Tara

Need help on how to set up HT

I bought a home theater system and DVD player last year and I don't know if I have everything connected right. I had an older TV that limited some of my options. So, today I bought a new TV and wanted to start over and try to get everything connected the best way to utilize the equipment I have. The problem is everybody I talk to gives me a different answer. I'm hoping someone can straighten me out.
Here's what I have:
32" JVC AV-32V485 tv - It has S-video and component video
Panasonic DVD-CV52 - It has S video and component video -It does not have progressive
Kenwood VR-606 Receiver - has S video connection for DVD, Monitor Out, and Video 2. It does not have component video
VCR - just has basic composit video

Since my receiver does not have component video and I've never utilized the S video, and now I have the new TV with both I'm so confused! Can someone please help me with the best way to connect everything together? Also what remote should I program to run my TV, VCR, and DVD player? The one that came with the TV or the one that came with the receiver?
Thanks,
Tara

Jack Briggs

I'm not familiar with your monitor. Is it HD-capable?

At any rate, connect your DVD player's component-video output directly to the monitor's corresponding component-video inputs for the best picture. If your JVC is HD-capable, then you need to connect the player to the 480i component inputs.

Then, connect the player's digital output (coaxial or optical) to the corresponding digital input on the Kenwood. Speaking of which, how old is the receiver? Does it process Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound? If so, you also need to enable Dolby Digital and DTS is the player's audio-setup menu.

As for your remote, can you live with operating the player, the receiver, and the monitor with their own remotes? If not, you might want to spend some cash on a dedicated universal remote rather than assigning multiple tasks to the remote that came with the JVC monitor.

Brian Fellmeth

To add some more details to Jack's plan, you didn't mention if the TV had a composite in jack- I;m sure it does. Run the VCR to the TV with that. Keep the Kenwood out of the video connections. That still leaves the TV's s-videp in unused. If your cable or Satellite TV has an s video out, you can use svideo to make a third direct connection from source to the TV. Of course, if you use the VCR to record TV materials, you will also need to connect cable/satellite boc to the VCR either with composite or coax.