4K 60Hz HDMI Audio Extractor Converter SPDIF + 3.5MM Output Supports HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2, 1080P@120Hz, 1080P@144Hz, Dolby Digital/DTS Passthrough CEC, HDR10 by J-Tech Digital [JTD18G-H5CH]

I'm using this device to get TV Audio to my SONOS PLAYBAR, and my review focuses on this application. Many folks have written about problems in getting Dolby Digital or ANY sound from their TV when connecting the TV's optical out to the PLAYBAR. Some TV's have no optical out, some have no sound from their optical out when using an HDMI source, and some others send only stereo to the optical out. See this link for a list of TVs and their level of Playbar compatibility: sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1931/~/television-compatibility-with-the-playbar A very simple, fairly inexpensive solution to such problems when setting up a Playbar, and one which has been working extremely well for me, is this J-Tech HDMI Audio extractor combined with a vanilla hdmi switch. (monoprice has a 4x1 hdmi switch for $24 OR an 8x1 switch for $79, and amazon has some good alternatives as well), Note that this solution will work even for TVs which are said to be incompatible at the Sonos link above, including those for which Sonos says there's no workaround. My TV is one of those. It's a pioneer elite, and I've yet to find one I'd want to replace it with. But my Sonos, Elite and JTech are working perfectly together, since an HDMI audio extractor (such as this JTech) completely eliminates the need for the TV's digital audio output port. This solution is ideal for folks, like myself, who are already using an HDMI switch or an hdmi switching AV Receiver (in these cases you'd only need to buy this J-Tech extractor), but even if you have to buy an HMDI switch, this approach has some advantages over an integrated hdmi/optical switch: It works for sources that have no digital audio output ports (ie, for sources that send audio only thru their hdmi ports, such as the Roku3); It's easier to find a switch handling ANY number of sources or matrix switching; It's less expensive; And you need to run only 1 cable (just an hdmi cable) from your equipment location to the TV location. Also note that, using a standalone switch, rather than TV switching, makes it much easier to add more sources at any time in the future, especially when you have cables behind walls or under the floor, or when you want to add more sources than the TV can handle. Here's how you set it up: - Plug your switcher's HDMI-out cable into the JTech's HDMI-in port (instead of the TV). - Connect a second HDMI cable from the JTech's HDMI-out to your TV's HMDI-in. - Connect the JTech's optical out to the Playbar. - Choose Digital Out on the JTech and you're done. (You'd locate the JTech near the TV and Playbar, avoiding the need to run the optical cable from the switch, or equipment location, to the tv location) I'm getting dolby digital whenever my source has dolby digital, and stereo whenever my source has stereo. My picture quality and audio are excellent, and video audio sync is perfect. No problems of any kind. (Note however that, as with every other device I've seen, this unit does not convert dolby digital plus to either vanilla DD or to stereo for the digital out. If you're getting DD+ you'd have to switch that off at the source. An example of this is Netflix whose surround sound is DD+ on Roku. Because of that, I have Roku set up to give me stereo from Netflix and DD 5.1 from Amazon. ) Hope this helps

I have been using this over a year without issues and with excellent performance. I wanted to be able to use my Xbox One in both my living room and my basement home theater room simultaneously and get the benefit of Cable TV integration from my Xbox One in my home theater as well as my living room. With the wireless controllers and the Xbox phone app, I would have full control over my xbox and cable TV set top box from my home theater via WIFI as if I was in the living room. This box, plus 2, 25 foot HDMI cables and an HDMI Splitter, enabled me to do this. All in it was about $85 to make it all work. Great deal! I have an XBox One in my living room hooked up to my Cable box via the HDMI input, an Onkyo 5.1 surround sound center connected via SPDIF and my 60 inch TV via HDMI out through an HDMI Splitter. The HDMI Splitter has two outputs and is located right behind my Xbox one in my entertainment center cabinet. One output goes to the TV and one to my J-Tech Digital HDMI 1080P HDMI to HDMI + SPDIF Audio Extractor via a 25 foot HDMI cable that goes down through the wall, through the basement ceiling to my entertainment center cabinet in my home theater. Then from the J-Tech device to a ceiling mounted 1080P Epson Projector with 120 inch screen via another 25 foot HDMI in my Basement below my living room. The SPDIF output from the J-Tech then connects to a 7.1 Onkyo receiver via SPDIF. The end result is that I get a duplicate 1080P video signal plus digital audio to