connection setup help please (1 Viewer)

Hi All,
I am planning to buy a basic 5.1 ch home theatre system to be used for outputting audio from my tv, set top box, movies played through the laptop connected to tv, etc. I have a basic full hd led tv: www dot hisense.co.za/tvs/D36/50/0 I am planning to buy a home theatre system in box. The TV has 2 HDMI ports (dont think it has ARC HDMI port), 1 USB and 1 co-axial port. Home theatre system (HTS) that I have looked has one HDMI out port and probably one TOSlink port (another HTS has one coaxial port). www dot samsung.com/ae/consumer/home-audio-video/home-entertainment-system/home-entertainment-system/HT-F450K/ZN www dot lg.com/ae/audio/lg-DH6330P I have downloaded 1080P x265 with DTS 6 channel audio movies. I am unable to play them directly from my TV USB port because my TV doesnt support x265. But I can play them on my laptop which when connected to my TV through HDMI plays the movie on TV. So, I use this HDMI port only when I connect my laptop to the TV otherwise it is free. Also, I have a cable set top box presently connecting to my TV through HDMI. This remains connected all the time to the TV, I want to buy HTS and connect it such that audio from all sources go to the HTS - Set top box, laptop playing movies on TV, movies (which are playable such as x264 MP4, etc.) I play directly from USB, etc. Also, i want to make sure it plays on all 5 channels and sub woofer i.e. 5.1 in true HD audio (wherever it is available for e.g. x265 movies with DTS 6 channel audio). So, in summary, I want to know what would be the ideal setup: 1. Set top box connected to the HTS via HDMI. Laptop connected to TV via HDMI. HTS connected to TV via coaxial or should it be connected via HDMI? 2. Set top box, laptop and HTS connected to TV via HDMI (alternating between the 2 HDMI ports i.e. if want to watch TV, plug set top box and HTS to TV HDMI. If want to watch downloaded movies, plug laptop and HTS to TV HDMI) Other questions: 1. Will the sound output to HTS connected via HDMI to TV, if TV HDMI port does not ARC? 2. Will connecting HTS to TV via co-axial give the same quality and 5.1 tru HD sound as compared to being connected via HDMI? 3. If I connect, say laptop and HTS to the 2 ports of TV, how would the sound from laptop be heard on TV since both (laptop and HTS) are on 2 different HDMI ports of the TV and generally on TV remote, we can select only one source i.e. HDMI1 or HDMI2 (I know this question would be felt as dumb but I am sorry I have no clue how it will work and am curious to know) 4. Last question - if HDMI ARC is required on TV for HTS to output sound to HTS via HDMI (which the TV does not have) and HTS does not have co-axial port, what other option should I look out in HTS that will help me output sound in true HD quality to 5.1 speakers? Those of you who are impatient by this kiddish questions, please do not respond. Awaiting earliest response from those who care for people like us who are new to HTS but want to explore it out
Regards, Pratik

Why not buy an AVR based pre-package(Denon DHT/Yamaha YHT, amongst others) instead of a HTiB(that won't even come close to the inputs you need)?

Budget is the issue. I have a budget of just about$ 150 - 200.

Factor in extra Toslink, Toslink switch...

I'm not sure I followed all your questions/dilemmas, but in general it's best to run everything to the receiver and then run a single connection to the TV. With that setup the receiver is decoding everything.


Budget is a problem, but if you go with a cheap HTIB, you'll wind up regretting it later when you have to spend more money. Consider buying used, there are a lot of people who buy decent starter systems and then decide to move up; these starter systems would be perfect for your needs.

thanks all for the response.


Below are the HTs that I am considering. Please help me decide, out of the below mentioned, which one should I go for (price are quoted in USD but the purchase would be in local currency):

1. SAMSUNG HOME THEATER HT-F5550K (1 YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY) $ 274

http://www.samsung.com/ae/consumer/t...m/HT-F5550K/ZN

2. PIONEER HOME THEATER PACK HTP072 + PIONEER DVD PLAYER DV-3052V + HEADPHONE SE-MJ711 (1 YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY) $ 246

http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/6...072/specs.html
http://www.pioneer.vn/vn/products-de...oduct=DV-3052V
http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/4...J711/page.html

