No, the red & white RCA stereo cables won't give you true 5.1 surround. You can get Dolby Pro Logic simulated surround, from them though. The only way to get true Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1/6.1 surround is with HDMI, Optical, or digital coax through digital connections.Also question is, how far can you run RCA audio cable?
100 to 200 feet
Furthermore, how do I connect my RCA stereo to my HDMI TV? Most likely the input on the stereo or home theater receiver is an RCA jack. For digital connections, locate an unused optical digital or HDMI input port. Using a cable with the appropriate plugs on each end, connect the audio output from the television to the audio input of the receiver or amplifier.
In this regard, what cable is best for surround sound?
A good rule of thumb when hooking up a home theater system is that 16 gauge cable will work in just about any in-room situation, but if your runs are going to be over 40-50 feet in length, 12 gauge cable will further drop your resistance and keep your cables from becoming equalizers for your sound.
How do I connect my RCA DVD to my HDMI TV?
To connect a device with RCA to a device with HDMI, such as a DVD Player and a TV, you use an adapter or an RCA-to-HDMI converter box. The three RCA plugs connect to the adaptor, which connects straight into your relevant HDMI display or device. The converter box requires an HDMI cable between the two.
Can I use HDMI and RCA at same time?
Re: Using HDMI & RCA composite video at the same time The answer is: No, you can't run both display outputs at the same time.How long can you run audio cable?
2.5mm, 3.5mm (also called headphone cables), and ¼” audio cables have a maximum distance of 150' on average.Does length of RCA cable matter?
Don't go overboard, monoprice cables of 6ft or less will do. As for the RCA cable from the pre-amp to your receiver, it's less critical, length can be longer. I find monoprice cables are so cheap and reasonably well-built--don't bother with cables that are cheap and cheaply built.Can RCA audio cable be used for video?
An RCA cable can be used to connect a variety of audio and video devices, such as camcorders to TVs or stereos to speakers.Do RCA cables carry power?
RCA audio cables come in pairs with two connectors on each end, a red one for right stereo and a white (or black) connector for left stereo. They are often bundled with video cables. Speakers not only receive audio signals via speaker wire, but also power.Does cable length affect sound quality?
Not only will this reduce the issue of tangling but will also not affect the quality of sound. The longer the length of the headphone cable, the higher the resistance. Therefore, it is important to buy headphones with shorter cables.How long can you run component video cable?
about 100 feet
How far can you run unbalanced audio?
Unbalanced cables work great for connecting a guitar to an amp, for instance, but because they are not very good at suppressing noise from outside interference, unbalanced cables should have a maximum length of 15-20 feet (4-6 meters), especially when used in noisy environments and with signals that are low level toHow good is optical audio?
Both HDMI and optical pass digital audio from one device to another. Both are better than analog (the red and white cables). Both can pass multi-channel audio, like Dolby Digital. Both cables can be had pretty cheap.How far can you run optical audio cable?
A: The ADAT spec puts the limit on optical cable length at five meters (around 16 feet). However, the length you can achieve depends greatly on the cables you are using. Inexpensive optical cables lose signal quite rapidly. But good-quality glass cables can be used for much longer runs.Is there a difference between audio and video RCA cables?
the only difference is the color. It's all just a cable so you're not going to hurt anything, Coax cables, which have RCA connectors, are different in that they have a higher resistance and should only be used for coax connectins but youre still not going to hurt anything.Is Optical better than RCA?
If the distance is sufficiently less than 50', within the length of available optical cables, use optical. If not, you'll have to use the RCA cables. If it sounds good, fine. If you get hum or RF rubbish, look for a better system.Do you need audio cables with HDMI?
HDMI is renowned for its video quality, but it also can carry audio without the need for multiple cables. HDMI supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD for 7.1-channel sound for loss-less, theatre-quality audio. HDMI 1.4 also supports audio return channel, which sends sound from your TV tuner to your receiver.Is optical sound better than HDMI?
The major difference is that HDMI cables can pass higher resolution audio which includes formats found on Blu-ray like Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master audio. Fiber optic cables won't be able to transmit these high-res sound formats. HDMI can also pass video signals. Here, optical cables will be the perfect fit.Do optical cables carry audio and video?
Although digital optical connections may be included in DVD/Blu-ray/Ultra HD disc players or media streamers, they are not designed to transfer video signals. When connecting a DVD/Blu-ray/Ultra HD player or media streamer to a home theater receiver the digital optical connection, is for audio-only.What is the best audio connection?
HDMI
Which is better Bluetooth or optical cable?
So yes, compared to Bluetooth specs to date, the optical will be of better quality. Neither will be as good as HDMI cable, which allows eight channels at 192kHz sampling and 24-bits/sample to be transferred, uncompressed. 
