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Did I setup Everything Correctly?

#1
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3/28/09 at 11:32am
  • Joined: March 2009
  • Post Count: 2
Hi folks,

I'm new to home theater, and HDTV and looking for some feedback. This is also my first time posting on the forum. I just purchased and setup last night the following gear.

Sony 40" Bravia "Z Series" TV
Yamaha V863 Receiver
Sony BluRay Player (BDP-S350)
Comcast HD/Digital TV with Scientific Atlanta 8300HD Settop Box

All connections are via HDMI, and I ran the auto-setup on the V863 Receiver which seems to have worked fine. I'm very happy with the picture and sound, but looking for a sanity check. I haven't done any manual fine tuning to the system, and curious if the default settings will be sufficient? I most curious about the setup on the V863. Are there any tweaks for getting the best out of my Comcast Digital/HD service. Any tweaks and such for getting the most out of the Bluray player? I've read through the manual, but frankly it's not that well thought out, and leaves me more confused than before. Essentially, I'm looking for advice on if the "auto setup" is sufficient for pic and sound. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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#2
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3/28/09 at 3:07pm
  • Joined: December 1969
  • Post Count: 7,219

Re: Did I setup Everything Correctly?

Well, you say all connections are HDMI, but you don't say what is connected to what. Typically you'll have all of your components connected to the AV Receiver and then one HDMI cable going from that to the TV for video. If that's you're setup, you should be fine.

As for properly adjusting both audio and video - I'm not familiar with the auto-setup on your AVR, but the video should almost certainly be adjusted with a consumer calibration disc like Avia II or Digital Video Essentials HD. Both also include audio test patterns designed to be used with a sound pressure level (SPL) meter. (Not included. Radio Shack sells and analog model for around $40.)

Most TVs ship from the factory with the brightness, contrast and other settings turned up way too high to help them compete in a sea of screens on the sales floor at the local Big Box Store. These settings are nowhere near what is needed to produce a proper image under your viewing conditions and will usually distort the picture. (Many new HDTV owners are initially disappointed in the quality of their sets because the settings are so far off.) By all means buy (or rent) one of these discs and correct the picture as soon as you can.

Regards,

Joe
My Home Theater

My DVD Collection

My niece, "Miss Goofy Face"
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#3
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3/29/09 at 7:34am
  • Joined: March 2009
  • Post Count: 2

Re: Did I setup Everything Correctly?

Thanks guys... I'm still trying to get it all to play nicely together. I'm overwhelmed by all the different options on setting stuff up. Wow!
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