Best option for connecting my HTPC to my system? (1 Viewer)

[steveKlein]

hey guys.

here's my issue. i'm building a htpc for a tivo like pvr and i want to have my computer and other equipment in a room separate (bedroom or bedroom closet) from my TV and speakers (living room).

i've got a video card with s-video out and DVI out. (ATI Radeon 9700 Pro)
i'll have a receiver with s-video in and component in. (Onkyo TX-SR703 or similar Yamaha/Denon)
i've got a TV with s-video in, component in, and DVI in.

here's my question:
i want to be able to use my htpc not as just a tivo system, but also want to be able to play mp3s, etc. etc. through my rather expensive speaker system and not generic tv speakers.

to further complicate matters, my receiver and PC will be about 3 feet from each other, but about 25-30 feet from my TV.

what's the best way to hook this whole system up? component out from my PC isn't an option since my video card doesn't have component out. i've heard dvi out will give me superior picture quality to s-video... but since my receiver does not have dvi in, i'd have to run dvi directly from my PC to my TV. what would i do with my audio cables at this point? just run them to my receiver, or run them to my TV? it gets a little hazy at this point.

another option i guess is running either DVI or S-Video all the way to my TV from my PC... and also running audio cables to my TV... and then running audio out cables from my TV back to my receiver, right?

help!? advice!?

 

[Vivek_IVB]

s-video = super super super super bad. it's 480i, it will look AWFUL.

But the good news is that the 9700 Pro does have a component dongle, buy it here for $30.

Hook up the HTPC via digital audio out to the receiver, component to either the receiver or the TV, whichever you want.

 

[steveKlein]

sounds good. i can probably land this product for under $10 on eBay. i guess i'll pick up some component cables to hook up the pc (only need 3 foot cable there) and i'll only need 1 set of super long cables to my tv.

thanks for the link!

edit: i visited your website... absolutely amazing. i love every bit of it... and one day when i have a house worthy of such a system, i'll definitely have something along those lines!

 

[Bob_L]

Unless I too-quickly read your initial post, I'd run DVI from the PC directly to the TV; and run a digital audio cable from the PC directly to the receiver. Just leave the receiver out of the video chain entirely.