Convert RCA to component or digital audio?

Glad I could help.

As i said when my Daughter was in High School and College (She now is a teacher) She majored in MUSIC.. She is in fact a very skilled performer.. I recorded most of her performances (Still have some CD's around here somewhere (I know where) and concerts she performed in.. She was great (Still is).

I used portable digital recording equipment and when it came to transferring to computer or other devices for conversioon to CD i tossed a lot of digital stuff,, Sometimes I had to convert from one format (Tosslink optical) to another (Coaxial digital) or back, Sometimes to/from Digital/analog.

I still have a portable recording suitcase here in the motor home.. (Complete portable studio inside) works great.. I can do standard single point stereo, French National Orchestra standard dual Mice Stereo and binaural stereo (If you listen to that with headphones it's like you were sitting where I was sitting when I recorded it) In the old days I could convert to/from Cassette or CD as well as the original Mini-Disc or HI-MD (CD quality on a 3.4" disc and a recorder that fits in your pocket) Can not do TO Cassette any more.. Just from.

Thanks for the info and the link wa8yxm. My digital out is the small squarish jack with the red LED. I ordered an item, identical to the one you indicated, from ebay.

No, it's not a sound bar. It's a Sony DVD/CD surround sound with 5 separate speakers. The wiring was installed at the Carriage factory but I've replaced the speakers once and the DVD/CD player twice. The first replacement unit worked properly with the tv using the digital audio cable. The second replacement unit is an identical model to the first replacement unit. I didn't try to use the digital audio connection until several months after installing it. After discovering that there was a malfunction I took it back to Best Buy for testing. The hooked it up while I was there and I could hear it was functioning properly. It appears to me the issue is with either the cable or the tv. I purchased another cable but still not getting any sound from the tv to the Sony unit. It seems the issue is with the tv, but I'm going to use the analog/digital converter to confirm that. I guess I just grew up a little too close to Missouri and have the "show me" issue within my character. ;)

toedtoes wrote:
You need a Digital Audio to Analog Audio Converter Box to convert the digital audio of the tv to the analog audio of the headphones.

Exactly.. now let me see if I still have that link (I have the device or used to).

Sadly he does not sell that item any more (Well it has been 20 years since I bought it give or take a couple).

If your digital out is a small squarish jack with a red LED then this is the device for you:
Toslink to Analog stereo adapter.

If your digital out is coaxial you may need to contact Chris the Sound Professional at www.soundprofessionals.com for a 2nd adapter that will handle that.. or search on toslink to Analog converter (As I did) and follow more links, or get back to me.

In the old days when my Daughter was in High school, instead of teaching school, I toslinked a LOT of audio, converting fromn coaxial to fiberoptic and analog to digital and back as needed.. Still have a good part of the hardware not 3 feet from me as i type.

8ntw8tn wrote:
I tried something similar: our surround sound in the RV was connected to the tv by digital optical cable and my thought was to operate my headphones through the surround sound. However, something has interrupted the signal between the tv and the surround sound. I purchased a new optical cable but that didn't help any. I had the surround sound tested at Best Buy and it's working properly. I suspect the somehow the function on the tv is no longer operative, but haven't had any way to verify that. The converter that was suggested appears to be an inexpensive way to test that theory. If it doesn't work with the converter, either, it will be a good indication the issue is with the tv and not with the cable or surround sound. Thanks for the reply.

Are you using a "sound bar" set-up ?

I tried something similar: our surround sound in the RV was connected to the tv by digital optical cable and my thought was to operate my headphones through the surround sound. However, something has interrupted the signal between the tv and the surround sound. I purchased a new optical cable but that didn't help any. I had the surround sound tested at Best Buy and it's working properly. I suspect the somehow the function on the tv is no longer operative, but haven't had any way to verify that. The converter that was suggested appears to be an inexpensive way to test that theory. If it doesn't work with the converter, either, it will be a good indication the issue is with the tv and not with the cable or surround sound. Thanks for the reply.

At home I have a A/V receiver with front mount head phone jack. With the head phones plugged in, which disengages the surround sound I can listen through them while the wife can listen through the TV speakers using the TV remote volume control.

Thanks for the link to the digital/analog converter. That may be the answer to my needs.

I should have stated in my original post that I do have the mini stereo jack on the tv and the necessary Y connector. Unfortunately, utilizing it shuts off the tv speakers and then DW can't hear the tv. She has really GOOD hearing and me not so much. Hence the use of the headphones. Thanks for the replies.

There are three main TV connections:

Composite

Component

HDMI

Composite and component use analog signals (composite is red & white for audio, yellow for video; component is red, green and blue for video, and two more plugs for audio) ; HDMI uses digital. Most newer TVs will have one set of component plugs for INPUT (from VCR, DVD, game console, etc.). Less often, they may have one component OUTPUT (to headphones, speakers, etc.). Rarely do they have a composite INPUT, and almost never do they have a composite OUTPUT.

If there is a component OUTPUT, then you can pick up a simple composite female to component male cord and connect your headphones that way (the TV is already converting the digital signal to analog in this situation).

If there is not a component OUTPUT, then you have to get a digital to analog converter (such as Dakota98's link). Otherwise, you have to buy an expensive set of digital headphones.

toedtoes wrote:
You need a Digital Audio to Analog Audio Converter Box to convert the digital audio of the tv to the analog audio of the headphones.

X-2

AMAZON