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What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

post #1 of 14
6/14/09 at 12:12am
Thread Starter 
Well, this is what most would probably call a NUBE question.

I bought my first amp about 2 weeks ago. A Yamaha RX-V620. I have the speakers and everything set up. Anyways, when I first got it in the mail, I took a quick 1 hour read through the manual. I learned that there is a V-Aux on the front which is what I use if I was some quick music from my laptop or something along those lines. Now, there are RCA terminals and/or s-video terminals in the back for a TV, VCR 1, VCR 2, DVD, CD, Turntable, and a monitor. Now, I know how to hook up a monitor, but what exactly will it do? I mean, say I get a computer monitor and a s-video to VGA converter cable and hook it up to the receiver. Will it project the receiver display onto the new monitor? Will it project video from a port via the V-Aux terminal? What exactly is this monitor for?
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post #2 of 14
6/14/09 at 7:32am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

The "monitor out" on an AV receiver is for hooking up a TV, not really a PC monitor. It is routing connected video sources like the DVD to the TV, acting as a switching device (some can perform additional functions like converting from one connection type to another, and/or deinterlacing/scaling the video). It is for convenience so that you can hook many sources up to TVs with limited number of inputs, plus switch both audio/video with just the receiver.

The TV is considered a "monitor" in this case because it is using an external video source, not its built-in tuner. You can hook up non-TVs also, like video projectors, plasma displays (business models sold w/o tuners), and various PC monitors that these days often come with various video in jacks (composite/s-vid/component/HDMI). You can hook up a PC monitor with only VGA with a converter also, easier if it has the ports though.

The V-aux is just another input. It's for hooking up anything, more typically a camcorder, that you want to remove from the system easily. Everything is switched to the "monitor out".
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post #3 of 14
6/14/09 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

So, video input through the v-aux gets output through the "monitor out"? So, is it reccomended that I hook the TV to the monitor out or the TV out? Or both?
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post #4 of 14
6/14/09 at 8:09pm

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1122334
So, video input through the v-aux gets output through the "monitor out"?
Yes, if "v-aux" is the selected device. The receiver sends video from whichever video device is selected to the monitor out. If you select an audio-only device, the monitor out either sends the last video device selected or nothing, depending on the receiver's design.

Quote:
So, is it reccomended that I hook the TV to the monitor out or the TV out? Or both?
"TV out" and "monitor out" are the same. It'd be unusual for a receiver to have both of them. If it does have both, most likely you are mistaken and the "TV" is an input, not an output, for connecting something like a cable/satellite box, or taking audio from the TV's tuner. The monitor outs connect to video inputs on the TV, there are usually multiple outs for the different types of connections e.g. composite, component, s-video/HDMI; you only need to connect the types you are actually using.

Audio *out* from the TV (digital or analog) can go to a "TV in" on the receiver, but is only used if you are using the TV's tuner hooked straight to an antenna or cable TV without a cable box.
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post #5 of 14
6/14/09 at 9:20pm
Thread Starter 

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Yeah you're probably right. I just got them confused. Another question I have, based on the TV output situation... The receiver has a "FM Antenna in" input, but now "FM Antenna Out" Output. So, if I plug the Antenna in, will the cable signal travel to the TV through the s-video cable? Or should I plug the FM Antenna straight into my TV and cut out the middle man?
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post #6 of 14
6/15/09 at 5:54am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

The FM antenna input is for an FM radio antenna for radio reception only (via the receiver's built-in FM radio tuner), not your cable TV (CATV) cable. The CATV cable needs to connect to a cable TV tuner of some sort -- either a cable box or the tuner built into your television.
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post #7 of 14
6/15/09 at 5:56am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
Yeah you're probably right. I just got them confused. Another question I have, based on the TV output situation... The receiver has a "FM Antenna in" input, but now "FM Antenna Out" Output. So, if I plug the Antenna in, will the cable signal travel to the TV through the s-video cable? Or should I plug the FM Antenna straight into my TV and cut out the middle man?

The FM antenna jacks are for FM RADIO antennas. They do NOT carry video signals or anything else having to do with television. When you're starting out like this, it really is a good idea to sit down and thoroughly read all the manuals that come with your gear. The first time through a lot of it may not make sense, but after you've tinkered a bit and then gone back and read the key sections a second time, I promise you, the lightbulb will light up and you'll have that "I know kung fu" moment.

