Need info on how to hook up my HT and wht to use to do it! (1 Viewer)

[Tray]

I will be receiving my new HT "stuff" on Friday. I need to buy the cables I will need to hook everything up.
I will have the following:

HK AVR 520 receiver
Panasonic CP72 DVD
Echostar (Dish500) 4700 Sat receiver
Toshiba CN36x81 TV

I have 5 JBL speakers and a Dahlquist sub. I plan on using 12 guage wire for the surrounds. What will I need for the sub, mains and center speakers?
The TV has the following inputs:
2 S-Video Inputs
Variable Audio Outputs
2 Rear A/V Inputs
Center Channel Audio Input
Dual RF Inputs
2 New Colorstream® HD Video Inputs
Front Panel A/V Inputs

The Sat receiver has componet in/out and a digital out.


I need to know how to hook these components together.
I will be purchasing my cables locally. Probably AR brand at Best Buy or something similar from Radio shack.

Any and all info appreciated!

 

[Frank Zimkas]

Before you spend anymore money, you should clear off the kitchen table and READ every manual that you get! Sounds really basic but there is so much information provided by the manufactures that it can make your head spin! Most will show differant options for using the assorted inputs/outputs.

A lot of the cabling questions can be answered by deciding if you are going to use your receiver for video switching(if it is capable) or if you want to run your video sources directly to the TV.

Try going to manufacturers websites for the equipment that you are buying and see if they have the manuals available online. Print them out, read them, and draw out a real basic diagram of how the equipment will be wired based on the manufacturers instructions. Take your list to to favorite A/V retailer and whip out that credit card. Don't worry about buying the most expensive cables in the store. The AR cables are a good choice.

 

[Tray]

Yep, been there done that
I have all of the manuals I downloaded off of the net. I was planning on using the receiver for video switching.
I was thinking of connecting the componets by Svideo except for the DVD player. I want to use component connections to handle the progressive signal.
Essentially, all devices to the receiver and then from receiver to TV with a component cable.
Whatcha think?!?:wink:

 

[Tray]

Essentially what I was looking for suggestion from folks who have similar components on what worked best for them.

 

[James Brown]

Keep in my that if you use a combination of S-Video and Composite cables from each unit to the receiver, youll also need both types going to the TV inputs also.
- just recently stumbled across that problem....
click here for more info

 

[Tray]

Thanks! I didnt think about that. Looks like I need more cables :frowning:

 

[Tray]

My satellite receiver has a digital output. I believe the new Panasonic CP72 I ordered does as well. What do I get from using these connections vs composite? If I connect these components to the receiver with digital inputs how does it pass the singnal to the TV when I I only component and S-video in connections on the TV?
My TV only supports component inputs. It doesn't have any type of digital inputs (Toshiba CN36x81)

Here is how I think I need to connect everything:

Vcr - out to receiver video 1 in (analog)
VCR - in to receiver out (analog)

DVD - out to receiver DVD in (component)

Sat receiver - out to receiver video 2 in (component)

Receiver video monitor out to TV monitor in

---OR---

Do I connect the audio portion from the devices (DVD, VCR, etc...) and connect the video straight to the TV? If I do this will I loose the video switching from the receiver?

I guess what is so confusing is the digital connections. Does teh digital connection carry all of the signal info (video and audio) or do I use the digital and analog inputs for the devices this applies to?
I know this isn't rocket science but for some reason it is beyond my grasp.

Help!

 

[ChrisWiggles]

herm. These questions can be confusing to answer. OK lets start off with your last question about the digital cables/connections. No they dont carry audio and video, only audio. video is separate. Personally I qould only hook up all the audio to your reciever, because all you are doing with the video through the reciever is switching which, while it usually won't degrade the signal....it can't make it any better. However, if you dont send video through the reciever, then you have to not only pick the audio on the reciever when you watch tv/movie/etc, but also the video input on the tv. When you send the video through, the reciever switches the audio AND the video together, which can simplify things. The other thing is, i believe that if you use video switching, and you are, say sending composite wiht one thing, and component with another, you will need a composite AND component from reciever out to TV in. It looks like you have two component outputs, dvd and sat, and one composite, your vcr. Since your tv has plenty of connections, and enough for the to component cables, i would just go straight to your tv, to allaviate any possible problems with going through a reciever. Second, this only requires two component cables, one from each to the tv, whereas if you were switching it would require 3 (2 to reciever, 1 from that to tv). that just saves a little $ is all. But if you do THAT just remember you have to choose the audio source on the reciever, and separately choose the video on the tv. Whew. I probably repeated myself in there like a hundred times, but hopefully you got it straightened out.

 

[John Garcia]

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=96319

 

[Ted Lee]

don't forget to read the beginner primer faq too. you'll find the link at the top of this forum...

 

[Tray]

Thanks for the input folks!

I have read the FAQ now. It helped answer some of my questions. I still am unsure of what to do about digital vs component.

Any suggestions.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

:/.... about your remaining confusion about digital vs component: well i tried to brief over that in my last answer saying "No they dont carry audio and video, only audio. video is separate" Ill try to expand on that. Component/S-video/composite are all VIDEO cabling that carry pure video. thats it. No audio in those cables. Regular RCA-type red and white cables carry analog audio. These audio cables carry ONLY audio, and no video. Now, since you are dealing with digital cables, e.g. Coax and optical, these too also carry onbly audio signals. The single digital cable goes into a digital in on your reciever. This cable carries a pure digital stream of data coming right off the dvd. Without the digital decoder (Dolby digital or dts) in your reciever, its total nonsense data. Thats what your reciever does, is take ALL that data and turn it into your 5.1 channels of audio. Your DVD player MAY have onboard decoders in which case you could also run 6 regulas analog old-style cables from your dvd player to your reciever, but its much better to use a digital cable and let your reciever decode the dolby digital or dts coming off the dvd. I hope that explains that, and you understand that "digital vs. component" is kind of a null question. they are totally separate and thoroughly unrelated. Component is video, digital (coax or optical) is audio.

 

[Tray]

Thanks for the explanation! I understand what you are saying now.
I have everything hooked up now. I do not have teh optical cables for the Sat. or the DVD. I will pick those up tomorrow. I believe for now I will use the receiver to do the video switching. It makes it easier for now.

Can anyone with the AVR520 share how you have yours setup? With similar equipment? I tried going thru the settings and it only gets me frustrated! :b

I will go digital (coax or optical, not sure yet) from the 2 devices that support it (sat receiver and DVD player). I believe I will stick with the S-video for now becasue that is the only way the receiver menu's will show up on the TV. I would like to use the composite to get the better video from the DVD. If I do this I assume I will need to also attach another set of cables to a normal analog connection to be able to watch anything not DVD. Is that right?