How to Get TV Sound Through Monitor: My Painful Lessons
So, you’ve got this sweet monitor setup, maybe it’s for gaming, maybe for work, and you’re thinking, ‘Why the heck am I stuck with tinny monitor speakers when my TV has decent audio?’ It’s a fair question. I spent an embarrassing amount of time wrestling with this exact problem, trying to figure out how to get TV sound through monitor setups without resorting to a spaghetti monster of cables that would make a grown engineer weep.
Honestly, the amount of marketing fluff out there about ‘seamless integration’ is enough to make you want to throw your expensive tech out the window. Many solutions promise the world and deliver… well, disappointment.
My own journey involved a few pricey mistakes before I finally landed on what actually works for getting TV sound through monitor setups. You’re probably here because you’re tired of mediocre audio or just want to simplify your life.
This isn’t going to be a corporate brochure; it’s going to be a straight-up account of what I learned, the hard way, so you don’t have to repeat my blunders.
Why Bother Getting TV Sound Through Your Monitor?
Let’s cut to the chase. Most monitor speakers are, frankly, awful. They sound like they’re broadcasting from inside a tin can submerged in water. If you’ve ever invested in a nice TV, chances are it has speakers that are at least passable, if not actually good. Why let that audio quality go to waste when your monitor is right there, probably bigger and closer? It’s about maximizing what you already own, and sometimes, that means borrowing sound from your TV.
Think about it: you’re settled in for a movie night, but your monitor’s speakers are making the epic explosions sound like a kitten stepping on bubble wrap. It just ruins the immersion. For those of us who spend hours staring at screens for work or play, decent audio isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for a truly engaging experience. Getting TV sound through your monitor is less about being fancy and more about basic audio sanity.
The Obvious, Yet Wrong, First Steps
When I first started looking into how to get TV sound through monitor setups, my brain immediately went to HDMI. It carries audio and video, right? So, surely, just plugging an HDMI cable from the TV’s output to the monitor’s input would do the trick. Wrong. Most monitors will only accept HDMI for video input, not audio output. This was my first expensive ‘aha!’ moment, after buying a supposed ‘HDMI audio extractor’ that turned out to be useless for my specific setup, costing me about $75 down the drain.
Then there’s the optical audio cable route. Your TV probably has an optical audio out port. Some monitors *might* have an optical audio in, but it’s rare, especially on standard computer monitors. If yours does, great! You’re one of the lucky few. For the rest of us, that optical cable leads to a dead end, or at least, a very confusing one.
My third attempt involved a cheap audio-to-RCA converter. It worked, sort of, but the sound quality was so degraded, it was worse than the monitor’s built-in speakers. It sounded like a radio station from the 1950s. This is where I realized I needed a more robust solution than just slapping a cheap adapter on things. (See Also: How To Put 144hz Monitor At 144hz )
What Actually Works: Adapters and Splitters
Okay, so the direct routes often fail. This is where specific adapters and audio splitters come into play. Forget the magic boxes that promise everything. We’re talking about actual, physical hardware designed for this. The goal is to tap into the TV’s audio signal *before* it goes anywhere it doesn’t need to, and then route it to your monitor.
The Headphone Jack Hack (if You’re Lucky)
This is the simplest, cheapest, and often most effective method if your TV has a functional headphone jack. It’s a method that many online guides overlook, probably because it’s too basic, but I’ve seen it work wonders.
- Locate the headphone jack (usually 3.5mm) on your TV.
- Get a 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable. They look like slightly beefier headphone cables.
- Plug one end into the TV’s headphone jack.
- Plug the other end into your monitor’s audio input port. Many monitors have one, often a 3.5mm jack.
The catch? You’ll need to control the volume from your TV. Also, if your TV’s headphone jack is noisy, the sound will be too. I’ve had a few TVs where the headphone out sounded like a buzzing swarm of bees – not ideal.
The Digital-to-Analog Converter (dac) Method
This is where things get a bit more serious, but it’s often the most reliable if your TV doesn’t have a headphone jack or if that jack is noisy. Your TV likely has an optical audio output (TOSLINK) or an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) port. You need to convert that digital signal into an analog one your monitor can understand.
What you need:
- An optical audio cable (TOSLINK) or an HDMI cable if using ARC.
- A Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). These aren’t super expensive; I found a decent one for around $30.
- A 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable.
The process:
- Connect the optical cable from your TV’s optical out port to the DAC’s optical in port. If using HDMI ARC, you’ll need an HDMI audio extractor that supports ARC, which is a bit more complex and expensive. Sticking with optical is usually easier.
- Connect the 3.5mm male-to-male cable from the DAC’s audio out port to your monitor’s audio input port.
- On your TV, go into the sound settings and make sure the audio output is set to ‘PCM’ or ‘Stereo’ for the optical out. Some TVs have a ‘bitstream’ or ‘Dolby Digital’ setting which the DAC might not understand.
This method offers a clean signal. The DAC strips out just the audio and converts it cleanly. I’ve tested this with three different TVs and two monitors, and it delivered a surprisingly crisp sound, far better than any cheap converter I’d tried before. The visual cue that it’s working is the small LED light on the DAC glowing steadily.
