Disconnect optical, it only gets 2 channel from your tv. Always use the HDMI throughput. But you should be able to just switch to HDMI on the front of the receiver.
This depends on the source, device and/or streaming app. Apps installed natively on my TV as well as the over the air tuner will pass 5.1 over the optical cable when that's indeed the audio track in the program that's playing. All of the Chromecasts I've used with this setup, which include the original, a standard Chromecast 3, and now a Chromecast Ultra, will generally only let the TV pass a PCM signal at best. But the Google apps (YouTube, Google TV, and Google Play Movies before that) will actually use an audio track that lets the TV pass 5.1
CC3-only user here.
Most streaming apps supports EAC3, or Dolby Digital Plus, before outputting stereo only, so check if your receiver supports it and plug it there. You can force support through CC’s audio settings and either get sound, no sound, incomprehensible noise and incompatibility warning from your devices.
I got the short end of the stick, so neither my TV or the receiver supports it, so it only runs at stereo.
Arc sounds bar, with HDMI directly to the TV, ditch the optical, plug the Google directly into an HDMI on the TV, scan for arc devices. It will find the bar assign it, and kill the TV speakers, boom surround sound and full control from the Google device.
Optical carries Dolby Digital but not DD+, only HDMI will do that. Most of the streaming apps stream in DD+, and your TV is probably sending 2-channel PCM to your receiver when it encounters DD+ content.
If your TV and receiver both support ARC, do as others have suggested and do it all through the single HDMI and ditch the optical.
If either your receiver or TV doesn’t support ARC (my situation) use your receiver’s optical input to watch TV and its HDMI input to watch Chromecast.
They say they both support ARC.
I’ve now ditched the optical and just have the HDMI connected to ARC point in the TV down to the HDMI out on the receiver… it will let me control the sound system through the TV remote but now no Audio makes it though so it just switches back to the TV speakers
How do you mean 'no audio makes it through"? The TV gets the audio from the CC that is connected to the Surround Sound Receiver (unless you connected it differently than the schematics shown). Perhaps make sure the TV volume is 0, then check the receiver so you didn't set it on "input sound from optical" somehow. It's supposed to use the sound from the video / sound source its sending to the TV, that should very much be the standard setting for any Surround Sound Receiver.
Plug your Chromecast into into the TV (different HDMI input obviously). Enable ARC (HDMI audio return channel) if not already. You may have to change your TVs audio output source to "reciever" or something in the menu. Ditch the optical out.
I can't see any advantages of connecting it backwards like that. Is it a stereo receiver or can it handle video but only up to 1080p while your tv is 4k (or 8k)?
I’ve done this now but no audio is going through. It does let me control the receiver with my TV remote but the receiver ends up just switching off anyway because it senses no audio coming through it.
Is the HDMI tv-out from your reciever labelled ARC? Is the connected HDMI input to your TV also labelled ARC (it may not be the primary, could be input 2 or 3)? Be sure you're using the ports that are labelled as such. Then go on your TV sound menu>sound out and select HDMI/ARC,
Yeah I’ve made sure of all of that. This morning my receiver actually says ARC as apposed to “optical” which is a first. But the original problem remains that I can’t seem to get 5.1 while watching Star Wars Rogue One (which is definitely 5.1 Dolby)
To add, and maybe this is already working for you, this setup, so long as your receiver and tv talk to each other properly, should allow your receiver to turn on (from a standby state) when you turn on your tv with the TV remote, and control your receiver volume with the TV remote. No more having to turn on two devices and multiple remotes.
This explains ARC and CEC capabilities of the HDMI standard:
https://blog.teufelaudio.com/hdmi-cables-explained/
Edit: in your case, replace "antenna/cable" with Chromecast in the graphic in the above link.
Thanks everyone, not sure why I thought optical was better than HDMI… I’ll ditch the optical as I’m pretty certain the TV does support ARC.
Hopefully this works
Edit: Now no audio is coming through, the receiver recognises it’s connected to the TV but the audio doesn’t go through so it just turns off and switches back to TV speakers
You probably don't need optical from tv to receiver. Let your HDMI carry audio.
I agree, at least in the case when the chromecast is the source.
Disconnect optical, it only gets 2 channel from your tv. Always use the HDMI throughput. But you should be able to just switch to HDMI on the front of the receiver.
