Best Way to Connect DVD to Receiver (1 Viewer)

[DaveZee]

I have a Sony S560 DVD player, XBR400 TV and just received a great gift... Sony STRDA5ES receiver. I have regular cable TV. I'm over my head but working to figure it out and have some questions.

There are multiple ways to connect DVD to receiver to TV. Is my plan below the best?

VIDEO: Connect component outputs of DVD directly to the TV. There's the option to connect these outputs to the receiver and then to the TV but I only have the DVD for component source so don't think I need to go thru the receiver.

AUDIO: Use Digital Coax Output of DVD to inputs of receiver. Is this the prefered connection as opposed to using digital optical fiber optic connection or using the DVD's multichannel 5.1 outputs to the receiver's multichannel inputs?

Also, what is DPL II and DTS Neo:6? I've read about these on the hardware forum but have no idea what they are, when to use them, etc.

 

[Tim Kline]

What you wanna do is have the best video connection from the dvd to the tv.. don't use one of those generic yellow video cables (composite), cuz the picture will look bad. Use at least an s-video cable, but if your DVD and TV support it, use the component connection. This uses 3 of those generic yellow video cables together, I dunno how it all works exactly but it will give you the best picture you can get 9 times outta 10.
For the audio, you can use that coax cable, but you can also use an optical cable. I prefer these, dunno why, they just seem cooler The optical plugs are little square connections on the back
Then, for regular TV you can have the regular audio cables connected to the receiver.. but here's the way mine is set up..
my cable box has the audio and video connections on it (just the generic composite kind), so I got a s-video adapter at radio shack so I can plug the composite connection into a s-video spot on my receiver, and I have the dvd video going into the receiver. The cable's audio is connected with the rca cables and the dvd audio is connected with an optical cable. Then, I have an s-video cable going from the receiver to the tv .. so now all I have to do is press DVD on the receiver and everything switches, and I can switch back and forth from the tv to the dvd just by switching the receiver
But to just answer your question, you want the best audio connection going into your receiver and the best video connection going to your tv

 

[Michael Reuben]

Quote:

Either coax or optical will do fine. Though some may disagree, most cannot hear a difference. Do NOT use the DVD player's multichannel outputs. You want your Dolby Digital decoding to occur in the receiver, not in the DVD player.
M.

 

[DaveZee]

. Caution: Use well-shielded cables. A component connection is not the place for cheap cables that are vulnerable to interference or signal loss.

I picked up the best quality ones I could get from Radio Shack (Gold Series if my memory serves correctly) and assume they're good. If not, please suggest more appropriate alternative.

 

[Ken Shiring]

I picked up the best quality ones I could get from Radio Shack (Gold Series if my memory serves correctly) and assume they're good. If not, please suggest more appropriate alternative

Dave, cable discussions are almost a religious topic among serious HT fans. This may amuse you at first, but asking experienced HT users for advice on cabling is likely to result in a large argument between the advice-givers and frustration from a lack of good reccomendations on your part .
There are some people who consider the Radio Shack gold cables to be just fine. I would reccomend to you that you at least try out some alternatives, because it can be eye-opening to see what the differences are. I also own a Sony-XBR400 (man, what a great set ), and I use the Ixos Silver component cable. You can still get this cable at an incredible bargain price at Accessories 4 Less .
To answer your last two questions :
DPL2 = Dolby Pro Logic 2. This is an audio decoding technology licensed by (duh) Dolby Laboratories, and designed by Jim Fosgate. This decoding is neat because it takes a two channel source (e.g. CD, TV) and creates enough information to drive 5 surround channels. It is superior to the original Dolby Pro Logic (which is aging fast) in that all 5 channels are decoded independantly. This decoder is very new, and only the newer generation of audio gear will support this. It has received very good reviews by listeners on these forums.
DTS Neo:6 is something I can't quite answer. I can tell you that it is an audio decoder that is based off of the DTS scheme, and it decodes into 6 channels. I can't tell you whether it fully discrete or not. Perhaps someone else can answer that one. I tend not to pay much attention to the 6 and 7 channel stuff since I will be firmly planted in the 5 channel space for some time to come .

 

[Michael Reuben]

RatShack Gold Series should be fine as long as all three connections are video cables, and not audio (which is usually a different impedance).

DTS Neo:6 is something I can't quite answer.

Think of DTS Neo:6 as DTS's answer to DPL2. Both derive multi-channel surround from 2-channel sources; those who have compared them side-by-side (I haven't) generally say DPL2 does a better job, but either one is preferable to old-fashioned ProLogic.
M.