What modern TV is compatible with analog amplifier?

I just ran into the same problem with my new Samsung Smart TV.  Best Buy sold me an optical cable and a cheap little Insignia brand dac.  Hooked it up and no sound.  I guessed it was defective.

My search for a solution led me to check the inputs on my Bluesound Vault 2 and sure enough it had an optical input.  I connected to the Bluesound and the result was the same.  No sound.  However the big difference this time was the Bluesound generated an on screen prompt to switch the tv audio to pcm.  Voila, we now have tv running through the audio system.

Even better, it uses the same interconnects to the preamp so money saved there.  I never heard the Insignia dac, but I surmise the dac in the Vault 2 is a major step up from the Insignia.

Btw the Vault 2 sounds great with my cd’s stored in flac files.

You got bad intel and regrettably didn't need to return your TV.

Here’s a digital optical-to-RCA converter for $29.99 from--guess where?--Best Buy!

But then, there is a much wider selection for converters at 1/3 the price at Amazon.

It is odd that many manufacturers try to keep the worlds of HT and audio separate, but so do many consumers with separate HT and stereo systems. In my own case my priority has always been the music, so I have used my high quality stereo system (Quad electrostats and all that) to reproduce TV sound. For me adding equivalent rear speakers has never been realistic, both financially and more importantly physically because I would really not want to have five big stats (at a minimum) in my living room. I find stereo HT through really good speakers quite convincing, and more convincing than through five or seven little boxes.
As for analogue outputs on the TV, my Panasonic plasma of a few years old still has them, but my children's more recent lcd tv's don't anymore. This is a very price competitive market, and not having an analogue output saves the DAC and the connector. So my son uses the digital stereo output of his TV into his DAC/preamp and my daughter uses the headphone output of her TV into her all analogue amplifier.
The same issue exists with modern cheaper BD players: they mostly only have an hdmi output, and neither an analogue output nor a digital stereo output. So if you want to use your BD player as a cd player, you have to either inconveniently route the signal though your tv, or buy a better BD player.

My Vizio M series 65 in TV has an analog audio out that I run to my Marantz 2285B. Personally I think all TVs should have an analog option.

Evan, you are most welcome, happy to help.

TLS49

Switched to ’PCM’ and used Optical Cable. Wow I cant believe it was that simple. You should be the manager of the managers of the managers at Best Buy. HOLY MOLY they are the most stupid bunch of dolts. They sent their ’expert’ ’guru’ home technician to my house in Brooklyn, waiving the 100$ plus fee for the service, and he said it was incompatible! Thanks so much for your INPUT :) Best Evan 

The reason why you couldn't get the Samsung and external DAC to work is that the default setting for digital out on TV's is Dolby Digital. It must be changed to PCM, and this is usually difficult to find in the menu. I did just look at a new Samsung manual and it is there. I have also looked at new Sonys (have one about 2 years as well) and it looks like they still have the analog out, however it is a 1/8" stereo mini plug that may be labeled "headphone". You would need a 1/8" mini to RCA cable. This output can be configured in the menu for variable or fixed.

Here's a good little inexpensive DAC if you need one,

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Analog-Converter-Optical-Toslink/dp/B005K2TXMO

And if you don't need the optical cable, it's only $20.

Good luck!!

Some TVs have analog audio output which can connect to any amp like a CD player, tuner  or tape deck.

If digital audio out only, then you need an outboard DAC as mentioned.

Should not be a problem if done correctly.

That's weird. What didn't work?
I want to do the same and thought you just need a DAC to convert the signal to analog for the preamp.
B