And just to supplement Stephen's answer to your original question, many AV Receivers have their own graphical user interfaces in addition to their built-in displays for set-up and adjustments, and this is another purpose for the monitor out - to show the receiver's internal GUI on a TV screen.

Regards,

Joe
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post #8 of 14
6/15/09 at 6:35am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
[Link ignored] interested in highlighting the community aspect of football

And this has what to do with the subject of this thread?

(Worse still, it has nothing to do with football, either. It is all about that European game where the players dress in their little sisters' nightshirts and fall to the ground clutching their knees every time a strong breeze blows. ) *

Joe

* I kid, people, I kid.
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post #9 of 14
6/15/09 at 8:39am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
The FM antenna input is for an FM radio antenna for radio reception only (via the receiver's built-in FM radio tuner), not your cable TV (CATV) cable. The CATV cable needs to connect to a cable TV tuner of some sort -- either a cable box or the tuner built into your television.

He didn't mention CATV ... perhaps he has a VHF/FM/UHF TV/radio antenna, in which case he would have a cable with TV + radio signals being carried on it. He can connect the cable direct to the TV, or split it to the receiver to tune to the radio.

Also, some years ago it wasn't unheard of for cable TV companies to retransmit FM over the cable to provide service to communities with poor radio reception. Not common now I'll grant.

But the radio waves certainly aren't relayed onto the s-video, LOL.
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post #10 of 14
6/15/09 at 9:05am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
And this has what to do with the subject of this thread?

(Worse still, it has nothing to do with football, either. It is all about that European game where the players dress in their little sisters' nightshirts and fall to the ground clutching their knees every time a strong breeze blows. ) *

Joe

* I kid, people, I kid.

That's the same way I describe it, and I never kid!!
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post #11 of 14
6/15/09 at 9:37am

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen Tu
He didn't mention CATV ... perhaps he has a VHF/FM/UHF TV/radio antenna, in which case he would have a cable with TV + radio signals being carried on it. He can connect the cable direct to the TV, or split it to the receiver to tune to the radio.

He asked if the "the cable signal travel to the TV through the s-video cable?" I just assumed he meant cable TV, but you are correct Stephen. This could certainly be interpreted as a VHF/UHF/FM antenna feed.
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post #12 of 14
6/16/09 at 2:15pm

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
He didn't mention CATV ... perhaps he has a VHF/FM/UHF TV/radio antenna

No, but he did mention "FM antenna INPUT" on his receiver:

Quote:
The receiver has a "FM Antenna in" input, but now (sic) "FM Antenna Out" Output.

I assume "now" is a typo for "no". In any case, the only "FM Antenna input" is next to the AM antenna input/ground input in the area of the receiver marked "tuner". It does superficially resemble an F-connector, but it is clearly there for a radio antenna, and has nothing to do with video signals, s-video or otherwise.

Quote:
So, if I plug the Antenna in, will the cable signal travel to the TV through the s-video cable? Or should I plug the FM Antenna straight into my TV and cut out the middle man?


There would be no reason to connect a TV antenna to an AV receiver, because the receiver doesn't have a TV tuner built in. An OTA antenna would have to connect to something else first (as STB or the TV itself) and then connect to the receiver via s-video, component or HDMI. He's mistaking the radio antenna input for a TV antenna connection, and by extension with a CATV input (because most people are used to plugging the cable TV wire into the F-connector antenna input on the back of the TV.)

Regards,

Joe
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post #13 of 14
6/16/09 at 3:27pm

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino

There would be no reason to connect a TV antenna to an AV receiver, because the receiver doesn't have a TV tuner built in.

Did you read my post at all? Sure there's reason to connect a TV antenna to a receiver -- better FM reception. Plenty of TV/FM antennas out there. FM frequency range is in between low VHF & high VHF, there are lots of TV antennas designed for use for FM also.

Quote:
An OTA antenna would have to connect to something else first (as STB or the TV itself)
Sure, didn't I mention that he should split the cable to the TV?

Quote:
He's mistaking the radio antenna input for a TV antenna connection, and by extension with a CATV input (because most people are used to plugging the cable TV wire into the F-connector antenna input on the back of the TV.)

I don't think you can assume for sure what his mistake was.
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post #14 of 14
6/17/09 at 7:04pm
Thread Starter 

Re: What does it mean when it says you can hook a monitor up to your audio receiver?

Thanks guys. I've learned a lot from reading this thread, and my final decision is to split the cable two ways. One way into the Receiver and another way into the tv.... Just to be safe.
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