Home Theater Setup HELP (1 Viewer)

[Korey R]

Could someone please help me setup my home theater? I need some help with the speaker setup. I'm open to any other configuration options if you have them, I'm new to this and am trying my best to set this up.

ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! The receiver & dvd player was a Christmas gift and I would just like everything to work properly. I went through the manuals a few times but I just can't figure out what is wrong. THANKS!

The problem: The surround speakers won't work / they are hooked in correctly because when I use "test tone" for checking the speakers (an option through the receiver) it produces sound through all 4 speakers but that is the only time that sound comes out of the surround speakers. Also when I use my TV or the VCR so I can use my speakers the sound only comes out of one front speaker and nothing from the surround speakers or the other front speaker.

Here's my setup:

-When using the radio through the receiver the two front speakers work but the two surround speakers do not.

-When using the dvd player with receiver and vcr (using line 1), video works great, but only audio from the front two speakers, nothing from the surround speakers.

-When using the vcr for watching VHS tapes, etc., one front speaker works only, nothing from the other front speaker or surround speakers. Same way with the xbox (using line 2 on vcr).

-When using tv through the vcr (so I can use the speakers), only sound from one front speaker once again, nothing from the other front speaker or surround speakers.

The following are my components:

TV (old model, no hookups in the back except for cable in)

VCR (newer type VCR with 2 audio/video in/outs - line1, line2)

Stereo Receiver - Pioneer 500-Watt Receiver with Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Processors; Model: VSX-D412

DVD Player - Magnavox Multiformat Progressive-Scan DVD Player with Component Video Output; Model: MDV455/17

Monster Cable - Monster Cable 1m Audio Interconnect Cable; Model: BI100-1M

I wanted to post links to each of my components but this board won't let me post URL's so I can supply links if you need them.

The following is my configuration:

-VCR-
-cable tv in
-cable from vcr to back of tv
-audio cables (monster cable) one red, one blue from vcr to "tv/sat" (one red, one blue) on receiver
-"video in 1" from vcr to "video" on dvd player
-also have xbox hooked to "video in 2 / audio in 2"

-DVD Player-
-yellow plug from "video" on dvd player to "video in 1" on vcr
-L (white) R (red) from dvd player to L (white) R (red) "dvd" on receiver

-Receiver-
-"tv/sat" (using monster cable) to audio on vcr
-dvd plug to dvd player L/R plug

I have 4 speakers (2 fronts / L & R front on receiver), 2 surrounds (L & R surround on receiver), no sub or center speaker.

Thanks again!

 

[Robt_Moore]

Korey:

1. Does the TV have a yellow composite input (an RCA jack), or only a screw-on connection for a CATV connnection (an F-jack)?

2. Sounds like the VCR is a MONO (one channel audio) unit. You will not get Stereo from this.

3. You will only get surround sound from stereo sources (like your FM broadcasts), only when you engage a setting on your receiver, ususally Dolby Pro Logic II, telling the receiver to decode the stereo signal to surround sound. Your DVD audio should be hooked up with a digital cable to get true 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS surround.

Depending on your answers to #1 & #2, you may need to upgrade a few things. We need more information.

Also, get a center speaker. Movie dialog comes from that speaker. (Until then, your receiver may have a "phantom" mode for the center speaker where the dialog is evenly split between the front two speakers.)

Hope this helps

Bob

 

[GeorgeTW]

a few dvd players have submenus that you must choose which audio output to use (analog / coax / optical)

further, your HT receiver could also use this. Check you r manual to see if it tells you how to select the differance types of audio inputs from your sources.

It sure sounds as if your outs-ins simply need to be turned to the same page.

 

[Korey R]

First of all thanks for the replies...

I just worked with a few settings for the surround sound through the receiver settings and I have the options of "standard, advanced surround, and stereo". I had it on stereo but I was trying out the different settings and came across the advanced surround setting called "5-Channel Stereo" and amazingly enough all 4 speakers now WORK! It sounds great now!

So to bring you up to speed, when I use the FM radio through the receiver I can now have all 4 speakers working and sounding great! This is also the case with my DVD player when I play DVD's.

So the only problem that I have now is this: With this new setting that I have it on (advanced surround, 5 channel stereo), I now have sound coming from the left front speaker and the left surround speaker only when using the TV's audio or VCR's audio. This is an improvement from before where the only sound was from the left front speaker. One of the surround speakers now work with the TV/VCR's audio. Just to clarify when I say TV's audio I mean the audio coming from the TV which runs through my VCR (because of not having any in/outs on my TV) and receiver. When I use my VCR to watch tapes I also get this same result (front left and surround left speaker only), nothing from the right side of speakers (right front, right surround).

So now my question is, what is it that I need to do to be able to have all 4 speakers working when I'm using my TV's audio and VCR's audio? If the VCR is indeed MONO how come I can now have sound coming from one front and one surround speaker?

To answer your question from your post Bob...

1. The TV only has a screw-on round connection (says "VHF/UHF 75 OHM").

3. I am using the audio cables that came with my DVD player (red/white) to hook up the DVD's audio. Are you saying I need to buy another cable for better sound quality?

I will think about getting a center speaker, but like I said right now at least for FM audio and DVD audio it's sounding great! As you said I think the dialog is evenly split between the front two speakers now.

I appreciate all the help, slowly but surely I'm getting this thing tweaked like I wanted it to be.

 

[Jason_A]

To get 5.1 audio you need a digital optical cable or digital coaxial cable that goes from your DVD player to the receiver.

As for the VCR use red and white cables for audio just so you know what is left and right. Make sure your audio connections are plugged into the right connectors. As the previous said is the VCR a stereo vcr.

You also might have to adjust tracking to get the sound you want from VCR tapes.

Jason

 

[Korey R]

Well I checked my VCR manual and it shows an audio input and audio output connector and an "in1" and "out" for video on the back. On the front it has "audio in 2" and "video in 2". So with that said it looks like I only have one audio out and it's not a L/R out, it's just one connector. I would guess that I would need a VCR with a L/R audio out in order to have sound from my left & right front & surround speakers?

Right now I have a monster audio cable (blue L, red R) going from the audio out (red part of cable) on the VCR to the audio in "L" side (red part of cable in the L) where it says VCR on my receiver. I have the blue side of the cable in the audio input of the VCR & the R where it says VCR on my receiver but it doesn't look like that makes much difference because if I just reverse the order of the cables plugging them into the receiver whether they be in the L side or R side that's the side that has sound using the red R side of the monster cable. Does that explain why I only have audio from the left side or right side speakers (both front & surround) that the red part of the monster cable is in on my receiver?

Looks like I might need to upgrade my VCR & TV if my assumptions are right. I will pick up a digital coaxial cable this week for my DVD player. The player doesn't have optical digital outputs but does have 1 coaxial digital output.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Robt_Moore]

Korey

I think you got it!

A new stereo VCR is in the works, I guess. And it sounds like a new TV also.

We're all here to help you spend your money.

Bob

 

[Korey R]

So is my thinking correct then? With the VCR that I have now there's no way that I can have surround sound through the VCR since it only has a single plug for audio out instead of a L/R audio out? So I need a VCR that has a L/R audio out and then I would get sound from all 4 speakers correct? I really only need to get a new VCR since my TV's audio is run through it I think for now a new VCR would do the job for my VCR & TV's audio. Thanks.