I'm trying to hook up my Samsung LN37B530 LCD TV and my Samsung Blu-Ray player to my receiver. My question is: Is it possible to have the Blu-Ray player hooked up to the TV via an HDMI cable, then use the optical out on the TV to indirectly play the Blu-Ray player sound through the receiver via the TV? Would this allow me to play 5.1 sound from the Blu-Ray player through the receiver, or would the TV only output a stereo signal through its optical output?
The tv will only output a stereo signal, used that way.
The optical output on tvs is for getting 5.1 surround from local HD channels, via the tv's internal tuner, while using an antenna. It is not for daisy chain connections, like you're talking about. For the few tvs that will pass audio that way at all, they will down mix the 5.1 signal to 2.0, and send that to the receiver. So, the best you could hope for would be Dolby Pro Logic II (simulated surround).
If your BD player has the 5.1/7.1 multi-channel analog outputs, and your receiver has the same inputs, you can get the HD audio, from BD movies, that way. Only other option for the HD audio is over HDMI, with a receiver that decodes the formats. Otherwise, all you'll get is regular DD and DTS, which to me, is defeating half the purpose of blu ray.
Good luck!
