Lifestyle AV 18 - hdmi inputs and outputs

[sanjaycc]

I have a av18 home surround system. this has no HDMI inputs or outputs.

Does anyone know if i plug all the HDMI inputs into my TV, and use the optical out from the TV --> Bose av unit, this will work and still output surround sound/dolby 5.1 ?  E.g. if i connect a Apple TV via hdmi to the tv, and optical from the TV to the Bose unit.

Alternatively, is there a more efficient way to connect, (VS2?) upgrade the av unit? there are messages about bose doing an upgrade program for the AV units and contacting their support, but I can't find a place to actually contact their support about this?

[Keith_L]

Hi sanjaycc,

Welcome to the Community, thanks for posting!

You absolutely can plug the HDMI inputs into your TV and use the optical output from the TV to send sound to your Lifestyle system. This will still give you the full 5.1 surround experience, as long as the TV is capable of outputting Dolby Digital, DTS, or PCM via the optical cable.

One thing you will have to do is assign the optical input on the console to be used when the TV input is selected. To assign the optical input follow these steps:

• On the remote control, press the Settings button
  • If the system menu does not appear on your TV, be sure the correct TV input is selected
• Scroll down to select System Setup, then press the Enter button
• Scroll down to select Optical Source
• Scroll left or right to select the button on your remote that will choose optical audio. In this case, you'll want to choose TV.

To assign the optical input, you do need to be able to see the system settings menu of the console on a TV screen, so if you are unable to connect one of the video outputs on the console to your new TV, you may need to assign the optical input using your current TV, or another that does support a composite or s-video output.

I hope this helps!

[NeonsNight]

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@sanjaycc wrote:

I have a av18 home surround system. this has no HDMI inputs or outputs.

Does anyone know if i plug all the HDMI inputs into my TV, and use the optical out from the TV --> Bose av unit, this will work and still output surround sound/dolby 5.1 ?  E.g. if i connect a Apple TV via hdmi to the tv, and optical from the TV to the Bose unit.

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Not always, some TV's only output stereo.

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@sanjaycc wrote:

Alternatively, is there a more efficient way to connect, (VS2?) upgrade the av unit? there are messages about bose doing an upgrade program for the AV units and contacting their support, but I can't find a place to actually contact their support about this?

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I created a guide to help people connect their Lifestyle DVD system to an HDTV. I also have a guide that details the upgrade/trade-in options available to you.

I hope that this helps answer your question. Let us know what you end up doing 🙂