Need advice connecting new TV to old Receiver

[BrianZ]

Been doing my research for a new TV and the top contender right now is the Sony KDL W8 series. Problem is that it has only 2 audio out options: Optical digital and 3.5mm headphone jack, but my trusty old H/K receiver has only RCA inputs. Do you think it's better to get a DAC for the digital out or just use a 3.5mm to RCA cable on the headphone jack? I'd prefer to go with the simpler 3.5mm route (just a new cable) but are there any singal level or sound quality issues using a headphone jack to feed a receiver?

I should add that I often mix the TV sound with my stereo's sound to get more dialog clarity, especially when viewing with my father in law (whose hearing isn't the greatest), so i can't have any lag between the two paths or it's unusable.

 

[scubabob]

I would think the headphone jack route will be just fine. We've used that cable with phones as sources at the GTGs and the loss, if any, was minimal.

 

[PaulyT]

Only issue with the headphone jack may be volume control. Does the volume on the TV affect the volume in the jack? If you plug in something to the jack, do the TV's speakers mute? For "line out" you'd probably want the volume on the jack to be 100%, but if you have to turn your tv up to 100% for that it might not work out so well...

 

[BrianZ]

ok thanks. i just found a nearly too good to be true price for the TV online and i jumped on it. my first try will be the headphone jack so i guess we'll see.

btw the online source i just bought the TV is Abe's of Maine. their price was nearly 20% cheaper than everywhere else online. is this shady? anyone use them before?

 

[CMonster]

^They get mentioned over at AVSForum quite a bit. I haven't researched them, just notice when their name pops up and my impression is that they force extended warranties and/or higher shipping costs. Again, I wasn't paying full attention so you might want to head over there and do a search.


EDIT: I did a quick search and found this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/167-plasma-flat-panel-displays/1241299-abe-s-maine-legit.html.

 

[BrianZ]

thanks for the link. i did a bunch of reading into it too and they do seem pretty shady, although it also seems possible for everything to go smoothly. so we'll see. one thing is for sure: they will call me and try to sell me on a whole bunch of extras and upcharges. i hope just refusing it all will be enough, otherwise i'll just cancel the order, no big deal. and i used paypal since i was unsure, so i do have that protection. is all this hassle and uncertainty worth the savings? probably not. but i dunno.

 

[PaulyT]

I dealt with that sort of thing when I bought my most recent camera. Their price was really good, but it took them a couple days to "process" the order, which included calling me and trying to tack on a whole bunch of extras onto the order - batteries, sd cards, etc. I listened a bit and politely said "I appreciate the offer but I just want the camera" and from there the order went through just fine. If it's the same with Abe's, it's not a big deal, just be prepared to refuse some offers. Kinda like "dealer upgrades" when you buy a car - damn I shoulda known what I do now at that time, I got suckered into some shit... sigh.

 

[BrianZ]

HEY! i just discovered that the newer version of my HK 3480 (called the HK 3490, of course) has digital inputs. and it's no spring chicken so i bet i could find one for pretty cheap. maybe with the savings i got from buying a TV from Abe's that "fell off the truck", hmmmmm . . .

 

[Rope]

Abe's of Maine, Reseller Ratings

Rope

 

[BrianZ]

Abe's of Maine, Reseller Ratings

Rope

right. does not look too promising because i have no patience for this sort of thing. i'd rather pay full price and have all the assurances that come with a reputable distributor. i mean, imagine the hassle i'd probably have to endure if the TV arrived damaged -- no thanks.

so when they call i'll try to swat them away and if they try to hold firm on shipping upcharges then i'll just cancel the order.

 

[BrianZ]

OK, so I just got the expected call from Roy at Abe's. Seems the free shipping they offer on their site is uninsured freight service and instead they recommend UPS or FedEx for my protection, lol. Regular price for insured shipping is an extra $199 but he made me the generous offer to reduce that to about $100. When I objected he then offered to throw in some gift certificates for some local restaurants and such (wha?). I held firm and said I'd prefer to cancel the order for anything above the original price, and he very politely agreed to do that. In fact he was very polite the whole time (as was I). I guess we'll see if the pending PayPal transaction truly gets cancelled without me having to open a dispute. Wish me luck.

And feel free to donate to my 2014 Mega Awesome Sony 50" Gaming TV fundraising effort. PM me if interested. Until then I'll be sittin' here 10 feet away from a 37" tv like some kinda freakin idiot.