Surround System Help (im a noob)

I just bought a new dvd home theater, a panasonic one. After hours of trying, I still cant get all 5 speakers to work except whem im playing a music cd. Watch tv, onky 2 speakers work. Nintendo Wii, only 3 work. DVD, only 3 work (although i havent tried with a real dvd, only death note copy, my local dvd-rent store is closed:D) Anyhow, can you guys help me figure out why is this happening? Thanks.

Check your speaker setup settings. On your remote is a button labelled "format" or "mode" or something like that. You want to make sure it isn't set to 3.1 or "front speaker only". If it works some of the time, it is a configuration error. If you put in a DVD, and you have double checked your configuations, you may have crossed some wires somewhere.

If it is a really cheap system, it may only have surround sound when you play DVDs. Generally though, most systems can convert signals into at least stereo sound.

It would help also if you could tell us the exact system that you are using.

If it is an AV/receiveer the problem might be that you have some settings configured wrong--as was mentiioned before. There should be a switch which allows you to toggle the speakers settings between say Stereo, Mono, 5-channel surround, music, dolby surround etc.

The stereo setting, for isntance, will most likely only have two speakers (front left/right) working. The 5 channel (or dolby surround or something to that extent) will most likely be the setting you want--allowing all five speakers to work.