Have an old Yamaha DSP-A1 in perfect working conditions AFAIK and a bunch of speakers that I don’t use.

Wondering if there’s a device, module or whatchamacallit that i could plug into one of the many audio/video this thing has and “update” it to handle HDMI sources.

Otherwise, i have no use for the amp, it’s just gathering dust.

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Yep. You're looking for a HDMI Convertor (aka a HDMI Splitter or HDMI Extractor). I have to use one previously on a older surround sound receiver that would only accept optical audio in and not HDMI.

It's a small box - generally powered - that takes a HDMI signal in from the audio source and splits it into optical audio out and sometimes also RCA out, which you can then run to your amp.

It'll look like this (or similar):

If it’s that old. I’d buy a new one

Where have you been?
He's in Argentina and getting new or any electronics is extremely difficult.
He's trying to salvage something decent that he already has.

The amp is still worth over $1500 locally. More than one on sale online.
Wouldn’t risk my life trying to sell it. Situation ain’t safe enough. Lots of Facebook and other social media sellers and buyers turning up dead these days.

Payed 4k when i bought it, new, over 20 years ago. Can’t find an original replacement remote.
The converter thingy is available here, doesn’t look like much and goes up to 1080p. Fair enough.
Now i wonder if the two RCA connectors will handle 5.1 audio.

Dear Bob, thank you very much, my dear friend. Take a deep breath

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If you don't have optical input, or have multiple devices and need to use RCA inputs from HDMI devices there is a simple cable converter and they are less expensive. Just referencing the Amazon link since it's available here on their platform, imagine you could find something similar.

Link

Can you buy from Aliexpress out of China? $4 plus shipping

Link

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Now i wonder if the two RCA connectors will handle 5.1 audio.

Basic three plug Red/Yellow/White RCA is stereo audio only. The cables are Left audio, Right audio, and video.

But the Optical connection will carry 5.1 audio.

And there may be a HDMI converter out there that can output analog multichannel audio, if you're set up for that. (Basically 6x RCA style connections, one for each of the 5.1 audio channels: Front R, Front L, Surround R, Surround L, Center, and Sub).

quote:

Now i wonder if the two RCA connectors will handle 5.1 audio.

It will not.

Had a similar situation here.
I have a HK Citation 2.0 Preamp circa the same time period that has no HDMI.
I was able to get some surround via the optical connector.
I had to connect up initially the video out with the S-connector to an old monitor to do some configuration ~ a real PIA.
The video source to the TV is providing the video ~ broadcast or cable but the sound is ported to the AVR (or preamp in this case).
Just know there are limitations in video and audio so 4K won't be possible.
But HD is fine and depending on your level of Dolby decoding then 5.1 is possible too. 
Another main issue is (not) being able to have it all (multiple inputs) and switch between.
You can however, set it up as a static input to decode the audio and another direct input to the TV for video.

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Dear Bob, thank you very much, my dear friend. Take a deep breath

Got it Nicky!

Local offerings are pretty much just a single manufacturer brand and model.
It is a small powered box, either HDMI to RCA (what i think i need) or RCA to HDMI converters.
They upscale 720p to 1080p. Audio not mentioned nor it says if it goes digital (my sources?) to analog (my amp RCA connectors).

The simple cable gets discarded, not worth it because its incompatibilities and limitations.

Since both the TV and the amp have Optical, that is one way to go, but i’d like to be able to add a current HDMI Audio /Video source directly to the Yamaha. Be it an Xbox or something else before VGA, S-video, RCA and Toslink go the way of the Dinosaurs.

0-0

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Now i wonder if the two RCA connectors will handle 5.1 audio.

They will not. Those are for 2-channel analog stereo.

According to an article I found, the Yamaha DSP-A1 has...

quote:

... an RF AC-3 input for receiving Dolby Digital signals from a suitably equipped laserdisc player, three coaxial digital inputs and five optical digital inputs.

So what you need for 5.1 digital audio is something like what RogueJSK posted, above.

I actually have something like that, somewhere around. It passes the HDMI through and has an optical (I think) digital output for feeding a receiver that does not do HDMI.

This, in fact: J-Tech Digital 4K30 HDMI Audio Extractor HDMI ARC Converter SPDIF + RCA Output HDCP1.4 Compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS CEC [JTD4KATSW]. It worked well, IIRC.

Were it possible I'd be more than happy to acquire another for you and send it along, but, IIRC, last time I or somebody else offered that you said it was not possible?

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Have an old Yamaha DSP-A1

Hmmm... Couple of thoughts.

1) the manual says this supports Dolby AC-3 for surround audio, and I see it has one AC-3 input on the back at upper left. I assume that's a digital optical input? If so, a box like RogueJSK suggests should fix you up, for one source at least.

2) Another idea on audio - if you could get some external box to eat HDMI audio and separate the audio signals, this reference page 19 of an online manual suggests it supports inputs targeted at specific speakers by connecting those signals to the "External Decoder Input" area.