Hey gang-
One of our clients has a Panasonic Vieta 42" plasma TV. We are using a Niles TVA 50 amplifier to run the audio from the local cable box, locl DVD player through the local ceiling mounted speakers in the room.

Here is my question...the TV only seems to have fixed audio out. We would like to use a variable audio out so the TV can control the volume (the Niles TVA 50 amp cannot control volume). I navigated through the menu options and there didn't seem to be a way to change the audio out to variable. There has to be a way to change this, but for the life of me I can't figure it out.

Thanks for any suggestions.

~mjmontagne

Well, there really doesn't HAVE to be a way to change this. Over the years, different brands, and even the same brands, have had different line level output options from model to model. I remember looking at Sony models one year and finding that some gave you adjustable or fixed audio outputs any time at all, some only gave you line outputs when you turned off the speakers, some gave you adjustable or fixed but you had to turn off the speakers to change it, then you could turn the speakers back on and line out would stay that way.

We installed one of these the other day and found exactly the same thing. In our case, I was glad that the line output was not tied to the TV remote control as we were running it into a system amp with its own volume control.

The engineers should know by now that CHOICE is the icing on the cake, and they should always allow fixed or variable to be chosen. But they don't.

The simplest thing I can think of isn't too simple (I consider collecting money to buy something to overcome a product's flaw as not simple), which is to buy a Xantech line-level preamp and IR sensor and use that to control the volume. RP-41AV, I think, is the model I have in mind.

That is indeed the most fascinating thing about Sony TVs. There is no consistency from model to model or year to year. Just a different engineer every day. Had another one last week where the menu showed speakers on, output fixed. Thought to myself, "Self, you have it made in the shade!" Plugged into fixed/var out and had a variable out even though it said fixed. Only turning the speakers off made the output fixed, but they still wanted to use the TV speakers occasionally...

Fortunately there was also a monitor out next to the fixed/var outs that did the trick.

Tom, given the menu choices, I just don't think I would have even accidentally checked the audio output with the speakers on! Bravo for luck.


I started a thread complaining about that stupid letter in the Panasonic name, Vieta, and someone did my old trick of googling it. I always thought it was Viega because that letter looks like a Greek Gamma to me.

It is V I E R A.

One option would be the sonance asap-1, it has both speaker level and line level input for the local TV. However you would need to splice onto the existing speakers inside the set and route the wiring out the back to the asap- 1 amp.

I have done this many times with the Panasonic LCD sets due to the same circumstances you're in. Works like a charm, however I would assume that the warranty could be violated, similar to putting emitter wires inside electronics. Just make sure to not cut the internal speaker wires, only solder onto the existing speaker terminals where the factory wires are connected.

If in doubt go with the IR controlled volume control.