Help please. Spent all day and still having problems (1 Viewer)

Hi, I am hoping someone out there can help. Spent all day today trying to set up a new HT setup in our family room and still having problems. I should note I am no novice - I set up a sweet system in our basement about 10 years ago (Pioneer Bug Screen TV, Definitive Technology Speakers, Yamaha Receiver, LD, DVD, CD etc). However, technology has changed andeven though I did research, some things were stumping me today with our Fam Room setup (note this is not as bog time as my existing basement setup - less intrusive to satisfy the wife).

The Components:

My old 27 Sony TV. This baby is around 15 years old - so it just has component inputs - no S-video, etc

A new (refurbished) Denon 1803.

A new set of Wharfedale 60+ moviestar speakers (5+1) (Sub is powered).

An old VCR

Old Sony 100 disc CD player

An old Sonance 260x3 amp (this is used to pump music independently to 3 other rooms in the house)

a new JVC XVN50BK DVDmy daughters old X-Box

My problems:

1. biggest problem is the hum in the speakers. This is my first time using a subwoofer (didn't need one for my basement setup) and it is humming bad. Additionally, when I go to listen to the DVD or X-Box thru the system - also get bigtime hum thru the Center speaker as well as most of the surround speakers. (note hum may be on other speakers all the time - but I may not have heard on Tuner playing it loudly - can't retry now - everyone else is asleep)

2. Had a problem with no picture on the DVD - but think I just figured that one out

3. unsure about how best to handle x-box connection

My Connections:

1. Speaker connections straightforward - separate line for sub- connected from single line out on receiver using Radio Shack Digital Audio cable / Monster Y connector to sub.

2. VCR connected thru Component cables to Denon. Also, Cable company COAX first connected to VCR then to TV.

3. X-Box connecnted thru component cables to Denon

4. CD Player connected via component cable to Denon

5. Denon connected to TV via component cable

6. DVD - connected via Optical Toslink to JVC DVD. I also had a S-Video connect to JVC - but had no picture. My guess is that since my Receiver is connected to TV only by component cable, the S-vdieo signal did not get passed on. So I disconnected it, and hooked the DVD viceo out componenta cable between the TV itself and the JVC DVD - and picture works fine. I thus assume there is no need to route the DVD video thru the Denon - correct???

7. Sonance Line in to Denon Tape / CD Line out connection via component cables. This seems to be working fine.

8. X-Box xurrently hooked to Video-Aux connection of Denon via component cables - seems to work ok - except for speaker hum. but is this best for my 10 year old to deal with? Should I skip the Denon and just hook the X-Box back to the TV?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Especially with this darn speaker hum - not only from the sub, but also from the Center speaker and the surrounds (not as noticeable). All the speakers are supposedly shielded. Right now my family room looks like a disaster area - all the old equipment, boxes, packing mat'l, etc - and it still ain't working right. Given the Denon is refurbished - I wondered if that was a problem with the speaker hum, but I doubt it.

Thanks
John
frustrated and tired now

The hum comes most probably from ungrounded equipment. It's at 60Hz(same as the mains) and therefore not all of your speakers are able to reproduce it.

Thanks guys

yes - I meant composite cables.

On the Humm - a ground loop was it. Disconnected my cable and it disappeared. I used the cheap fix I read elsewhere here about putting a couple 75 to 300 ohm connectors back to back in line on the incoming cable connect and that eliminated it.

Everything is a go now and it sounds and looks sweet. In fact better than I expected for the cost.