3. DENON AVR-X500 + SYS5.1 SPEAKER PACKAGE (SHOP DISPLAY MODEL WITH MANUFACTURER 1 YR WARRANTY) $ 314

http://www.denon.fi/fi/product/pages...ductid=avrx500
http://www.denonasia.com/ap/product/...esystems/sys51

4. DENON AVR-1311 (OPEN BOX NO WARRANTY) + SYS5.1 SPEAKER PACKAGE (MANUFACTURER 1 YR WARRANTY ON SPEAKERS) $ 274

http://www.denon.fi/fi/product/pages...ductid=avr1311
http://www.denonasia.com/ap/product/...esystems/sys51


Regards,
Pratik

#1 is a bad choice. It's a HTIB with limited inputs.

#2 and #3 are both good choices and are pretty much a toss-up for the receiver; but the speakers on the Denon look a little better. I'd go with the Denon unless the price and the BR player thrown in are swingers for you. Ideally you'd listen to each first, but that's not always possible.

#4, with no warranty, seems risky. Since money is already an issue, you can't really afford to take the chance (at least that's the way I've always thought about it). Denon is a good brand, but even the good brands have some defective units

Samsung (1st one) has 1000W (whereas Denon and Pioneer are 600w) and one HDMI input. I can switch between the inputs of LAPTOP and set top box on the HDMI in.


Wouldn't all of these be considered as HTiB since all are coming in a package?


I am getting Pioneer one with DVD player and not Blu Ray player. Sub woofer is passive


Denon x500 - I am getting with active sub woofer I guess (not sure)


Would an active or passive sub woofer make much difference?


Samsung one is having host of compatibility with media types (for e.g. flac) which the other two dont have as such.


Pioneer is 3d avr with 4k passthrough. Denon is 3d passthrough.


Denon doesn't have USB port.


Also, I read somewhere that samsung would be probably 3 ohms whereas Denon would be 6 ohms. Not sure about Pioneer. Would like to know more on that if that is a very important thing to consider?


I am a beginner in this field so please feel free to explain in detail.


Thanks for all your help.


Please advise.

Pratik Doshi said:

Hi All,
I am planning to buy a basic 5.1 ch home theatre system to be used for outputting audio from my tv, set top box, movies played through the laptop connected to tv, etc. I have a basic full hd led tv: www dot hisense.co.za/tvs/D36/50/0 I am planning to buy a home theatre system in box. The TV has 2 HDMI ports (dont think it has ARC HDMI port), 1 USB and 1 co-axial port. Home theatre system (HTS) that I have looked has one HDMI out port and probably one TOSlink port (another HTS has one coaxial port). www dot samsung.com/ae/consumer/home-audio-video/home-entertainment-system/home-entertainment-system/HT-F450K/ZN www dot lg.com/ae/audio/lg-DH6330P I have downloaded 1080P x265 with DTS 6 channel audio movies. I am unable to play them directly from my TV USB port because my TV doesnt support x265. But I can play them on my laptop which when connected to my TV through HDMI plays the movie on TV. So, I use this HDMI port only when I connect my laptop to the TV otherwise it is free. Also, I have a cable set top box presently connecting to my TV through HDMI. This remains connected all the time to the TV, I want to buy HTS and connect it such that audio from all sources go to the HTS - Set top box, laptop playing movies on TV, movies (which are playable such as x264 MP4, etc.) I play directly from USB, etc. Also, i want to make sure it plays on all 5 channels and sub woofer i.e. 5.1 in true HD audio (wherever it is available for e.g. x265 movies with DTS 6 channel audio). So, in summary, I want to know what would be the ideal setup: 1. Set top box connected to the HTS via HDMI. Laptop connected to TV via HDMI. HTS connected to TV via coaxial or should it be connected via HDMI?

Click to expand...

Go with HDMI whenever possible.

2. Set top box, laptop and HTS connected to TV via HDMI (alternating between the 2 HDMI ports i.e. if want to watch TV, plug set top box and HTS to TV HDMI. If want to watch downloaded movies, plug laptop and HTS to TV HDMI) Other questions: 1. Will the sound output to HTS connected via HDMI to TV, if TV HDMI port does not ARC? 2. Will connecting HTS to TV via co-axial give the same quality and 5.1 tru HD sound as compared to being connected via HDMI?

Click to expand...

No. Coax digital audio is limited to DD and DTS, HDMI provides the HD audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA.

