Hooking older surround sound to newer tv

[Hookmaster]

I have an older (10-12 years) Kenwood surround sound system. I used to run my cable through a VCR and I could get surround sound from tv shows this way. Now I have a digital HD modem and the tv is directly connected to it. The surround sound receiver doesn't have HDMI connections. Is there a way to hook it up to get surround sound while watching tv or do I need to get a newer surround sound receiver?

[RebelSS]

Your TV should have (2) RCA phono-plug style Audio Out  plugs somewhere on it.  Output those directly to Audio Inputs of your receiver, with phono cables (old style audio cable), should sync with TV volume once you preset volume on receiver. That's how mine is to my Sony receiver......but all sets and receivers are different. Hope that gets ya started...

Edited February 19, 2016 by RebelSS

[delcecchi]

Or maybe a serial optical or copper audio out thing. 

[Kyhl]

A VCR is analog.  I don't remember ever seeing one that could read digital.  So running an antenna in from the cable box to the VCR then to the AVR would allow an analog signal to arrive at the AVR.  The AVR would then be using built in algorithms to mock up a "surround sound".

A 10 year old AVR should be able to do Dolby Digital via SPDIF (digital RCA connection).  If you have a cable box it should have a RCA digital out.  Run a wire from the cable box to the AVR digital input.  This will allow the AVR to use Dobly Digital surround as it was encoded into the movie.  Technically, the SPDIF connection should use a cable speced at 75ohms but really any RCA cable will do in this instance.

You may need to go through menus in the AVR to change settings telling it to use the digital input for audio after making this change.

If you don't have a cable box, check the back of your TV for a digital SPDIF output and connect that to your AVR.  You may need to go through TV menus to adjust settings for the digital output.  Set it to DD, Dolby Digital, or PCM.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Kyhl

[Bandersnatch]

Look for a digital optical port on the modem and the Kenwood.

 

It will look like a little tombstone shaped port.

 

If you have them, and cable is a few bucks.

 

Remember to remove the gooey connector protector from both ends of the cable before plugging it in.

It is an easy miss!