I'm really confused as to hooking up a dvd player (1 Viewer)

Ok, I've got a NAD 761 receiver and a 27" tv that has no component or svideo in's.

I would like to buy a dvd player. I want a cheap one for right now. I'm confused as to how to hook it up.

Here's my take on it and please correct me if I am wrong:

I use a digital coax to transfer the 5.1 sound while listening to a dvd. This will go to, say, video 1 digital in.

I use a video cable (either rca type or svideo) to go from the video out on the dvd to video 1 in on the reciever.

Both audio and video for a dvd are taken care of now right?

Here's where I'm confused: Do the audio out L&R go to CD in on the receiver (for strereo audio cd's) or do they go to video 1 in?

Please help, the more I think about it, the more I confuse myself. If you could tell me exactly what to hook up and where I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Mike

Mike,

You don't have to use the analog L and R cables from the dvd player to the reciever at all. The dvd player will pass the digital stereo signal from cds to the receiver over the digital coax cable same as for dvds and the receiver can be set to stereo mode for playback of stereo cds. Chances are the receiver has better digital to analog conversion chips than the dvd player does. Many cd only players have digital as well as analog outputs for this same reason.

If you do want to use the analog L and R outputs from the dvd player for cd playback you can use the left and right analog inputs for dvd and switch the receiver to them instead of the digital input if the receiver will allow you to do that, or just plug them into the analog cd inputs on the receiver and switch the receiver from dvd to cd when you want to listen to cds.

As for video, since your tv does not have S video inputs you will have to use composite video from the dvd player to the receiver and from the receiver to the tv unless your receiver is capable of converting an incoming S-video signal to composite.

Mike,

You are correct with using a digital coax to transfer the 5.1 sound while listening to a dvd (using video 1 digital in)

but instead use a video cable to go from the video out on the dvd to video1 in on the receiver. you should run it directly to the TV (since your TV doesn't have Svideo input, you will have to settle for RCA cable) and there's no point use S-video to your receiver if you still have to use RCA cable for TV.

Next, if you have digital coax input on the receiver, you shouldn't have to add audio out L&R to the receiver. (That is if your receiver will accept digital sound) Otherwise, you can add to audio out L&R cable to video1 in on the receiver, and when you are ready to listen CDs you can just turn your receiver function key to Video.

Hope this helps
Peter

Great, thanks for the info guys.

So if I skip the analog L&R cables, do I listen to cd's and watch dvd's both through video 1? In this case it means that the digital coax is capable of transfering stereo signals too, or am I listening to cd's in digital?

I'm not out anything other than a set of cables if I decide to run the L&R analog out's to the cd input of the my receiver right? For some reason I just like having to switch to cd.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,
You can do it either way. CDs are digital, just as dvds are. The digital bitstream must be converted to analog so it can be amplified and played through your speakers. This is done by a Digital to analog converter.

If you use just the digital cable to the receiver, you will be using the D/A converter in your receiver. If you leave the receiver in auto detect mode it will probably try to turn the 2 channel cd signal into pro-logic, but you can put the receiver in 2 channel stereo mode and it will do the right thing.
If you use the analog cables you're using the D/A converter in the dvd player. With analog cables connected to the analog L and R cd inputs on the receiver you will just switch sources to cd listen to audio cds.

Although there may be a difference in sound quality between the 2 methods, depending on whether the receiver or the player has the better D/A converters, you might need golden ears to hear the difference anyway.

On most receiver remotes I've dealt with it's easier to find the buttons to switch sources than the one to toggle between stereo and surround modes, so your preference is probably what I'd go for too.