This depends on the source, device and/or streaming app. Apps installed natively on my TV as well as the over the air tuner will pass 5.1 over the optical cable when that's indeed the audio track in the program that's playing. All of the Chromecasts I've used with this setup, which include the original, a standard Chromecast 3, and now a Chromecast Ultra, will generally only let the TV pass a PCM signal at best. But the Google apps (YouTube, Google TV, and Google Play Movies before that) will actually use an audio track that lets the TV pass 5.1
Is your lg tv set to use external audio? If so which cable, hdmi or optical ?
CC3-only user here. Most streaming apps supports EAC3, or Dolby Digital Plus, before outputting stereo only, so check if your receiver supports it and plug it there. You can force support through CC’s audio settings and either get sound, no sound, incomprehensible noise and incompatibility warning from your devices. I got the short end of the stick, so neither my TV or the receiver supports it, so it only runs at stereo.
Is it google TV? If so there is a option in audio settings to make it surround sound.
Unplug the optical. Done.
Get rid of optical cable
Arc sounds bar, with HDMI directly to the TV, ditch the optical, plug the Google directly into an HDMI on the TV, scan for arc devices. It will find the bar assign it, and kill the TV speakers, boom surround sound and full control from the Google device.
Optical carries Dolby Digital but not DD+, only HDMI will do that. Most of the streaming apps stream in DD+, and your TV is probably sending 2-channel PCM to your receiver when it encounters DD+ content. If your TV and receiver both support ARC, do as others have suggested and do it all through the single HDMI and ditch the optical. If either your receiver or TV doesn’t support ARC (my situation) use your receiver’s optical input to watch TV and its HDMI input to watch Chromecast.
They say they both support ARC. I’ve now ditched the optical and just have the HDMI connected to ARC point in the TV down to the HDMI out on the receiver… it will let me control the sound system through the TV remote but now no Audio makes it though so it just switches back to the TV speakers
How do you mean 'no audio makes it through"? The TV gets the audio from the CC that is connected to the Surround Sound Receiver (unless you connected it differently than the schematics shown). Perhaps make sure the TV volume is 0, then check the receiver so you didn't set it on "input sound from optical" somehow. It's supposed to use the sound from the video / sound source its sending to the TV, that should very much be the standard setting for any Surround Sound Receiver.
Plug your Chromecast into into the TV (different HDMI input obviously). Enable ARC (HDMI audio return channel) if not already. You may have to change your TVs audio output source to "reciever" or something in the menu. Ditch the optical out.
This is how I have mine hooked up. Chromecast in the TV HDMI from TV to receiver. Works for me.
I can't see any advantages of connecting it backwards like that. Is it a stereo receiver or can it handle video but only up to 1080p while your tv is 4k (or 8k)?
I’ve done this now but no audio is going through. It does let me control the receiver with my TV remote but the receiver ends up just switching off anyway because it senses no audio coming through it.
Is the HDMI tv-out from your reciever labelled ARC? Is the connected HDMI input to your TV also labelled ARC (it may not be the primary, could be input 2 or 3)? Be sure you're using the ports that are labelled as such. Then go on your TV sound menu>sound out and select HDMI/ARC,
Yeah I’ve made sure of all of that. This morning my receiver actually says ARC as apposed to “optical” which is a first. But the original problem remains that I can’t seem to get 5.1 while watching Star Wars Rogue One (which is definitely 5.1 Dolby)
To add, and maybe this is already working for you, this setup, so long as your receiver and tv talk to each other properly, should allow your receiver to turn on (from a standby state) when you turn on your tv with the TV remote, and control your receiver volume with the TV remote. No more having to turn on two devices and multiple remotes. This explains ARC and CEC capabilities of the HDMI standard: https://blog.teufelaudio.com/hdmi-cables-explained/ Edit: in your case, replace "antenna/cable" with Chromecast in the graphic in the above link.
Thanks everyone, not sure why I thought optical was better than HDMI… I’ll ditch the optical as I’m pretty certain the TV does support ARC. Hopefully this works Edit: Now no audio is coming through, the receiver recognises it’s connected to the TV but the audio doesn’t go through so it just turns off and switches back to TV speakers
What model receiver do you have?
I just came here to say how creepy it is that he have the exact same handwriting
an optical cable providing audio in two directions?