Help with HT connections (1 Viewer)

[Ranise]

Hi,
As a beginner, I need a little help in connecting my video gear. Here's what I've got:

Dish TV 500 receiver(RF in/out, s-video out, compostite out
GE DVD player(coax, optical, s-video, composite out)
Phillips VCR (RF in/out, composite in/out)
RCA receiver(every kind of in/out)
GE tv(RF in, composite in/out
outside antenna for local stations.

I want to use one remote control if possible. I'm thinking the best way is to use composite cables for everything and plug the outside antenna into the vcr.

Is this the best way? I want to use the receiver for all sound and video processing if possible.

Also, does anyone know a remote control code(4 digit)for the Dish 500 receiver?

Thanks in advance,
Ranise

 

[Neil Joseph]

Hmmm... Your TV has no component or s-video?

Some receiver are able to convert the different video formats (composite, s-video, component) but most cannot. If your TV had composite, s-video, and component then...

- Dish Svid to receiver
- DVD optical & Svid to receiver
- VCR composite out & audio L&R to receiver
- TV composite out to receiver
- Antenna to VCR then from VCR to TV (for normal viewing)
- Receiver composite, s-video & component to TV

If your receiver does not convert, and your TV does not have s-video and component then you will need external s-video/component - composite converter, or else just use composite cables all around but that would be a slight shame. S-video offers much more resolution and fixes some of the artifacts that you find with composite and then compnent is another smaller step up in improvement over s-video.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I'm thinking the best way is to use composite cables for everything and plug the outside antenna into the vcr. Is this the best way? I want to use the receiver for all sound and video processing if possible.

That’s the way I’d do it, Ranise. This way the VCR can become the tuner for the local channels, just like the Dish receiver is the tuner for the sat programming.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

P.S. Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Ranise]

Thanks, Wayne for the welcome.

This tv is about 10 years old. It only has rf in, composite audio out and composite audio/video in. I didn't want to buy a new tv just yet. I tried connecting the s-video and composite outputs from the sat to the receiver. I get good sound, but no video. Any ideas on why no video? I haven't got the cables yet to connect the vcr or dvd. I was thinking my only option now would be:

antenna to sat
sat composite to vcr
vcr composite in/out to receiver
dvd s-video to receiver

Would this work?

Thanks again,
Ranise

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Ranise,
Use composite video throughout (i.e., no s-video) and you should have no problems.
You have all the audio and video running to the receiver – that’s good, because it makes things simpler.
What you’re missing, however (judging from your description) is a video feed from the receiver to the TV. There should be a jack on the receiver labeled “Monitor Out,” or similar. Connect this to the TV’s composite video input. Then switch the TV to “Aux,” “Video,” or whatever is needed to access the video inputs. This will get you in business.
For more details, you might want to check this link.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Ranise]

Wayne,

There is a composite video in on the tv, but no video. I had the satellite composite outputs connected to the sat in on the receiver, then connected to the tv via the tv outs on the receiver. I didn't have any sat video. I know before I got the HT, I could connect the sat. to the tv with composite cables, tune the tv to channel 00(video input) and have a great picture. I couldn't duplicate this using the receiver. Any ideas on this?

thanks,
Randy

 

[Wayne Clark]

Ranise,
In an earlier posting to this thread, I think you mentioned that you had hooked both S-Video and composite video signal from the Sat. tuner to receiver. With making both connections, the receiver may be ignoring the composite in favor of the S-Video. With no cable attached to the S-Video out, your TV picture is being lost.

As the other Wayne suggested, you can get an S-Video to composite adapter although I think you loose some clarity in the adaption. I would suggest (as I think the other Wayne suggested as well) that you go composite (yellow cable) the whole way. For right now, that would be the simplest answer.

I hope that this is helpful, not just more confusing.
Wayne C.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Ranise,
Did you take out the S-video cables as Mr. Clark and I suggested? Did you study the information on the link I provided to better acquaint yourself with all this?

...then connected to the tv via the tv outs on the receiver.

There should be a single (not duplicate) video output that goes from the receiver to the TV’s composite video input. Anything else may be one of the inputs. Double-check your receiver’s manual if there is any confusion about this. If this is connected correctly, the video from any selected source (sat receiver, VCR, DVD player) will be sent to the TV and viewed on Channel 00.
But I suspect the problem is as Mr. Clark suggested, that there is still an S-video cable connected between the Dish receiver and the RCA home theater receiver.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Ranise]

Sorry for my poor grammar. I meant to say that I connected the tv to the receiver with composite cables, but I did not get a video signal on the tv, although I got perfect audio.

 

[Wayne Clark]

Ranise,
Did you disconnect the S-Video from the Sat. tuner to the receiver. I am interested in what you get when you use the Yellow connections only. Yellow, Red & White from Sat. tuner (out) to receiver Sat./TV (in). Then receiver TV out (yellow) to your TV video in (yellow). Then set your TV to channel '00' (or whatever your TV uses as video in setting). This will pass the Sat. tuner video data through the receiver and onto the TV and the sound from you Sat. tuner will go to the external speakers driven by the receiver. Lets start with this step only and see if it works. If so, then we proceed from there. Let us know how this turns out. Wayne C.

 

[Ranise]

Wayne,

Ok, I did as you instructed, now I have great sat picture on tv going thru receiver. Previously, I was using a "thick" yellow cable. I thought this was a 75ohm cable and this kind was needed for the connection. I replaced the "thick" cable with a "thin" one, now everything is fine.

I decided to connect the outside antenna directly to the rf in on the tv until I can get my vcr hooked up. When I selected any UHF channel (> ch 13), I didn't get a picture, although I was when I went thru the satellite. Anyone got an idea on this?

Thanks,
Randy

 

[Wayne Clark]

Great Ranise, I'm glad that worked. OK, next problem. With stations over 13 you may need to change the settings on your TV. It may be only set to see stations 00-13 (00 being your video in feed).

Another answer would be to hook up your VCR now. If you run from your VCR OUT (yellow, red & white) to your receiver VCR IN (yellow, red & white) you should now be able to play a video tape. Select VCR instead of TV/SAT on your receiver and you should be good to go. Then lets plug your external antenna into the Coax IN on the VCR (this is the threaded connection marked in). This should allow you to view local OTA (Over the Air) channels through your VCR and record what you see. Playing the VCR tape is just like the Sat. tuner, the picture is going to the TV and sound is coming out of the external speakers. The down side to doing this configuration is, the TV, Receiver and VCR all need to be turned on to watch local TV. This drawback aside, this will work well. Let me know what you think of that idea. Wayne.

 

[Ranise]

Wayne,

I got the tv configured for ota. I had to configure the tv to 'air' instead of cable.

I won't have the cables to do the vcr for a couple of days.
The next question I have is will I be able to record off satellite through the receiver? I'll have both ins an outs on the vcr plugged into the receiver.

Thanks so much for your help.
Randy

 

[Wayne Clark]

Yes, If you have cables (yellow, red & white) from the Receiver VCR OUT to your VCR Video IN and your VCR set to view the Video IN just like you did to your TV, It will work. My VCR's are usually set to LINE 1 to view information coming in on the composite connections instead of the OTA. With that and the instructions above, you should be good to go. I would suggest trying it before you really need it just to make sure it is going to do what you think. Let me know how it turns out, or if you have more questions give me a yell. Wayne.

 

[Ranise]

Hey, Wayne,

Finally got everything set up. I used a coaxial cable on my dvd player to receiver and the sound is great. Got the vcr connected and taped using the antenna in to the vcr. Haven't tried the sat yet, but I'm pretty sure it will work. Thanks for all the help.
Randy