The Problem: You have an HDMI enabled Xbox 360, but no way of getting 5.1 Dolby Digital (DD) via HDMI. You therefore need an optical connection from your Xbox 360, but no apparent way to do it.
When an HDMI cable is plugged in, how do I get optical out?
Firstly, it is worth noting that some HDMI cables are thin enough to fit at the same time as the component/VGA connector which has an optical out port, so if you can find one of these, that is a suitable solution. If you want to use a thicker HDMI cable, then the solutions are below:
The Official Solution
There is a dongle available for the Xbox 360 which fits in the AV out port while an HDMI cable is attached. This dongle has three audio out connections: an optical out for 5.1 DD, and 2x red and white RCA connectors for stereo.
This dongle is available 2 ways:
- In the Official Microsoft HDMI cable package, the dongle is supplied in addition to the HDMI cable. Link
The Unofficial Solution
You can also modify the component cable so that it becomes slim enough to be attached to the console at the same time as an HDMI cable. This involves removing the plastic casing at the connector end of the cable that attaches to the Xbox 360, as shown in the image below.
