Old 5.1 speakers to new tv connection

What model Samsung is it?

https/www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KNNSKV0/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1513064056&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=optical+to+3.5mm&dpPl=1&dpID=41LGG8dggIL&ref=plSrch

Optical to tv (cable is included) , just use the 3.5mm front left/right connection from the speakers to the headphone jack on the converter.

You won't get proper surround but you will get a psuedo simulated speaker fill so all speakers & the sub work.

From what I see though you're already using the optical out for something ??

I dont recognise that 5.1 input 2 properly. Is it optical input? If yes, then all you need to do is get an optical cable and run it from your TV to the sound system. Optical cables come two varieties, Co-axial and SPDIF. If your TV and sound system have the same, then its very easy. Otherwise there are adapters in the market to accept input as co axial or SPDIF and output as the other. There are adaptors that take HDMI as input and output via aux/RCA/optical

If its not an optical input, then the only true option is to get an audio reciever/amplifier which accepts 2.1 input from the TV via RCA and then outputs it to the TV as true 5.1 surround using RCA/aux cables from reciever to the sound system.

If you just use an RCA to 5.1 splitter, then you will not get true surround sound. It will most likely be 2.1 sound coming from all 5 speakers and is not worth it in my experience.

^ @hellraiser - thats an old 9 pin din input - defunct for years .

Re - surround sound - the issue with using 5.1 from a tv is that 99% of the time youll only get a stereo audio channel, mostvtv's will not pass 5.1 via optical at all.
That genius set if you feed the 5.1 inputs with a stereo source you get no sub & no centre/rear audio at all

Using one of the 2 channel inputs like tv ,dvd etc it automatically drops into speaker fill mode.

ahh, gotcha

Then his only option seems to be to get an audio reciever/amplifier for true surround.

What you said above in one of your posts for pseudo surround which is not very good as it will only simulate surround sound from stereo input.

Well there is an optical to 5.1 analog converter available too , pair that with 3 x twin rca to 3.5mm cables & you can link full 5.1 via optical.

https/www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N8YEXLT/ref=gwm_tlc_pi?pf_rd_p=dc6bd353-8fb8-4f18-9807-6e274d64b720&pf_rd_s=grid-6&pf_rd_t=Gateway&pf_rd_i=mobile&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=464E68QX2NP1G7RK33Q3&pf_rd_r=464E68QX2NP1G7RK33Q3&pf_rd_p=dc6bd353-8fb8-4f18-9807-6e274d64b720&pd_rd_i=B01N8YEXLT

With a stereo spurce plugged in the 5.1 inputs thpugh itll only come out of the fromt left & right speakers.

As I said not many tv's transmit 5.1 via optical anyway.

Rca to 3.5mm cables.

https/www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018KUS9E/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1513074224&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=3.5mm+to+rca

It depends on the source your watching most tv's only output 2 channel stereo via optical & most digital transmissions are also only stereo.

You could use that speaker set for proper 5.1 with a source that always transmits real surround audio.

A stereo source will only ever give simulated surround at best.

If you use the optional rear speakers from the soundbar and e.g. when you watch any netflix content set to 5.1 in Netflix Audio options, you will get true surround sound, no worries there. I am not sure where you live, but in my country, all HD channels have Dolby Surround at source. So, my home theater system emits true 5.1 surround sound. All SD channels like news etc. only have stereo sound and my home theater only emits stereo sound, which is natural. My Netflix can do surround sound (yours can too) and it produces true surround.

The summary is that the source should be 5.1, speakers should be 5.1, connection between the TV and HT should be digital (HDMI or optical or whatever else capable of doing surround). If all these conditions are met, you will get true surround. Otherwise, stereo or simulated surround. In my experience, my optical cables have always passed 5.1 sound from the TV to Sound system. I am not sure why madmatt30 is saying otherwise, but maybe he had his own experiences. So, to be safe, use HDMI for connecting the TV to audio system. You can try with optical too. If digital connections are not available in even any one device, then you will have to go by what he has said in an earlier post to get true surround.

Ohkk.. Then I must mention that my experiences are based on Panasonic and Sanyo FHD Tvs and TCL 4K TV with 2 different Samsung HTiBs. Not soundbars. Proper 5.1 speakers and subwoofer. All these devices support dolby digital and dolby DTS. No Atmos. Also, I mostly watch content on VLC on TV which supports dolby, Netflix which also supports 5.1, HD channels, which also support 5.1 in my case. Stereo source still comes out only from the front 2 speakers and the woofer. e.g. Youtube, 2.1 encoded movies and shows, selecting stereo sound in Netflix etc.

If there are limitations on Samsung TVs, then best consider what MadMatt30 says.

Thanks madmatt and hellraiser for taking the time to help out here.