help me hook all of this up please! (1 Viewer)

[Nita Rushing]

hi- i need advice in a big way. i have been upgrading my a/v setup and am now at the end of what i can do without wasting more time and money or getting your help! i do realize that my first big problem is my tv. and that my components surpass it in capability. i cannot do anything about that for awhile yet so please help me make the most of what i have. first the list:
1) sanyo 27" tv with 1 rf coax cable input only! :frowning:
2) digital cable box (required) -motorola
3) sony 5.1 dolby digital dts ht system (str-k665p)
4) sony dvd player/vcr combo unit (slv-d350 p)
5) pioneer dvr-420h (80gb hd/dvd recorder)
6) toshiba sd-h400 w/tivo (80gb hd/dvd player-tivo+)
7) fr modulator (3rear inputs, 1front input, 1rear output)
8) pc w/internet cable ethernet box (20 ft away)
9) phono (yes, a turntable for vinyl albums)

i started on this of course for the upgrade and newer capabilities, but wanted to incorporate my stereo and tv into home theatre, i play cds, albums and mostly internet radio. i started with the ht and that had the dvd/vcr combo all in the box. got the modulator to allow all of this to get to the tv. first question is the loss of phono capability, was hoping to transfer some of these to disks, will a phono pre-amp give me audio capability there? and how and where would i hook this up? as i added in the dvrs i had to take the dvd/vcr out of the mix and daisy chain them thru one another. not the best idea but a quick fix to make sure all works ok. i am wondering if i can split the cable after the cable box 2ways and route one to each dvr, recombining them as they feed into the modulator and on to the tv- allowing me to view thru one while recording to another. the tivo also requires a phone line hook-up or can go thru my ethernet box? what cable does that require (i would need a long one) and how does that all work? i would love to stream my internet radio to my ht system speaker, no clue how to do that either. i need more inputs on my modulator or i need to use the front inputs for the phono and/or vcr unit just as needed. can you daisy chain 2 modulators? the only connections i am using (or even understand) are the standard coax cable and the a/v cables (red/white/yellow) i am still in the 70's where all that is concerned tho i am not totally inept at figuring it out. so therefore please be kind and very specific with any advice or explanations. i also have an ir blaster running from my tivo to my cable box so it changes the channels for me. the turntable and the dvd/vcr are currently just table art and arent hooked up at all. current hook up is cable in thru cable box- thru tivo, thru dvr to modulator to tv- a/v cables to ht thru modulator to tv. sorry for the length- thanks in advance for your patience, kindness, advice, and willingness to help

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Hi Nita,

The best approach, both from a simplicity and ease of operation standpoint, is to connect all your components to the Sony receiver, both audio and video connections. From there you can send a single video signal (the receiver’s “Monitor Out”) to the modulator. That would take care of your shortage of inputs on the modulator. The TV then functions only as a video monitor.

This is a simple approach because you do not have to select sepaate inputs on both the modulator and Sony receiver when you want to watch something. A single one-button input selection from the Sony remote gets you both audio and video. What could be easier than that?

The only downside is that you have to have the system on anytime you want to watch anything, even non-critical stuff like the news. But as long as you have a TV with no video inputs your options are limited in this regard.

Addressing a few other questions:
Well, internet radio is merely another input to the receiver, like any other signal source.

If the computer is close to the HT system, you can send the computer’s audio output (the one that would normally go to the computer speakers) to a vacant input on the Sony receiver. This would require some adapters from Radio Shack to convert the stereo mini-plug out of the computer to the RCA connectors that the receiver wants.

If the PC is not near the HT system, then you might want to look into a wireless system to get the signal to the receiver.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Forgot this one:
If you have a spare input, it can be connected to the Sony receiver via the red/white/yellow RCA connections.

On the other hand, given your other equipment – primarily the Pioneer and Toshiba – I don’t see that you really need it.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt