Need real Basic Help (1 Viewer)

[Tony Kloosterma]

My first post, I apologize in advance if this has been covered a zillion times (which it probably has) I tried to search for these answers but had no luck so please bear with me.

First off I am very very new to this home theatre thing.

I bought a setup on recommendation from my nephew.

I have a 43" Hitachi 43gx10b and a Kenwood Home Theatre system DVT 505, this is connected to an RCA satelite. I have an older (no s video jacks) Hitachi VCR (very basic)

First a basic (maybe dumb question) What does the S video cable do? Do I need to run coax from my sat to my reciever and to my tv if i use s video cables?

Second, how do i wire the reciever to everything so i get the TV sound through the Kenwood reciever, I think I have tried every concievable way to run the wires, but i must be missing something simple.

I wish my nephew hadn't gone on Vacation the day before my purchase, he is supposedly a wiz at this, but he ain't here for a week and I want to enjoy now.

I do have some s video cables and various gold plated home theatre cable.

I do appreciate this forum being here, and any help anyone can offer.

thanks in advance.

Tony

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Second, how do i wire the reciever to everything so i get the TV sound through the Kenwood reciever, I think I have tried every concievable way to run the wires, but i must be missing something simple.

Well, that depends on how you are receiving the "TV" signal.

If your TV channels are tuned through a Sat receiver (which I believe you said you did, but unsure if this is for you or the nephew)-- your sat receiver should have a set of RCA style plugs (those little red/white/yellow colored jacks like on cd players) that provide output. These 3 signals (video and 2 audio cable) should be routed from the sat receiver to the audio receiver. This should provide audio to the receiver and also allow you to use your receiver to switch video signals for you.

If your TV channels are tuned via a cable box, the box MIGHT have a set of RCA style plugs (those little red/white/yellow colored jacks like on cd players) that provide output. These 3 signals (video and 2 audio cable) should be routed from the cable box to the audio receiver. This should provide audio to the receiver and also allow you to use your receiver to switch video signals for you. If your box doesn't have outputs- call the cable company a request a box that does.

If your TV channels are tuned through your VCR, the VCR should have a set of RCA style plugs (those little red/white/yellow colored jacks like on cd players) that provide output. These 3 signals (video and 2 audio cable) should be routed from the VCR to the audio receiver. This should provide audio to the receiver and also allow you to use your receiver to switch video signals for you. If your VCR only has 2 RCA style outputs- it is mono. I would recommend picking up a new VCR, as stereo units are cheap.

If your TV channels are tuned through your TV itself, the TV MIGHT have a set of RCA style plugs (those little red/white colored jacks like on cd players) that provide output.

These 2 audio cables should be routed from the TV to the audio receiver.

If your TV doesn't have these outputs- and most don't- then you need to either forget getting TV audio to the receiver-- or chnage your setup to use one of the above options (VCR, cable box, sat box) to tune channels.

Hope that helps- if not, feel free to post more questions and I'll do my best!

-Vince

 

[Greg_R]

Quote:

Are you trying to watch cable/Dish or OTA (over the air) broadcasts? Describe the audio & video connections on your receiver, TV, & other equipment (cable box, etc.)...

 

[Tony Kloosterma]

Thanks Vince

the tv does have s video jacks and yes i get my signal from the satelite (the reciever is a rca)

so lets see if i have this right

i run s video cable from sat to reciever? and then s video from reciever to tv (still confused if i run a coax cable from here still with an s video cable as well, can i use one or otheror do i need to use both)

i run a 3 way plug from sat for vcr to vcr for video and audio and then i imagine from reciever to tv video 1 input

my reciever has 3 plug outlet for dvd to tv a y and pr and pc i think, i run another 3 way plug from there to tv video 4 into the corresponding jacks.

Appreciate your help

Tony

 

[Greg_R]

From Receiver to TV - S-video
From Cable box to Receiver - S-video
From Cable box to VCR - Composite
From VCR to to receiver - composite w. S-video converter (get one at radio shack).
From DVD/receiver to TV: It sounds like you're describing a component video connection. What are the colors of the output jacks? It might also play through the s-video connection (w. slightly lower picture quality).
Here's the system that we're talking about.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Quote:

If your TV has component inputs (the Y/PR jacks you described)- then yes. Again, as above with Svideo- it is all or nothing... the receiver will only offer on the component output what is connected to component INPUT... so you will once again have to switch the tv inputs around.
To be honest with you- since you have 3 different video devices with 3 different connection types (VCR with composite, Sat with Svideo, DVD with component)- the receiver might not be the best way for you to switch video.
The video doesn't HAVE togo to the receiver for the receiver to do the audio- most people just find it easier to allow the receiver to do video switching for them as well.
In your case, the receiver will "Switch" video- but you're going to have to switch the inputs on your TV to get the right connection types. In your case, it might be better to bypass connection of video to the receiver at all- and connect directly to the TV and use the reciever just for audio connections.
Either way you'll have to switch the video input on the TV- and if you bypass video to the receiver completely- you will save yourself some cables and won't risk the receiver degrading the signal any.
For people like myself, video switching on the receiver is a great thing- because all my connections are the same, and I can leave my projector on the same input... but in your case since you have to switch it around anyway- you might find receiver switching to be redundant.
-vince
PS: One other thing to note: if your receiver is DOLBY DIGITAL/DTS- your audio connection from your DVD player (and possibly the sat, depending on model) will have to be DIGITAL connections in order to get dolby digital and/or DTS.
I don't know about your specific receiver- but chnaces are that you will want to connect your DVD player audio via one of the 2 available digital connections types- rather than the standard analog connectors. But maybe we should make sure you have this whole video thing deduced before we dive into that part.