3. If I connect, say laptop and HTS to the 2 ports of TV, how would the sound from laptop be heard on TV since both (laptop and HTS) are on 2 different HDMI ports of the TV and generally on TV remote, we can select only one source i.e. HDMI1 or HDMI2 (I know this question would be felt as dumb but I am sorry I have no clue how it will work and am curious to know)

Click to expand...

Sounds like you're stuck, but a laptop connection to a TV via HDMI will carry video AND audio, so I don't understand why you need to select two sources.

4. Last question - if HDMI ARC is required on TV for HTS to output sound to HTS via HDMI (which the TV does not have) and HTS does not have co-axial port, what other option should I look out in HTS that will help me output sound in true HD quality to 5.1 speakers?

Click to expand...

Best solution: all HD sources would have to connect through the AVR, then AVR outputs video to TV via HDMI. You already said your TV doesn't support HDMI-ARC (which is limited to conventional DD and DTS anyway), so keep it simple: get an AVR or package that can host all the video sources at once.

Those of you who are impatient by this kiddish questions, please do not respond. Awaiting earliest response from those who care for people like us who are new to HTS but want to explore it out
Regards, Pratik

Click to expand...

Your stated budget of US$100-$200 is very very low. I expect you'll need to spend a bit more.

The difference between HTiB systems and home theater system "packages" are the former cannot be upgraded, they are self-contained and limited, while the latter may be bundled speakers and AVRs which are available separately as well. I always recommend the latter as you can upgrade piecemeal later.

As you are starting out, I would read some beginners' primers on the web to familiarize yourself with the basics of 5.1 home theaters.

Chromejob,
Below are the HTs that I am considering. Please help me decide, out of the below mentioned, which one should I go for (price are quoted in USD but the purchase would be in local currency):

1. SAMSUNG HOME THEATER HT-F5550K (1 YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY) $ 274

http://www.samsung.c....m/HT-F5550K/ZN

2. PIONEER HOME THEATER PACK HTP072 + PIONEER DVD PLAYER DV-3052V + HEADPHONE SE-MJ711 (1 YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY) $ 246

http://www.pioneer.e....072/specs.html
http://www.pioneer.v....oduct=DV-3052V
http://www.pioneer.e....J711/page.html

3. DENON AVR-X500 + SYS5.1 SPEAKER PACKAGE (SHOP DISPLAY MODEL WITH MANUFACTURER 1 YR WARRANTY) $ 314

http://www.denon.fi/....ductid=avrx500
http://www.denonasia....esystems/sys51

4. DENON AVR-1311 (OPEN BOX NO WARRANTY) + SYS5.1 SPEAKER PACKAGE (MANUFACTURER 1 YR WARRANTY ON SPEAKERS) $ 274

http://www.denon.fi/....ductid=avr1311
http://www.denonasia....esystems/sys51

Samsung (1st one) has 1000W (whereas Denon and Pioneer are 600w) and one HDMI input. I can switch between the inputs of LAPTOP and set top box on the HDMI in.

Wouldn't all of these be considered as HTiB since all are coming in a package?

I am getting Pioneer one with DVD player and not Blu Ray player. Sub woofer is passive

Denon x500 - I am getting with active sub woofer I guess (not sure)

Would an active or passive sub woofer make much difference?

Samsung one is having host of compatibility with media types (for e.g. flac) which the other two dont have as such.

Pioneer is 3d avr with 4k passthrough. Denon is 3d passthrough.

Denon doesn't have USB port.

Also, I read somewhere that samsung would be probably 3 ohms whereas Denon would be 6 ohms. Not sure about Pioneer. Would like to know more on that if that is a very important thing to consider?

I am a beginner in this field so please feel free to explain in detail.

Thanks for all your help.

Please advise.

Samsung (1st one) has 1000W (whereas Denon and Pioneer are 600w) and one HDMI input.

Click to expand...

Power specs are often "massaged"; there is no way that the Samsung has more power than the Denon or Pioneer. I couldn't open the manual, but what you want to look at is how much power it's pulling off the wall. Trust me, #1 is far and away your worst option.

Wouldn't all of these be considered as HTiB since all are coming in a package?

Click to expand...

