How do I get the sound to come through my T.V speakers?

im having the same problem, except im connected via audio components and hdmi...cant get sound through the speakers when the TV is on, it doesnt make any sense.

a HDMI lead has sound and video cables

Here you go buddy:
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/STRDE685.pdf

refer owner manual page 46-51, try different surrounding sound modes.
.

Use an optical audio cable for your tv audio out.

best i can do is refer you to sony.
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-tutorials.pl?mdl=DAVHDX275&LOC=3

It looks like all you'll need to do is hook up audio out from DirecTV to audio in on the surround sound system. Sony has an interesting hookup recommendation guide on the product support site:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=DAVC700&LOC=3

That should give you the connection options. The short answer, though, is to connect the best audio out from DirecTV to an audio in on the surround sound and then choose that option in the surround sound system when you want to watch TV.

do you need a reciever to get ceiling mounted speakers to work surround sound

In short, the answer is: Hook up all three to each other. I have a Samsung DLP HDTV, and I was trying to hook up a Sony DAV-HDX500 home-theater system and a Comcast HD set-top box, but I found that the Sony user guide is helpful only for setting up the speakers. Most of what it had to say about HDMI and getting the TV sound or cable sound to go through the speaker system was wrong (or, at least, it didn't work for me). So, here's what I did. I connected Component video cables (Y/Pb/Pr out) from the Cable box to the TV (Y/Pb/Pr in), audio cables from the Cable box (audio out) to the Sony system ("SAT/Cable" audio in), and an HDMI cable from the Sony system (HDMI out) to the TV (HDMI in). This allows me to 1) watch DVDs with surround sound through the TV's HDMI source (when the "DVD" format is selected on the Sony system), 2) watch cable with surround sound through the TV's Component source (when the "SAT/Cable" format is selected on the Sony system), and 3) watch cable WITHOUT the surround sound, as I did before I ever had the Sony system. One item of note: When watching a non-HD channel with the surrond sound on, the audio is slightly out of synch with the video; thankfully, there's no such problem on HD channels. Anyway, I hope this helps. It drove me crazy for two days straight!

Did you try to connect AUDIO OUT from your TV to AUDIO IN on your package?