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For many people who grew up in the age of wireless technology, connecting sound systems to your TV can be as easy as pressing a few buttons to enable Bluetooth pairing. While we’re still a few decades away from a truly wireless future, we’re already seeing technology that can harness the power of Wi-Fi to charge devices, and many of us take for granted the tech that lets us live with significantly fewer cables. But in the not-so-distant past, the tech world relied on wires, not just to power things but to connect them to output devices — wires like the optical audio cable.

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Optical audio uses fiber-optic cables, sometimes referred to as Toslink cables, to transmit sound via light. If you’re wondering why they’re called “Toslink,” it’s because in the 1980s the first variants of this little audio cable were manufactured by Toshiba. Initially called Toshiba-LINK, these small-diameter cables don’t need electricity to send audio signals from your TV or other source to a speaker. Decades later, Toshiba continued to develop Toslink for automotive entertainment systems, and we can still find optical audio ports in many consumer electronics. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use them, why they may be right for you, and alternatives if they’re not.

To get started using your TV’s optical audio port, turn off your TV and the device you want to connect with it. Next, remove any covers from your Toslink cables and connect one end of your digital audio cable to your TV’s optical audio output port, which is shaped a little like a trapezoid. Then, connect the other end of your cable to your speaker’s digital input port. Once the two devices are physically linked, you can proceed to setting them up.

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Depending on your output device, the actual steps to choose your TV as the source will vary. For example, for Samsung soundbars, you’ll want to select the “D.IN” as the source, which you can do through a button directly on the soundbar or via the remote. 

Lastly, most TVs will use their internal speakers, unless you manually select another option. To change the sound output device, go to your TV settings, look for the sound settings, and select your output device. If you’re not sure how to find this section, you can consult your TV’s manual or search for official tutorials by the manufacturer on their website or YouTube.

If you’ve adjusted your TV’s sound settings but still don’t hear sound coming from your soundbar or speakers, there are some ways to troubleshoot. Make sure there’s no physical damage, like cuts or bends, in your optical audio cable. And check that the cable is connected securely and attached to the right ports. It’s possible to encounter issues with poor latching, particularly when using an inexpensive brand or an old product, so a general rule is to use tried-and-tested cable brands or the ones that come with your output devices (if provided).

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After you’ve checked the cable, the next step is to evaluate whether the issue is with your TV or your output device. If the issue is with your TV’s volume, you can adjust it via the remote. If it’s with your speakers or soundbar, you can hook up your cable to another set of speakers to confirm. And if none of these fixes your problems, get in touch with your TV or output-device support to help you solve the problem.

If you’ve ever bought or inherited an old sound system that doesn’t have modern connectivity features like Bluetooth or HDMI, an optical audio cable is a great way to save it from the landfill. It’s especially useful if you prefer to keep your audio and video output separate.

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Should you have a massive entertainment room with speakers in hard-to-reach spaces, optical audio cable can also help you maintain sound transmission quality over longer distances at a relatively affordable price. For the best signal, the online store SF Cable recommends a maximum 16.4 feet for HDMI cables, but says you can get optical cables twice that length, or even longer, without any issues.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for more audio-format variety, you may want to consider using an HDMI cable, which will give you a wider range of options. Both can support multi-channel audio, but optical audio can only support limited audio channels such as 5.1 surround sound. With HDMI cables, you also have the option to enjoy other popular audio formats like Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby True HD. But aside from additional audio formats, what else can make you choose the HDMI cable instead of the optical audio port?

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In the past few years, companies have released HDMI cables made of fiber optic cables, which can perform at the same lengths as optical audio cables. This is a good alternative if you want the option to transmit both video and audio across longer distances. However, you can expect to spend a lot more to connect output devices at the same distance.

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For example, let’s compare some of the highly rated cables on Amazon. For a 50-foot Amazon Basics HDMI Fiber Optic Cable, you’ll pay $54.43. Meanwhile, the CableCreation 50-Foot Toslink Cable is just $15.99 for the same length — almost identical to the $15.75 cost of the Amazon Basics 25-Foot Traditional HDMI Cable, and less than a third of the price of the HDMI cable with fiber optics.

But you’ll also need to consider the added cost of a video cable if your home-entertainment setup needs it. You also have to let go of the advanced audio formats. And of course, you’re essentially gambling that the consumer devices you buy in the future will still have the optical audio port in their arsenals. After all, our team is still unhappy that Google discontinued its Toslink-compatible Chromecast Audio — one of several products Google should never have discontinued.

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