Anyone here connect PC speakers to a television before?

[chrisk]

Hey all;

I am not happy with the sound on my new TV, and would like to find a simple, relatively cheap, upgrade. I don't need surround, nor a Blu-ray or DVD player.

I plan on connecting a set of Edifier S330D 2.1 speaker set (Edifier S330D Multimedia Speaker) ,

to a Panasonic Viera Plasma TV (Model TCP42U2, Panasonic 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV** (TCP42U2) : 40" - 49" Plasma TVs - Future Shop)

The speakers have optical input, and the tv has optical output.

I have my Rogers digital box, and my PS3 connected to the television via HDMI.

My questions are:

a) Will the sound get passed along from my PS3 and Rogers box to the speakers by the television (ie. will I have to mess with connections when switching inputs)? Right now, the PS3 and Cable audio play through the TV speakers, and I simply want the upgraded speakers to take the place of the tv ones.

b)Is there anything else I need to consider? Another solution for about $100-150?

Thanks!

[Dr_BenD_over]

a) Yes it should

That actually looks like it would be a decent cost effective setup. If I ever have any money I should pick up a set of those to replace my 1960-70's 8 track setup.

[chrisk]

Does not seem to work the way I wanted.

I still have to control the volume with the speaker's wired volume control. Even though the volume is passed through the television's optical out, the television's volume control does not change the volume. The only option I see in the television's sound section is to turn the television's speakers on or off, and these settings do not seem to influence the optical out sound at all.

[frontier204]

What about the analog input? I have an equally cheap setup where my TV is connected to a mini system through an "RCA" to 3.5mm stereo jack connector.
My TV gives me the option to have the analog output either "Fixed" or "Variable" which allows the TV to control the volume. Note that I don't use that feature because I got my remote to talk to the mini system, but I played around with it and it works. I don't have any audio equipment with digital in to try though.

Edit:
My TV LG 32" 1080p LCD HDTV (32LD400) : 30" - 39" LCD TVs - Future Shop
Sound system is some cheap Sony 3-disc changer mini system that's easily outperformed by my 6 year old Altec Lansing 2.1 speakers...

[chrisk]

Thanks frontier.

Unfortunately, the only audio output on the TV is the digital optical, and the TV only gives me the option to turn the TV speakers on or off. When I turn the TV speakers off, and I try to adjust the volume, the TV tells me "Speakers Off" and nothing happens. If I turn the TV speakers on, I can only adjust the television speakers.

Its a Panasonic, and has the Viera link stuff, but there is nothing in there that I can see that allows the television itself to adjust the optical output through the television.

[SugarJ]

IIRC, the Digital out on most TV's is at a set level, as it's meant to run to a receiver which will have it's own separate volume control.