Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - home theater confusion

Hello, I just purchased and installed a Philips DVD Home Theater System HTS3410D (199.00). I have a simple setup ; Cable tv coaxial to the tv and this new DVD surround sound system. Everything works great with the surround sound while playing DVD's, however I can't get surround sound while watching tv programs. Do I have to have a more modern tv to do this? My tv is a 32" Sharp approx 6 years old. I only have 3 A/V jacks in the back. Video IN and 2 Audio IN (I think these are the standard RCA jacks) The set up directions tell me to hook the jacks using the audio OUT on the tv to the audio IN on the DVD system. So I'm backwards but I have no choice. The video jack hookup is fine as directions state to hook video IN/tv to video OUT on the DVD player. Is there some other way to connect this so I can watch surround with cable tv? The Philips DVD player has all sorts of connections in the back. I have an old VCR that is sitting in the closet. Will hooking up a VCR and using the VCR connections resolve the situation? After reading a lot of the questions on here and learning a few things, now I wish I could use component jacks instead of the composite to get a better picture. What are my options? Also, is my DVD home theater system considered a receiver? It does have a FM/AM tuner. It's funny, I used to think I was a tech whiz back in the day when I could hook up a VCR. Times have changed. :)

Unless you have a digital cable box, you are out of luck. You need something to send the sound from the TV to the DVD system. The RCA inputs are only a one way street, they can receive but not send. Some cable companies offer a digital-box-only deal for just a few bucks more a month, it would alow you to access pay per view movies and have a few extra features as well as have the Audio out ports you need. Its a cheap solution unless you want to go out and buy a new TV. You can either go to your local cable company and pick one up (saves any instalation fee) or have them come out and install one.

You won't get surround sound (6 channel) using stereo (2 channel) audio.

For surround sound you need:
1. digital audio source like a digital or HD cable box. The regular cable box won't do it.
2. programming that puts out surround sound - no analog channels have it.
3. a digital audio cable such as a digital coax or fiber optic cable.

NOTE: some non-hd programming will still have pro-logic which will separate ambiant (rear channel) sound effects, But you still need the digital source and digital audio cables. eg) I had digital cable 2 years ago. The analog channels were stereo at best. I switched to satellite. All programming, even analog broadcasts, are digital thru it. The local channels give me pro-logic. Yes, I get sond effects from CSI on the analog channel.

Note 2: Aside from pro-logic, only a few channels will broadcast dolby digital (the surround sound). The premium channels (like HBO) will broadcast SOME programming in dolby digital. Also HD programming is all 5.1 surround sound.

NOTE 3: Now the bad news. I don't think your system has either digital coax nor fiber optic inputs. ergo, you are only going to get surround sound from DVDs.