both my living room and my basement home theater without loss of quality of video signal or sound quality with a combined HDMI run distance of 50 feet, having the JTech device in the middle. I actually can play games, watch Blu-rays, Cable TV in 1080P HD, and use all the Xbox One streaming apps, with full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound in my living room and DTS 7.1 (or Dolby digital depending on the Xbox One source app) in my basement simultaneously. I expected to get the same video and audio for both, but with the XBox I can choose to send audio signals in different standards to the SPDIF out in my living room and via HDMI to the JTech device in my Home Theater. I was pleasantly surprised this worked, instead of just have two 5.1 signals. One note, I had to set my Xbox One to output uncompressed audio digital signal through the HDMI port so that the JTech could pass that to my downstairs receiver at full fidelity and let the receiver decode it as needed. This has worked beyond my expectations and has been working perfectly for a year. I have even considered getting another one or two of these, and a 4 way HDMI splitter to replicate this to my bedroom and my back porch, both of which have their own audio systems. Only issue would be run length to those rooms would be longer than 25 feet and I would need some boosters for HDMI. I probably will do it eventually now that I have confidence in this device.

This review receives 5 Stars because I was able to utilize the RCA stereo output to supply my Sennheiser audio headset with a usable signal and that is why I bought the "box". I received the J-Tech Digital Premium Quality HDMI 2.1CH/5.1CH Audio Extractor, Model JTDAT5CH/JTD-ID:80 in a soft side mailing envelope along with two HDMI cables I ordered to connect the "box" with. Connecting was simple with the Roku Ultra HDMI output, connecting the Roku out to the "box" in, "box" out to my Onkyo AV receiver, Streaming Box HDMI #3 connection in. The "box" RCA connections were made from the "box" to the AV Analog In #4 RCA in connections. I plugged in the "box" power supply into an electrical outlet, then plugged in the power supply connection into the "box" power supply. The red light on the "box" turned on. I then selected ROKU on the AV receiver, which already was set up to "turn on" the system (TV, AV Rec, Roku) to view audio/video from the Roku through the AV receiver and on to the TV. I confirmed that audio was normal through the AV receiver out to the speakers as usual. The video came on at the TV as usual. I turned on the Sennheiser headset, put it on and did not hear any audio. I selected on the AV receiver the Satellite reception and sound came through the AV receiver system and also into my headset - normal. I reselected Roku and within a couple of seconds, audio and video from the Roku came on through the AV receiver but not through the headset. I tell you all this just to remind you to make sure you understand how a AV receiver works. I should have thought about this prior to connecting the "box". My Onkyo has Zone 2 and that is what outputs audio to my headset. I had failed to understand and set up Zone 2 for my Roku. I went into the Setup of the Onkyo, went into Input/Output menu and selected Analog output to the proper output to match the HDMI input - Streaming Box #3 HDMI with Analog #4 output. I then selected Zone 2 to Streaming Box and sound turned on in my headset. So, the box worked. Then, I checked the position of the switch, Bypass, 2CH Stereo, 5.1CH and it was selected to 5.1CH. I thought that can't be, RCA outputting 5.1?? I selected 2CH stereo and both the audio and video turned off. After a couple of seconds, both the audio and video came back on. Video looked good but audio seemed the same as before but what could I tell - I was listening to 2 channel stereo - I think. I selected Bypass on the switch and the audio/video turned off and after a couple of seconds came back on. Video seemed the same, audio also. No matter where I put the switch it seemed that nothing changed on audio or video. I left the switch in Bypass, headset playing audio and the AV receiver providing sound and the TV playing video. Well, okay I get what I want - audio through the headset and Roku seems to be good. And, I learned some more about my Onkyo AV receiver. The "box" and cables were delivered within the two days provided by Prime, in a large padded envelope, in a new package and I used the two new 18" HDMI cables to plug in the "box". I recommend buying the "box" because it gives me headset audio and still allows audio to be passed on to the AV receiver as though nothing changed. One thing I have not done is to check the audio programming when streaming a movie from either Netflix or Amazon through the "box" to check the AV receiver decoding Dolby. If that works I will not be updating this review. If it doesn't work - I will update the review to provide those comments. Good Luck - the box seems to be "plug -n-play".

