Home Theater question, for the trust

[herr_oberst]

The receiver on my home theater is pre-HDMI. That has been fine, up till now, I just used composite cables to connect all my devices to the TV. Easy breezy, and it sounds great. (And I'm not in a huge hurry to replace the amp. It's a beautiful, powerful Pioneer Elite VSX-39TX)

But, I just ordered the Amazon Fire Stik, and I'd rather connect it to my amp, rather than use the cruddy speakers in the TV when I stream Amazon content.

I was wondering if I ould run an HDMI patch cord from the TV to a RCA Converter, run composite audio cords to the amp and plug the HDMI firestik into the converter box?

(My Google - fu was not good this morning when I tried to ask the interwebs this question, so I'm hoping someone savvy can steer me right)

Thanks, in advance

Edit - if this is doable, are there any recommendations for converters? There's a zillion of them out there these days...

[scottmandue]

I have a Pioneer Elite, does yours have the game port/video RCA plugs on the front? We use those to plug our Android phones into the home theater to play Pandora.

I presume a "Amazon fire stick" has only HDMI output?

I'm off to google a few things, "I'll be back..."

[MysticLlama]

A lot of times the TV will have an optical or coax audio out.

You may be able to plug it into the TV, then optical to the amp for sound.

Also, some of those sticks have a minijack on the side for a headphone -> rca type cable.

[Gogar]

Doesn't the TV have regular RCA outputs for audio on the back? I can't imagine it would ONLY have HDMI. Plug the fire stick into the HDMI on the TV and use the TV audio outputs to go to the receiver.

edit: Or, the optical TOS-LINK like the Llama said.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have a Pioneer Elite, does yours have the game port/video RCA plugs on the front? We use those to plug our Android phones into the home theater to play Pandora.

I presume a "Amazon fire stick" has only HDMI output?

I'm off to google a few things, "I'll be back..."

Yes,

Yes, with the exception of the power cable jack. Another reason I'd like to remove it away from the TV. I'm a neat-cable freak.

Thank you!

[scottmandue]

I have no idea if this would work, but here ya go:

Amazon.com: Baitaihem HDMI to AV Composite RCA CVBS Video + Audio Signal Converter For TV PS3 PS4 VHS VCR DVD White: Electronics

Caveat I, HDMI is black magic and trying to convert it to composite might be fussy, thus I am not certain this will work. (Switched my system over to HDMI and the video output of the new Sony Bluray is flaky... so flaky I went back to my old Panasonic DVD player )
Caveat II, if it does work I am a genus and you must provide copious amounts of locally brewed of beer next time I visit Portland.
Caveat III are you certain there is no HDMI on the back of your Pioneer? Mine is rather old but has them.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Doesn't the TV have regular RCA outputs for audio on the back? I can't imagine it would ONLY have HDMI. Plug the fire stick into the HDMI on the TV and use the TV audio outputs to go to the receiver.

edit: Or, the optical TOS-LINK like the Llama said.

It doesn't only have HDMI, but the RCA outputs are currently in use for a composite connection to the amp, which then splits off to the blue ray.

It's been my observation that the video signal from TV to amp to the devices need to be one of the three options - either all composite, all HDMI or all S-video. Once that is established, then the audio signal can be TOS-Link or RCA.

Since the HDMI at the TV is not part of the composite stream, I'll need to change signal input on the TV in order to hear the audio, which will cancel out the composite signal. Correct?

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have no idea if this would work, but here ya go:

Amazon.com: Baitaihem HDMI to AV Composite RCA CVBS Video + Audio Signal Converter For TV PS3 PS4 VHS VCR DVD White: Electronics

Caveat I, HDMI is black magic and trying to convert it to composite might be fussy, thus I am not certain this will work. (Switched my system over to HDMI and the video output of the new Sony Bluray is flaky... so flaky I went back to my old Panasonic DVD player )
Caveat II, if it does work I am a genus and you must provide copious amounts of locally brewed of beer next time I visit Portland.
Caveat III are you certain there is no HDMI on the back of your Pioneer? Mine is rather old but has them.

Thanks for efforting this for me.... I'm going to look into the Baitaheim solution...

Here's what the back of my amp looks like. Probably the last year before HDMI, in fact, that's why I have it, guy wanted to update and he had a hell of a lot more dough than I do!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Thanks for efforting this for me.... I'm going to look into the Baitaheim solution...

Here's what the back of my amp looks like. Probably the last year before HDMI, in fact, that's why I have it, guy wanted to update and he had a hell of a lot more dough than I do!

I must have the year after that, mine looks exactly like yours except there is a row of HDMI to the left (in that picture).

Be sure to read the Amazon reviews of the Baitaheim before buying... there should be some comment if it works or not.

[Gogar]

Ok, I suppose I misunderstood;

if you want to have your receiver be the 'boss of everything', then Yes i suppose you should try to find a HDMI to (video+audio) adapter and just use the stick as another source on your receiver. I can't see why it wouldn't work.

[Gogar]

Another option, depending on (how many video sources you have)

Instead of the TV being the "dead end" of the components controlled by your receiver,

You make the TV the "front end" and hook the video components to it, and have it send audio downstream to the receiver, and the receiver is a "dead end" that just takes care of audio.

That might be more changes than you're willing to accept right now, though. And cabling.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Another option, depending on (how many video sources you have)

Instead of the TV being the "dead end" of the components controlled by your receiver,

You make the TV the "front end" and hook the video components to it, and have it send audio downstream to the receiver, and the receiver is a "dead end" that just takes care of audio.

That might be more changes than you're willing to accept right now, though. And cabling.

Food for thought, and a whole 'nother approach - I hope I don't have to do this, but it's nice to have the option. (And, yes, it would double some of the existing cabling....)