

Check out www.hdmi.com ....clears up a lot of confusion.

I have never seen a TV with more than (2) HDMI inputs....5???

If you want to use HDMI in, you will have to have a source with HDMI out....if your receiver does not support HDMI switching or pass-through you are relegated to another connection such as component and seperate audio.

 

The most HDMI inputs I am aware of are 3, on the newer SONY and Samsung models. Unless of course this is like, a 10,000 dollar plasma that most people don't see. IMO, HDMI audio basically ='s an optical audio source. So if I were your boss I'd simply use a receiver with optical audio.