My tv has an brownish RCA plug labeled coaxial which I am fairly certain is a S/PDIF output. The only problem is my stereo only has two read/white input plugs (what are they called?) I have looked all over but I cannot find a way to convert the S/PDIF signal into the red/white signals. Is it possible?

Your coaxial output is digital, and the Red/White connectors typically mean analog Left and Right channel stereo inputs or outputs.

You will have to locate a digital to analog converter to input from the coax output to analog stereo input. Such a converter may already exist in some other piece of audio equipment you own such as a Home Theatre amplifier.

The problem you may run into, is there is no telling exactly what information is being transferred over the digital link. It could be simplle 2-channel stereo, or it could be Dolby, etc. which requires more processing to convert into 2-channel audio.

Here's an example US$80 converter:
http://www.svideo.com/digitalanalog.html

You might search on [spdif to analog stereo converter] on google and be able to find some more adapters.

It almost looks like it would be better to buy an inexpensive (sub-$100) Home Theatre system and make your own "converter". It would give you more flexibility and be able to decode Dolby, etc.


edit to add--
Here's the Wikipedia link on S/PDIF which may help explain the content vs. protocol issue better.
In addition, note that S/PDIF cable impedance is 75ohm. That is NOT the impedance of normal audio cable, and if a long cable-run is required the wrong impedance could cause problems. 75ohms is the impedance of a standard cable-tv cable, or video cable (usually the Yellow connector on a 3-"wire" audio/video cable). However, some manufacturers use the same wrong-impedance audio cable to make their Yellow "video" cable on the cheaper 3-"wire" A/V cables.

Thats too expensive. I was just wondering if it was possible.

And I didn't know there was a difference between the yellow cable and the red and white cables... oops.

Thanks you.