Beginner Home Theater System (1 Viewer)

[DanOpi]

I really am sorry. I should of researched it more. Feel really dumb but I didn't know AVR receivers were Audio Video Receivers. So running that the first HDMI from the Xbox to the AVR would send Audio and Video. Then running the second HDMI from the AVR to the TV would transfer the Video and Audio from the Xbox to the TV?
Also if I have a cable box hooked into my TV with an HDMI would I instead go from Cable box to AVR with HDMI?
Truly am sorry!
Thanks a ton for the help though!

 

[schan1269]

Yes, you need 3 HDMI...
XBox to AVR via HDMI. Absolutely no, as in none, nada, zilch, other connection at all...period.
Cable STB to AVR via HDMI.
AVR to TV via HDMI.
Period. 3 HDMI. No hoops. No skips. No hurdles. If you spend $230.

 

[DanOpi]

Okay. So then i'd have one HDMI going into the TV. How would I switch between Cable and Xbox. Or is it just whatever one is on?
And that AVR and those speakers are nice for the price?
I really appreciate all the help! Thank you

 

[schan1269]

The AVR has (I guess) 4 HDMI. You switch inputs on the AVR between the Xbox and Cable STB.
Video switching is the entire point of buying an AVR.

 

[DanOpi]

Oh okay I understand. So the TV input would be set on the one HDMI input. Then to switch between Cable and Xbox i'd use the AVR?

 

[schan1269]

Yep.

 

[DanOpi]

And that AVR and those speakers are an okay set up for a small room?
You have no idea how much help you've been and i thank you very much for that!

 

[schan1269]

I wouldn't attempt to liven up a concert hall, no. But there is sufficient oomph here for small rooms.

 

[DanOpi]

Okay, I have a few more questions.
What would be the difference on one of these bundled system?
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S3500-5-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0077V88V8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353682451&sr=1-3-fkmr0&keywords=onkyo+htrc330
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Onkyo-AVX-290-5.1-CH-Home-Theater-System/21064275
Also what if I were to buy a different receiver?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Onkyo-HT-RC430-5.1-CH-Home-Theater-Receiver/21064278
What's the difference between the RC430 and RC330?
Thanks much!

 

[schan1269]

The 3500/290 are the same exact thing. Walmart typically gets their own model numbers of product so other stores don't have to price match. (call it the Best Buy effect. When Best Buy started growing and manufacturers started flocking to BB...lots of mom and pop stores would simply drop product. Great experience here is Whirlpool. Whirlpool went from the largest durable good manufacturer in the world to number 4...simply from "mom and pop" abandoning their product and BB not being able to make a dent in the loss in sales. Go ask a BB "clerk" sometime about what it was like when Whirlpool and Maytag started paying an incentive to lure customers off Samsung and LG.)
That is possibly better than the $230 combo I linked...but, and here is the big but...
The subwoofer in that is powered by the AVR. Which means, when they day comes to upgrade the 5.0 part, sure...you can do that. But unless you have mad woodworking skills and patience to try 5-10 drivers for a subwoofer...you are NEVER replacing that sub. The 5400/5500 is the lowest Onkyo to seriously consider. The other good one is the Denon 1513BA, but it is $500. Yamaha has a couple sets that are between $250 and $500 as well. But the speaker set I showed prior I would still take over anything included in all but the Denon. Yes, "package speakers" are that bad.
I'm not "up" on the low end of receivers...I would venture a guess the 430 is just this years version of the 330. It probably includes a few features over the 330 while losing a bit of connectivity(the trend is toward more HDMI while losing analong/toslink/digital coax).