Here is my usage scenario: -Original setup of equipment: Roku via HDMI to 2009 model Panasonic plasma TV. TV to Sony receiver capable of decoding up to 5.1 Dolby or DTS audio, via optical cable. -Roku reports best available audio is PCM stereo, and that's what comes out of the receiver. -New setup of equipment: Roku via HDMI to extractor. Switch on extractor set to 5.1. Extractor to TV via HDMI. Extractor to receiver via optical cable. -Roku reports all surround options now available: Dolby Digital/Digital Plus, and DTS. I can select Auto/Dolby/DTS for streaming format, and can further select Auto/Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus/DTS for surround format. -Trying all combinations in the two menus (excluding DD+ because it is known only formats up to 5.1 are supported via optical), the receiver does not see anything better than two channel PCM. The decoding light on the receiver does not illuminate, implying that the Roku is falling back to a "best available" scenario and delivering straight stereo. -Apps tried: Netflix, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus -Second setup of equipment: Fire TV Stick Lite via HDMI to 2009 model Panasonic plasma TV. TV to Sony receiver capable of decoding up to 5.1 Dolby or DTS audio, via optical cable. (I'm trying the Fire TV because another review said it worked) -Fire TV reports best available audio is PCM stereo, and that's what comes out of the receiver. -New setup of equipment: Fire TV via HDMI to extractor. Switch on extractor set to 5.1. Extractor to TV via HDMI. Extractor to receiver via optical cable. -Fire TV audio options now report Passthrough Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Digital as options. I select Dolby Digital, because it is known that DD+ or formats with more than 5.1 channels of info will not work. -Only HBO Max illuminates the decoding light on my receiver, indicating 5.1 channel audio is indeed being passed through. Other apps tried (Netflix, Prime Video) result in PCM stereo being delivered. Here is the deal: If you're using this with a streaming device, it's down to the apps on that device as to whether you'll get 5.1 audio from this extractor. It's also likely that current generation streamers like the Roku and Fire TV I have do not have the ability to downmix multi-channel content greater than 5.1 channels into anything but stereo. I reckon that's one reason why they are so cheap. I don't know if HBO Max is "limited" and only delivers 5.1 audio and that's why it worked...or whether HBO Max senses the device it's delivering content to and adjusts the audio track accordingly. (I think it's the former) But it's clear to me the vast majority of streaming apps have moved on to Dolby Digital Plus or other formats that carry more than 5.1 channels, even if the content doesn't natively have that many channels. Because of that, this device, limited by its optical out jack, is not fit for (my) purpose. Your mileage may vary, but I seriously doubt it. This box can solve some connection issues that I have encountered. For instance, I have computer monitors that have HDMI in, but no audio out provision. Using this box, those monitors could be used as TVs for streaming devices, with sound bars or speakers hooked up to the L/R jacks or even the optical jack. The device is cheap, and it is well constructed, but it doesn't deliver fully on its promises...at least, not anymore. When it was introduced, it was probably very useful, but streaming app technology has left it behind. So on my main rig with the Sony receiver, I will continue using Pro Logic II, to get more out of those two channel audio signals I'm limited to.

