Question what would be better to use - HDMI or S/PDIF or USB

[parsimonius]

My desktop pc, my sound bar and my TCL TV have ports for these. I don't know the advantages and disadvantes of using HDMI or S/PDIF or USB to connect the two. Is one tech better than the other? Why?

 

[vov4ik_il]

S/PDIF

The only one that will require the least tinkering I would guess. HDMI is in/out and you will have to configure the TV to use it as output, USB is most likely not supported

 

[Pistolpackin]

My desktop pc, my sound bar and my TCL TV have ports for these. I don't know the advantages and disadvantes of using HDMI or S/PDIF or USB to connect the two. Is one tech better than the other? Why?

Hello parsimonius!
Is there a audio receiver pushing audio in your environment, or is it solely media from PC to TV, then audio out from tv to soundbar?

 

[parsimonius]

Hello parsimonius!
Is there a audio receiver pushing audio in your environment, or is it solely media from PC to TV, then audio out from tv to soundbar

Right now all audio is from the TV's built in speakers. Two cases - I watch TV and listen to it using the TV's built in speakers. Otherwise, I change the input source on the TV to a pc I use when not watchting TV. The pc is connected via HDMI cable to the TV. I'll watch something on the net on the pc and display it on the TV., I have s/w like MPC-HC (Media Player Classic) to listen to radio in the background while surfing the net. Again, the audio is played off of the TV's built in speakers.

 

[Pistolpackin]

Right now all audio is from the TV's built in speakers. Two cases - I watch TV and listen to it using the TV's built in speakers. Otherwise, I change the input source on the TV to a pc I use when not watchting TV. The pc is connected via HDMI cable to the TV. I'll watch something on the net on the pc and display it on the TV., I have s/w like MPC-HC (Media Player Classic) to listen to radio in the background while surfing the net. Again, the audio is played off of the TV's built in speakers.

The anemic TV speakers lead us to use the Soundbar? If yes, I would HDMI from computer to TV, then speaker-out from TV to Soundbar via S/PDIF (optical) cable.

 

[hotaru.hino]

If you can use HDMI across the chain, use HDMI.

I haven't seen a reason to use SPDIF since forever since it doesn't provide anywhere near the same capabilities as HDMI.

 

[SkyNetRising]

The anemic TV speakers lead us to use the Soundbar? If yes, I would HDMI from computer to TV, then speaker-out from TV to Soundbar via S/PDIF (optical) cable.

Use HDMI for both.

PC - TV​

TV(HDMI ARC port) - Soundbar.​

Or, if soundbar supports HDMI pass-through, then

PC - Soundbar (HDMI in)​

Soundbar (HDMI out) - TV.​