Help with Kenwood VR 509 (1 Viewer)

[mike leslie]

I just purchased kenwood VR 509 and I am trying to hook the thing up. What a mass of confusion. I have two main problems. Any help is appreciated:

1. I have a 32 in TV With s-video hook-ups. I also have digital cable with s-video. The problem is that if I use this, I am unable to use my VCR b/c it lacks s-video. I also cannot attach my camcorder for the same reason. There is something in the instructions that states if you use s-vide for one component you have to sue tehm for all. Is there any getting around this? Are all digital recievers this restrictive?

2. MY digital cable decoder is made by GI. It has dolby digital output-and sounds great. The problem is that analog signals are not carried over the digital connect. I had to wire RCA connections in separately. Wehn I go to an analogue station, the receive does not automatically shift over, I have to go to the reciever to change the mode manually. The remote does not appear to do this. Is there something I am missing? Are other units like this as well.

This is a pain in the @ss. I am tempted to turn the thing in and return to a more simple life. Please help.

MIke

 

[Bruce N]

I think I can help with #1.

You could run both S-video and composite lines from the receiver to the TV. Depending on your TV you may have to switch the TV inputs manually.

Sorry, I can't help with #2.

Bruce

 

[John_E]

I have a VR-509, so it's always fun to help a fellow owner.
#1--All of my devices have S-Video, but you can buy a composite to S-Video Converter for about $10-$15 for your VCR connection. It won't improve or harm your picture, but it will make switching components easier. You can get it a Radio Shack, www.partsexpress.com or several other places.
#2--I believe that if you select "DIGITAL--AUTO" as the input, it should sense when there is a digital signal present. I can't remember, but I'll check when I get home.
Good Luck.

 

[mike leslie]

John

Thanks to your answer for # 1. Does this mean that I would jeed one of these convertes for every non-s-vidoe connetion I make?

as far as #2 the Digital-auto setting seems to sense the type of digital signal but does not revert to analogue when there is only an analogue signal comming in. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

[John_E]

Mike-

For #1 you could do two things:

1. Buy S-Video to Composite converters for every composite devices.

---OR---

2. Connect out from receiver to TV with both composite and S-Video. You would then have to switch the TV's mode as well as the receiver's mode.

If were you, I would use the S-Video converters. As I said earlier, all of my devices (TV, VCR, Cable Box, DVD) have S-Video connections. It's so easy to switch devices that it took my wife all of 1 minute learn how to use the unit. By the way, take advantage of the great remote that comes with the unit. I use it to do just about everything. It looks intimidating at first, but read the manual and take it slowly step by step. I'm only probably using about 50% of its capability since I've only had it about 2 weeks, but I am thrilled with the purchase. Thanks to everyone here who suggested it. I wouldn't have even looked at it if it weren't for this forum.

 

[mike leslie]

John

Thanks, I will try this. You seem knowledgeable abou the unit. Do you have any solutions to my question # 2.

Thanks