Pros: Works at 4K and 60hz Optical and Audio Out both output at the same time. Cons: Surround Sound does not work on a LOT of devices. I bought this to get sound off an HDMI cable. My setup doesn't work with an audio output from the TV which is why a box like this would exist. It is to get sound off the HDMI cable before it enters the TV. The only device that worked with surround sound off of the optical cable that I tested was a PS4. When you go into the audio settings on the PS4 you can change the sound type to Dolby Digital and the optical output on the converter will actually output surround sound. On every other device I tested it only outputted stereo so only my front speakers were working. I have tested this on: 1) A high-end gaming PC with a 1080 TI graphics card. The 1080 TI can output audio off of the HDMI output. However the problem is that since this converter is an HDMI pass-through the sound output the computer sees is just the TV. It doesn't see the J-Tech device as an output which is probably the issue that every other device I tested also experienced. My computer saw my HDMI output to my LG TV as an output. Since the computer only sees the LG TV it knows the TV only has stereo speakers and so it forces my computer to only output with a stereo signal, so my rear speakers don't work. 2) Playstation 4 - This is the only device that worked because the PS4 has an audio setting where you can force the output audio type to Dolby Digital and it allows the optical output from the converter to send a true 5.1 surround sound signal through the J-Tech device. 2) Nintendo Switch - The audio settings on the Nintendo Switch lets you select Stereo or Surround Sound, but not specifically Dolby Digital or other types. So I could only get a stereo signal off of the converter. 3) Xbox One - Same issue as PC and Nintendo Switch. Can't output a 5.1 signal because it only sees the TV as a stereo setup. 4) Sony BluRay Player - Only outputs stereo Again the main problem is that most devices don't see the J-Tech box as an audio output. It passes the signal through to the TV so the TV is seen as only a stereo output. Even though I have a 5.1 Logitech Surround Sound system plugged into the optical output on the J-Tech converter most devices only see the TV as a stereo device so it only sends a stereo signal. I even switched the J-Tech device to the 5-Channel position and it still does the same thing. Unless you have a PS4 or only need a stereo sound signal this device will not work for you.

Pro: In my (admittedly limited use), this device does its task (copying an HDMI audio stream to a TOSLINK/SPDIF cable) as well as one could ask for, so I gave it 5 stars. Con: It really wasn't a full solution for what I was trying to do. (To be clear, this is not the fault of the device.) Bottom Line: This is a fine device, it just can't magically transcend the inherent limitations of the TOSLINK/SPDIF cable. It can take a lot of research to know if that is going to keep it from meeting your requirements or not. I was aiming to have this device feed audio from a Fire Stick to an older receiver (that lacks HDMI connectors) via a TOSLINK/SPDIF cable and get surround sound. Very early signs were promising, but Disney Plus was a huge problem. Specifically, Disney Plus only provides surround sound in Dolby Digital Plus format, which requires more bandwidth than a TOSLINK/SPDIF cable can provide. Thus, if I had things configured for surround, I got zero output. (This device does not down-mix into another receiver-supported format, and it'd not reasonable to expect it to, given its price.) The primary lesson here is that you can't just ask what the source hardware is going to do, but rather what all the apps on the source hardware will do. With some configuration on the Fire Stick (Settings=>Display & Sounds=>Audio=>Dolby Digital Output=>Turn Dolby Digital Plus Off), Prime Video on the Fire Stick does seem to provide 5.1 sound. (To be fair, I haven't tested this too much.) However, Disney Plus doesn't appear to honor this setting, which means other apps might not, either. To get sound with Disney Plus, we have to configure the Fire Stick for Stereo--a setting that Disney Plus *does* honor. However, this means Prime Video also plays in stereo, unless you change the setting for the relevant streaming app each time. This wasn't an attractive solution, so I stuck with stereo and have recently started shopping a newer receive.r Other streaming apps may offer some of the same headaches. I suspect that most will be better behaved than Disney Plus in this regard, but I wouldn't hang my hat on that if I were reading this review. While my experience involves a Fire Stick, some of the same concerns may come up if you try to use the streaming apps on a "smart" Blu Ray player. If you're content with only stereo, you can probably get this device to work reliably for you. Outside of that, some research is probably smart to make sure this will meet your needs. This *might* work pretty well with my receiver if the concern was an HDMI-only Blu Ray player without any streaming apps (perhaps with some one-time configuration). BluRay dics must have a primary audio track in Dolby Digital, DTS, or LPCM. The first two options both work with TOSLINK and are supported by my receiver. For LPCM, the TOSLINK cable would only support stereo, however. From my reading, the following audio formats require more bandwidth than a TOSLINK/SPDIF cable can provide and WILL NOT WORK with this device: Dolby Digital Plus Dolby TrueHD Dolby Atmos DTS HD High Resolution DTS HD Master Audio Again, this is a fine device, it just can't magically transcend the inherent limitations of the TOSLINK/SPDIF cable.

