Cable Box to AVR ? (1 Viewer)

[stevenHa]

Just curious - do most people with a sound system connect their cable box to the AVR or do you just use your high end sound system for your blu ray player when playing blu rays or listening to CD's ? Does it make a big difference with broadcast transmissions ?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Yes, I think most of us connect the cable box (or satellite receiver etc.) to the AVR. If the speakers connected to your AVR are better than the ones built-into your TV, then yes, all your TV shows will sound better. A lot better.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My cable box is connected through my receiver, yes.

However, I can still watch cable TV through the television's speakers, without the receiver being on. For most of the TV I watch, that's exactly what I do. I don't need to hear news, sitcoms or cartoons in surround sound. However, there are a few shows (like the upcoming Twin Peaks revival) that I will use the surround sound for.

Having the cable box connected to the receiver gives me the option to choose between the TV's built-in speakers and the surround sound system, and I like having that flexibility.

 

[DavidMiller]

I run my TiVo to my Xbox One S to the Receiver. Then you can use one of the sound algorithms to get some pretty good sound out of the TV shows.

 

[Keith G]

NFL and NBA games sound good in surround.

 

[Alf S]

Yes, I think most of us connect the cable box (or satellite receiver etc.) to the AVR. If the speakers connected to your AVR are better than the ones built-into your TV, then yes, all your TV shows will sound better. A lot better.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

100% this.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

My cable box is connected through my receiver, yes.

However, I can still watch cable TV through the television's speakers, without the receiver being on. For most of the TV I watch, that's exactly what I do. I don't need to hear news, sitcoms or cartoons in surround sound.

Your TV must have some awesome speakers. Mine doesn't, so it's worth turning on the system to watch anything, just for the improved sound quality.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pfughaupt

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Your TV must have some awesome speakers. Mine doesn't, so it's worth turning on the system to watch anything, just for the improved sound quality.

I'm sure it doesn't - it's just an LG 50" screen with whatever came built in. I just don't want/need to be overwhelmed with surround sound for everything I watch. I don't want everything to be immersive. I like having a distinction between when I watch movies and when I watch TV. I'm definitely under-utilizing my system in that regard, but there are a lot of programs where I'm satisfied with how it sounds coming out of the TV and don't want the louder, more expansive soundscape that the surround sound setup offers.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

AVRs with pass-through are your friends.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have not used my TV speakers in our main viewing room in over 30 years. The first setting I change with a new TV is to turn off the speakers. Everything runs through my AVR. I spent a significant amount of money building a quality sound system, so I have no desire to listen to the TV's speakers, which pale in comparison.

With any universal remote, it should be simple to set things up to easily turn on your system correctly to use the AVR all the time. With my $50 Harmony 650 remote, I just have to press the "Watch TV" button and TV, AVR and cable box all turn on and are set to the proper inputs. Pressing the "System Off" button turns everything off. Easy peasy!