hook up help for the new guy? (1 Viewer)

[Ed Kerns]

Hi, and thanks very much to you veterans for this forum. I've learned so much just by reading other posts, but still I have a question about my newly acquired HT gear.
Of immediate concern is a motorola HD cable box, a new Onkyo series 800 receiver and a Toshiba 'HD ready' projection TV. From my cable box I have run component video to the receiver then from the receiver, component video to the TV. It's my understanding that this is the best method of getting the highest quality signal to the TV. I have also linked all the boxes with digital cable for audio.
My problem is, by using all component hook ups, I can not (according to the receiver manual) get an on screen menu to the TV. I can get it on the front panel of the receiver, but this is a bit inconvenient to view from the easy chair. My question is; can I run a secondary input to the TV, say S-video, and use that input strictly to view the menu? Is this typical? Is there a better way? Will it even work?
For what it's worth, I should add that I already have an analog signal passing through the cable box to the TV. I find this input gives me a better picture on non digital TV programming. Thanks again, and sorry for the long post. Ed

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Yep it works, yep you can do it, nope there is not a better way [on receivers that don't pass on-screen-display from component outputs]

One note, I'm not sure about your specific model, but many of the receivers I have owned which didn't pass OSD via component also weren't good enough to pass HD signal via component. In order to deal with HD signals, a receiver has to have a certain amount of bandwidth to pass this signal without problems...

Not saying yours does or does not... just something to make sure (100mhz bandwidth for the component switcher in the receiver).

 

[Ed Kerns]

Thanks for the prompt reply Vince. The receiver is an Onkyo Tx-SR800. I've been sleeping with the manual for the past few days, but I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who is really intimate with it. It APPEARS to pass the HD signal, but I find no mention of the bandwidth specs in the manual. Thanks for the patience. I'd like to think the questions will get less silly as time goes on. Ed

 

[Elinor]

>"From my cable box I have run component video to the receiver then from the receiver, component video to the TV. It's my understanding that this is the best method of getting the highest quality signal to the TV."

Your understanding is incorrect. The best method of getting the highest quality signal to the TV is to run component video directly from the cable box to the tv.

Anything else is pretty much for convenience.

The fewer connections the better. The more direct the signal path, the better.

 

[Ed Kerns]

Thank you Elinor. I understand that a direct route results in the least signal lost. I'm trying to walk that fine line between convenience and best quality. I appreciate the clarification. Ed