When Your Monitor Lacks an Audio Input
This is the real kicker. Many slim, modern monitors are minimalist, and they’ve ditched the audio input entirely. What then? If your monitor doesn’t have a place for audio to go in, you’re facing a slightly tougher challenge, but it’s not impossible. It means you need an intermediary device that can accept the audio and then output it through a different means, usually USB to your computer, which then ‘shares’ the audio to the monitor (if your monitor has a USB audio input or can accept audio via USB). Or, you might need external speakers connected to the DAC. (See Also: How To Switch An Acer Monitor To Hdmi )
Option 1: USB Audio Adapter/Sound Card
- Use the DAC method described above to get analog audio.
- Plug a USB audio adapter (they look like small USB sticks) into your computer.
- Connect the 3.5mm cable from the DAC to the USB audio adapter’s input.
- Configure your computer’s sound settings to use the USB audio adapter as the output device.
- If your monitor has USB audio input, you might be able to connect the computer to the monitor via USB for audio. This is less common.
This approach adds another layer of conversion, which can sometimes introduce latency or a slight loss of quality, but it’s a viable workaround. I spent about two hours troubleshooting my computer’s sound mixer the first time I tried this; the computer just wasn’t recognizing the new audio source.
Option 2: External Speakers
- Use the DAC method.
- Connect powered external speakers (computer speakers, a soundbar) to the DAC’s audio output.
This isn’t getting the sound *through* your monitor, but it achieves the goal of having the TV sound play where you can hear it, alongside your monitor’s display. Honestly, sometimes the simplest solution isn’t the one you initially envisioned. I ended up doing this for a while because I just wanted to hear the movie!
A Word on HDMI Arc/earc
If both your TV and your monitor support HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) or eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel), you *might* be in luck. This is designed to send audio from the TV back down the HDMI cable to a soundbar or receiver. However, monitors rarely have HDMI ARC *input* that would accept this. They usually only have HDMI *output* ports, or inputs that expect audio *from* a source, not *to* a source. So, while HDMI ARC is great for home theater, it’s rarely a direct solution for TV sound to monitor.
Common Pitfalls and Why Advice Fails
People online often say, ‘Just use an HDMI cable!’ or ‘Plug it into your soundbar!’ These are fine if you have a soundbar or a very specific monitor/TV combo. But for the average person just trying to get TV audio to a computer monitor, it’s often not that simple. The biggest pitfall is assuming all ports and all devices behave the same way. They don’t. A $100 monitor from 2018 will have different audio capabilities than a $800 monitor from 2023.
My own frustrating experience involved trying to use a passive HDMI splitter. It looked like it should work, splitting the signal, but it only split the video. Audio was completely ignored. It was a $25 lesson that passive splitters are for video signals, not audio. You need active components, like a DAC, to actually convert and reroute audio signals properly.
Consumer Reports has noted in past reviews that the audio capabilities of monitors vary wildly, often being an afterthought for manufacturers focused on visual fidelity. This means you can’t just assume your monitor can handle audio input. The common advice to simply connect via HDMI often fails because monitors are primarily designed to *receive* video, not *output* or even *receive* audio through their HDMI ports in the way a TV does. (See Also: How To Monitor My Sleep With Apple Watch )
Trying to force a signal where it’s not designed to go is like trying to pour orange juice into a gas tank. It just won’t work, and you might even damage something if you’re not careful. Stick to devices designed for audio conversion.
Can I Get TV Sound Through My Computer Monitor Without Speakers?
Yes, but you’ll need a way to route the TV’s audio output to your monitor’s input, or to external speakers. This often involves an audio adapter or a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC).
Do I Need a Soundbar to Get TV Sound Through My Monitor?
Not necessarily. While a soundbar connected to your TV can play the audio, you can also get TV sound through your monitor (or external speakers connected to your audio setup) using adapters and converters if your monitor has an audio input.
Will an HDMI Cable Carry TV Sound to My Monitor?
Typically, no. While HDMI carries audio and video signals, most monitors only accept the video portion of the HDMI signal. They usually don’t have the internal circuitry to process and output audio received via HDMI.
What Is an Audio Extractor?
An audio extractor is a device that takes an HDMI signal and separates the audio component from the video signal, allowing you to send the audio to a different output (like a soundbar or DAC) while sending the video to a display. These can be useful if your TV has HDMI ARC and you want to send that audio elsewhere.
How Do I Connect My Tv’s Optical Audio Out to My Monitor?
You’ll need a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) in between. The optical audio cable connects from the TV to the DAC, and then a standard 3.5mm audio cable connects from the DAC to your monitor’s audio input. Ensure the TV’s optical output is set to PCM or Stereo.
Conclusion
Figuring out how to get TV sound through monitor setups can feel like a puzzle, especially when device manufacturers don’t make it easy. My biggest takeaway after all this trial and error is that you often need to convert the audio signal. Don’t fall for those fancy all-in-one boxes that promise the moon; a simple DAC and the right cables are usually your best bet.
If your monitor has an audio input jack, the headphone jack method or the DAC method are your strongest contenders for actually getting the sound *through* the monitor itself. If it doesn’t, you’re looking at external speakers or routing audio through your computer, which works but isn’t quite the same.
Remember, the goal is clear audio that complements your visuals. It’s not about having the most complicated setup, but the one that gets you decent sound without a headache. For most people looking to get TV sound through monitor setups, the DAC approach provides the best balance of quality and affordability.
Don’t be afraid to try the headphone jack first; it’s the cheapest fix if it works for your gear. If not, a DAC is a solid investment for better audio across the board.
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