I have an expensive, powerful, 2007 model A/V receiver that wasn't playing any of the 5.1 Surround Sound audio content from my Roku. When I set my Roku 2's audio to 5.1 surround sound, my 2007 model amplifier just stuttered crackling sounds. A Roku rep said I had to leave the Roku's audio set to Stereo - no surround sound for me because my amplifier was one year too old. A bit of research revealed that my 2007 model receiver didn't support the latest surround sound "codecs" (the A/V audio formats from Dolby & DTS). If had known that my $1700 A/V receiver would change codec supports in 2008, I may have waited a year to spend that much to support the $4,000 spent on my A/V speakers. For the last couple of years, I had been playing Roku content through my receiver in its 7.1 simulation mode, where it analyzed stereo input and did its' best to output simulated 7.1 sound. It actually sounded pretty decent, as the receiver analyzed the Roku's stereo signal, and sent it out to the 8 speakers... but it was simulated 7.1 - not the real thing. (CODEC NOTE: Roku's Surround Sound output codec is different, depending on the content provider. Netflix outputs Dolby Digital + for surround sound, which is not supported by 2007 or earlier A/V receivers. On the other hand, Amazon Prime outputs Dolby Digital Surround Sound [at least through the J-Tech device], which is supported by most receivers made in this century.) Before I bought this device, it made no difference as far as the Roku's HDMI sound output was concerned when I had it set to surround sound. Once I plugged in the J-Tech, and set my Roku sound to 5.1 Surround Sound: Netflix content was read as PCM Stereo input on my receiver - but it worked, where previously, all I got was machine-gun "whack, whack, whack" when the Roku was set to 5.1 surround. Amazon Prime content, on the other hand, was read by my receiver as 5.1 Dolby Digital, which my receiver handles well, and once again, I had really room shaking awesome real surround sound from my fairly expensive system. Instead of playing movies in a simulated surround mode, I can now play them in "STRAIGHT" mode, and somehow, even the two extra "wide" 7.1 speakers do get discrete, sometimes disconcerting, sounds... such as doors, doorbells, phones ringing, etc. - the kind of sounds that makes you think someone's at YOUR door, or just broke a window in another room. Well, for me, this "codec translator" was a wonderful 5-star worthy device, at least for Amazon Prime content from my Rokus. I looked at a lot of much more expensive devices, but none of them, including this one, really spoke about their codec (audio content program "languages") conversions. With a Roku, or similar on-line, or even DVD or cable content device, we really should be given more consumer friendly information about codec compatibility. From my Roku, set to 5.1 Surround Sound, I previously got "Ack, Ack, Ack" coming out of my speakers. Now, I get PCM stereo from Netflix, and Dolby Digital 5.1 from Amazon Prime. It's well worth the $40 price to finally get truly awesome surround sound again from my $6,000 worth of audio gear. It's way better than paying another $2,000 to update my receiver. I'm very happy with this device. I hope it works for your particular set-up.

Does it’s job and feels like quality