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Q I’m using an older AV receiver in my home theater to connect the optical digital audio outputs from a Fios TV box, OPPO Blu-ray player, and Gen-2 Apple TV. I want to upgrade to the new Apple TV, but it only has an HDMI output and no optical digital audio connection. Here’s my question: Are there any optical-to-HDMI audio converters that will let me keep using the same receiver in my setup? —Lavern Lee

A Yes. Can’t say I’ve tested one, but Amazon sells a bunch of such converters in the $20-30 range, including this. Another option I’d be more confident recommending is this model from Monoprice, a well-known vendor of affordable AV cables and accessories. The Monoprice converter provides a switchable mode that “...allows you to select advanced multichannel audio streams for playback on your home theater audio system.” That basically means you can expect to hear surround sound instead of downconverted two-channel audio when using the converter’s optical digital output.

While one of these boxes could solve your connection issues with the new Apple TV, you won’t be getting the higher-quality Dolby Digital Plus audio experience the new Apple TV is capable of. Dolby Digital Plus requires HDMI. When using an optical or coaxial S/PDIF connection, audio gets downconverted to plain-vanilla Dolby Digital.

One additional method you can consider for connecting your new Apple TV box is to plug it directly into your TV via HDMI and use the set’s optical digital output—provided it has one—to route audio to the receiver. In this case, however, audio will also be limited to regular 5.1-channel DD, or possibly even 2-channel depending on the capabilities of your TV.