The optical cable is only for audio.

Since this is a Sony 40" LCD HDTV, it is the XBR2/3, I presume? You should have an HDMI port on it. Use that.

You should also have at least 2 HDMI, and 2 Component (Red/Green/Blue) inputs. You can use one of either of these.

Without knowing the model of the cable box, best guess is that it won't.



Thanks!

I have a new 40" Sony LCD and am waiting to hook up the Apple TV. I have a couple of questions though. What would be better, hook it up via the HD cable, or the Optical Cable port. My TV has both, but my HD cable box is connected to the HD input on the TV. Would the Apple T.V hook up through my cable box? I am such a cabling novice, sorry if these are bad questions.



Thanks!

What do you mean with "HD cable"? Do you mean a HDMI cable? Component cables are also capable of transporting Hi-Def signals! The optical cable is just for audio, not for video!

Your LCD should have more than one hdmi port or component in (red, blue, green). Use one of them to directly connect your ATV to your LCD TV. If you have an amplifier with optical in, then use an optical caple to enjoy surround sound. If not, and you're using component cables, just use a stereo cable (red and white) to connect to the corresponding audio input on your TV.

If you can connect your ATV to your cable box depends on the provided input ports. If it has something like "video in" or "hdmi in" then it should work. Consult your manual on how to get the actual video displayed on your TV. Normally there is a special "channel" like "AV/0".