No, the Samsung is a HTIB; the other are pre-packaged, meaning they combine nominal retail components into the carton and shave a little off the price. You can upgrade the pieces of the others, if you want to upgrade any part of the Samsung, either because you want to upgrade or something broke, you can't. You'll be stuck replacing the entire thing.

Link to samsung model manual.
http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=UNI_HK_EN&CttFileID=5400528&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=N&ModelName=HT-F5550K&VPath=UM/201304/20130411123505014/02599N-00-HT-F5500K_50K-ZK-0409.pdf

I agree with the others. Forget about the Samsung. If you can get the Denon system without warranty for the same price, it's a no-brainer. If you can squeeze the extra $$ for the warranty, even better, but do yourself a favor and get a system that will actually perform decent and give you room to grow.


Oh, and active vs. passive subwoofer is a pretty significant difference - particularly if you're looking at something like the Samsung which is power-starved to begin with. Requiring that little thing to power a sub in addition to the rest of the speakers is simply asking too much.


Overall system performance is enhanced when you have a powered/active subwoofer. If given the option, no respectable HTF member would ever recommend a passive sub system.

Pratik Doshi said:

Samsung (1st one) has 1000W (whereas Denon and Pioneer are 600w) and one HDMI input. I can switch between the inputs of LAPTOP and set top box on the HDMI in.

{That 1000w is pure BS. You. Do. Not. Want. That. Samsung.}

Wouldn't all of these be considered as HTiB since all are coming in a package?

{No. HTiB is a complete throwaway system. That Samsung, anything goes wrong, you throw the entire thing in the trash.

Pre-package is separate pieces that can be individually upgraded.(many stores will lump HTiB with pre-package. That is because HTiB is a "buzzword")}

I am getting Pioneer one with DVD player and not Blu Ray player. Sub woofer is passive

{That Pioneer, like the Onkyo HTS 3500, is a bottom end system. Pioneer doesn't sell that one in the United States, so many are not familiar with it here. It is upgradeable, but AVR and sub would have to be upgraded at the same time.}

Denon x500 - I am getting with active sub woofer I guess (not sure)

{Yes. Denon only provides active(self-powered) subs in their pre-packs.}

Would an active or passive sub woofer make much difference?

{Yes, explained prior.}

Samsung one is having host of compatibility with media types (for e.g. flac) which the other two dont have as such.

{Then use your laptop directly into them. Eventually, get a Roku/Apple TV or smart featured BD player.}

Pioneer is 3d avr with 4k passthrough. Denon is 3d passthrough.

Denon doesn't have USB port.

Also, I read somewhere that samsung would be probably 3 ohms whereas Denon would be 6 ohms. Not sure about Pioneer. Would like to know more on that if that is a very important thing to consider?

{The Samsung uses 3ohm speakers to cook its overblown(and essentially meaningless) power spec. It says it produces 1000 watts. It probably pulls 125 off the wall. 125 does not create 1000. If it did, the entire world has its power problems solved(look up "PMPO").}

I am a beginner in this field so please feel free to explain in detail.

Thanks for all your help.

Please advise.

Click to expand...

I added comments into the post bracketed by {}.

All sound feedback above. I concur, the Samsung looks like a loser.

Fortunately your links are failing on Tapatalk for me so I can't spend an hour or more reading about all these products for you. MUCH more preferable would be for you to read up on some fundamentals. E.g. benefits of an active (self-powered) subwoofer in a system, and bass management (stickies here, beginners articles at Audioholics.com).[1] I'm pretty sure this forum has articles on HTiB vs. Systems ... you've read those...?

E.g.

[1] http://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-setup/bass-management-basics-2013-settings-made-simple
www.audioholics.com/how-to-shop/allContents
www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/allContents

You can usually determine a manufacturer's assembled system by searching for the AVR model number separately. HTiBs may not offer a discrete model number for the AVR. I concur, leave that Samsung alone.

P.S. Please don't PM to announce that you've replied. We'll see your new replies. The forum has ways of doing that.

Thank you all.


ChromeJob, apologies if you didn't like me sending PM. will take care going forward. It was just that I needed to make a quick decision.

Pratik Doshi said:

Thank you all.

ChromeJob, apologies if you didn't like me sending PM. will take care going forward. It was just that I needed to make a quick decision.

Click to expand...

He wasn't complaining. Just explaining that if you quote us...we are notified.

Also...we can subscribe to threads and unsubscribe.