Topic: Can Wii-U output 5.1 surround sound to a non-HDMI sound system?

Another stupid move by Nintendo, in my opinion, is the fact that it's either all-digital or all-analog, so there's absolutely no option to use HDMI for HDTV and RCA cables for external speakers. So, if you're using a projector or HD monitor for video, and a separate speaker system for audio, you either get HD and no audio, or have to settle with 480p. Also, games which are stereo only, like NSMB-U and Nintendo Land, output silence on all channels exept L+R, making it impossible for many recievers to upmix the stereo signal or even output bass frequencies to the subwoofer.

I've currently got my console connected via the HDMI cables, configured for stereo output and have the RCA output on my TV connected to my sound system. It is completely unacceptable that Nintendo doesn't even allow simultaneous output of HD video and analog sound.

They just need to make a TV reciever combo(still has TV speakers), with speaker hookups on the back, that can decode any sound format, has 1000 watts speaker capacity, can be updated like a smart TV, and is a smart TV w/ 3D, then you would have no problem ever hooking up anything. I have a 2007 Yamaha reciever too, and I still had to update my reciever for HDMI.

Not really the best idea: If your TV gets busted, you also lose the sound system. If the sound system gets busted, you lose the TV. If you want to upgrade one, you have to upgrade both. Most TVs output audio, but even a cheap $30 set of 2.1 PC speakers will output much better sound than the stock speakers on a $1000 50-inch 3D TV set. That's why they make 2.1 sound bars, so you can supplement the TV by upgrading the sound without the "black spaghetti" normally associated with surround sound systems.

They can update it if people demand for it. Ps3 and Xbox 360 didn't have it at be beginning and they do now

The 3D TV reciever combo would be literally unbreakable, updateable, and include a lifetime warranty. Is it a bad idea now? Haha...

We did have a thread similar to this and most of the usual suspects here, me included, responded to the other post - my input, 4 HDMI in 1 HDMI out + TOSLINK and COAX Digital audio output Au$40.00 then add postage to your region - ex-Chinese/Hong Kong eBay stores.
Mine's due to arrive in a couple of weeks...
p.s. :
A very similar/same box is available from US eBay stores for twice that amount

But does your HDMI audio splitter box actually include a DD encoder, or does it simply act as a pass-through for DD and DTS? If it only passes the digital signal without processing it, you may be sorely disappointed when/if you attempt to use it to convert 5.1 PCM into DD or DTS via TOSlink. Honestly, I am glad I didn't spend money on a new sound system just to get 5.1 surround out of the Wii-U. I would have been sorely disappointed to learn that half of the games (and all current 1st party software) don't even utilize surround, and for those that do, it is not implemented properly (ie no center, surround, subwoofer output, or upmix when the Wii is set up for surround sound but playing a stereo game). That is really unacceptable, Nintendo! And people who own projectors, monitors, or HDTVs with no audio pass-through, and a non-HDMI sound system are basically screwed when it comes to getting even stereo sound with HD visuals, thanks to Nintendo's only one-AV-cable-in-use-at-a-time policy.

Since we remodeled my house, my mom decided she doesn't want "spaghetti" running across the living room, so I've accepted that for the time being she won't let me reinstall the surround speakers (even if I use white wire which matches the molding, and route it around the doors), so for now my surround system is set up in a 2.1 configuration with the center and surrounds disconnected.

I haven't tested the component cables for HD yet. If it's really true that I can get HD 720p output from those, I may use them and route the L/R audio to the sound system. I've got two HDMI ports on my TV and 3 devices that use HDMI (PS3, Wii-U, and upscaling DVD player). Or I may just hook the DVD player up with component instead since it doesn't matter a hill of beans whether the 480p image is upscaled by the DVD player or the TV. My 26" Sanyo TV set only supports 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i, and even with a current eyeglasses prescription (I see 20/20 with glasses), it's impossible to really see the difference between 720p and 480p on a 26" screen, unless i'm sitting fairly close to the screen. Upscaling to 1080i then downscaling back to my TVs native 720p resolution is stupid, so I have most devices set up for 720p if they allow it.