Audio Systems: Enhancing TV Audio, digital optical output, digital amplifier

Question
QUESTION: Cleggsan:
I have a 32" LCD TV, and plan to enhance the audio with desktop
PC speakers. I plan to use the headphone port for that purpose. Since a desktop PC has the pwoer to drive a couple of speakers, it appears to me that a 32" Tv should also have the power to drive those same speakers. Do you see any  problem with that approach. (I don't want the expense of adding a digital amplifier to my TV).
Thanks for volunteering.

ANSWER: Your logic is okey if you are thinking to use self-powered pc speaker systems. The most popular enhancement speakers are what we call 2.1 systems (stereo with a subwoofer) and can be purchased at computer stores for $20 and up.  They are self powered and can sound very good.  They can connect to the output of the headphone jack on the tv.  

Or, you can add a surround sound system that connects to the digital optical output which is, also, a self powered system.

Finally, very popular are sound bars that have the necessary electronics and speakers built into a long black box that fits underneath the tv.  Some of them sound pretty good and are under $100 to as $400.  

Just a comment;  the "power" you are mentioning about a pc driving speakers is not a correct analysis as they are driving the speakers into a power amplifier mounted inside the speakers or inside the monitor.  The output of a pc is just a voltage feed.  The same for the tv, external speakers requires a voltage feed into an amplifier that feeds the speakers.  The 2.1 pc speaker systems mentioned above use a voltage feed and the amplifiers are built inside the speaker boxes.

Hope this helps you get the improved sound that you are looking for.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Cleggsan:
I moved my desktop 2.1 speakers to my TV using the headphone port and the additional sound is almost nil. But these same speakers when used on my  desktop provide outstanding sound.
There is lots I do not understand regarding TV sound design. It appears that my briliant idea of using inexpensive desktop speakers for enhancing TV sound quality is a bust. I suspect that I will continue to suffer poor TV audio quality or spend big bucks for a better audio system. Many thanks for educating me. And thanks again for volunteering.

Answer
Look, if the same speaker system connected to the pc sound entirely different when connected to the tv than there is something to explain!  For example, pc sound usually has an equalizer which can boost up the bass or mids whilst the tv usually does not have a built in equalizer.

Further, some tv systems just don't have good sound coming out of their audio spigots because they are designed only for performance of the built in speakers.  

You may need to add an external amplifier that has some eq capability in order to get back some of the low frequency response that the tv does not provide from its internal audio circuitry.

And, pc speaker systems usually sound quite good on the pc because you are up close to them and when they are in a big room and you are several feet away they just don't cut it.  In this case you need a bigger, more powerful 2.1 system.