TV / Theater / Stereo Combo Setup (1 Viewer)

I am selling my home, thus losing my big home theater in the basement. I will be moving to Arizona where there are no basements, so I will not have a dedicated home theater, but instead using the regular great-room setup.


Anyway here is my question. How should I configure my setup, such that I can easily switch between: watching tv, watching movies in surround and just listen to music in stereo? More specifically how can I simplify this setup for my wife so it is not a 2-5 step process to switch between each one? (surround system separate from stereo speakers on different channels for example)

I see so I do not require two sets of speaks to simplify (i.e. one set of speaker for stereo and a different surround system). Basically stereo direct will allow me to switch to just listening to the front two speakers and will cut out the rest correct?

95% of us do exactly as your describing. We use our systems for surround sound movies, stereo music and music in surround sound, using one set of surround sound speakers. It usually requires pressing only a button or two to change from one to the other. Some receivers, like Yamaha's, have "Scene" buttons where you push one button on the remote control (Movie, Music, Radio, etc) and it accomplishes a variety of tasks like changing the input and the surround (or stereo) mode. They work much like the old "Macro" buttons used a few years ago. You can also buy a Harmony remote which is supposed to be very family-friendly.


I use a Pioneer receiver with matching Pioneer bluray player, dvd player and cd changer and it's quite simple to change from one to the other and select stereo or surround sound. In fact, I also use the receivers remote to control the bluray, dvd and cd players, with the exception of changing discs. That requires using the cd players remote.

Easiest thing to do is buy an AVR with a macro remote(Yamaha "scene" is a step beyond simple macro).

Nobody has issues running any of my systems...and they are all Onkyo/Integra with macro remotes.

Activities(the macros) are "my TV", "my movie" and "my music". Then there is an "all off".

If you(or her) can't figure that much out...

Yes that is what I need just for simplicity. Is it an issue to be running a AVR all the time, as far as power consumption?


Secondly, I assume the macro remotes don't come with the new AVR's but are purchased separately?

It might be simpler than you think. Most AVRs have memory for the last mode used for a particular input. So, for instance, if you use a single (Blu-Ray) player for all discs, as long as it has a digital audio output along with hdmi, you can run the digital audio to the AVR along with hdmi and assign the digital audio as a CD input playing back in stereo. Every time you change to that input it will automatically switch to stereo. Some AVRs even let you assign one connection (hdmi for example) to multiple "inputs" with each one having a different default sound mode. Then, you just connect your hdmi and assign it to both the Blu-Ray and CD input, with CD defaulting to stereo. I do this with AppleTVs, which I have on all my systems. The hdmi is for video sources and defaults to surround, and the optical is assigned as a CD input and defaults to stereo.

JohnRice said:

I do this with AppleTVs, which I have on all my systems. The hdmi is for video sources and defaults to surround, and the optical is assigned as a CD input and defaults to stereo.

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Thanks for that advice. I will be using something similar to AppleTV so I need a similar setup (Minix). Of course I will have other peripherals.

As long as the AVR has enough inputs, then there's no problem.

Vin_G said:

I am selling my home, thus losing my big home theater in the basement. I will be moving to Arizona where there are no basements, so I will not have a dedicated home theater, but instead using the regular great-room setup.


Anyway here is my question. How should I configure my setup, such that I can easily switch between: watching tv, watching movies in surround and just listen to music in stereo? More specifically how can I simplify this setup for my wife so it is not a 2-5 step process to switch between each one? (surround system separate from stereo speakers on different channels for example)

Click to expand...

Another thought if you have an extra room, is to convert that to a home theatre. I have two rooms over my garage. One is my home theatre and the other is a bedroom. The room is 15 by 11.5 ft. I have a L-shaped couch at one end with the projector, receiver, Blu-ray player and cable box behind it. Sub-woofer is on the side of the couch, surround speakers mounted on the side walls, front three speakers below the 138 inch image from the projector.

Buy a Harmony remote. Problems solved.

Alf S said:

Buy a Harmony remote. Problems solved.

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I did not know this even existed. Saw-weet!