Connections - I give up! (1 Viewer)

[Shana]

I can't believe how friggin difficult it is to hook up all this equipment. One source tells you to connect DVD through Receiver, another through TV, yet another source says to have hooked to both......oye vey!

I don't have my sub and center speakers yet and wanted to watch a DVD for the first time on my player. No sound. I did as the DVD manual said to do when only hooking up to TV and still no sound.

This is getting so frustrating I am damn near returning it all.

How the hell do you simply watch a DVD through your TV???

 

[Glenn Overholt]

You didn't say what else you had, but that is ok. If you don't have a receiver, both the audio and the video would go into your TV inputs.

The best connections would be componet for the video and L/R for the audio. If your TV doesn't have component, the next step down (quality-wise) is s-video. Down from that is component, and the video for this is one single RCA plug. They are usually yellow.

If you have a receiver, then it is going to sound better going into that. The best for audio is the digital (coax or optical). Make sure that you configure your stereo to let it know what speakers you do - and do not have yet.

You would send the video from the DVD player to the receiver only if you had more than one video input. For example, if you had an X-box with component too, then that and your DVD player's component signals would both go into the receiver, and you'd selct the receiver the correct source to go to your TV.

That is a simple start. I hope it helped

Glenn

 

[Greg*go]

If you are getting video an no audio, then just make sure you have the DVD outputs hooked up to the correct TV inputs, and make sure the colored plugs match each other from DVD to TV.

Unplug everything and make sure you are plugging the "audio outputs" on the DVD player to the "audio input" on the TV.

And if you went into the DVD player's menu and played around with stuff (video or audio options), see if you can set it back to the default settings, which make the player capable of simple use with a television set.

 

[Shana]

The person who hooked everything up had it going to the receiver but I don't have all my speakers yet so he said not to use the receiver for now. I went by what the DVD manual and the TV manual said to connect them.

 

[Greg*go]

I went by what the DVD manual and the TV manual said to connect them.

Does this mean you have it working now? What is the connection you are talking about here?

 

[Shana]

Nope I havent played with it today as I am at work...ssshhh don't tell the boss

 

[Ted Lee]

even though you don't have all your speakers yet, you should still be able to use the receiver. you'll just "tell it" that you only have 2,3 or 5 speakers.

however, the easiest way to hook it up (at least for now) is to run the dvd directly to the tv.

VIDEO (yellow plug)
dvd (video out) ---> tv (video in)

AUDIO (red/white plugs)
dvd (audio out l/r) ---> tv (audio in l/r)

now, when you want to watch the dvd, just switch the input on your tv (probably labeled "video 1") and press play on your dvd.

note this connection will defeat much of what ht is about, but at least you'll be able to finally watch a dvd.

 

[Shana]

Yep did all that Ted, I even stole the audio cables from the DirecTivo unit (to the TV) and put them in the DVD and still no audio.

Is it because I have the DirecTivo plugged in as well? That wouldn't make much sense since I am getting video.

I'm really close to returning the DVD player (paid too much at UE) and the TV (Fry's is selling the same model at the same price that I paid for an open box at CC with no rollers, and the picture sux so far, even though I haven't calibrated it yet, waiting on Avia via mail).

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I'd try the setup functions of your DVD player. It is possible that it is set to digital, when you really want it set to analog.

Glenn

 

[Shana]

Hey Glenn, just checked, I have it set to exactly what the DVD manual says to do: Analog Out to 2 Channel Stereo for TV.

I must be a complete idiot.

 

[Ted Lee]

just to be clear, you are getting the video but not the audio right?

if you wired it like i said and you're still not getting audio then something's gotta be busted!

have you verified that the aux audio on the tv works? try plugging a cd player or vcr or whatever into the tv's aux audio in and see if you get any sound.

also, do you have another tv you can plug the dvd into? at least that way you'll be able to see if all the components work on their own.

 

[Greg*go]

Is it because I have the DirecTivo plugged in as well? That wouldn't make much sense since I am getting video.

Try to unplug all of the DirectTivo wires from it, then plug them into the DVD player, not touching the connections at the television end at all. Then do the same as you would to watch the DirectTivo. Does that make sense? If this doesn't work, and you tried hooking it up to another TV to no avail, it's definitely something wrong with the DVD player.

 

[Shana]

Yep getting the video but not the audio. I tried hooking the audio cables to the front of the TV with the video cable still attached to the rear and I got audio but no video. I know the video should have been plugged in there too.

I am not going to unhook the cables from the other TV setup because that took me forever the first time to do it (reading all those bugger manuals).

I'm just ready to start over with some new equipment. I'm not happy with the price I paid for the DVD and the PQ on the TV. This time I will be able to let the store hook everything up!!!

 

[Ted Lee]

I tried hooking the audio cables to the front of the TV with the video cable still attached to the rear and I got audio but no video.

fwiw, that would never work. you're running two different signals (audio & video) to two different inputs. to really test you need to hook everything to the same input.

tbh, if you're not happy with the gear anyway, you should just start over. good luck on your next setup!

 

[Greg*go]

Shana,

If you got sound from the front inputs, then it sounds like you're not plugging the audio and video cables in the same input in the back of the television. This would be why you get one signal, but not the other. Be doubly sure that they are all hooked up to video 1, video 2, etc...

On another note, which DVD player did you get anyway?

 

[Shana]

Yeah I know that I didn't have the video and audio hooked up to the same input.

I have the JVC XVFA900BK which when I was at UE I told the salesman that I could get it a lot cheaper online and he questioned whether it was an authorized dealer. Now I know I can get it online for at least $60 less than there from an authorized dealer.

When my TV was delivered and DVD bought I thought the people working on my house would be out of there by then but they werent so I had the DirecTV guy there and it was just too many people in my house so I didnt get to really see what all he was doing.

With the two speakers only being hooked up to the receiver and supposedly not being able to use the receiver, knowledge that he used the cables that came with each component (possibly inferior), etc., I am ready to just return it and start fresh. It may seem silly but this is way too damn frustrating and I dont know anyone who can physically help me out. So might as well start new, save some money and get a TV that I am more satisfied with.

Thanks for all your replies, I really appreciate it!

Home Theater is supposed to be not , it damn well should be with how much money goes into it eh