Newbie asking for help (Satellite, Tivo and Home Theater in a box) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Banzai]

I'm using the following:

TV: Sony KD-32FS170

DVD Player: Sony DVP-NC60P

Receiver: Sony HT-6900DP

TIVO series 2

DirecTV receiver



All I really need is some basic help. setting up the home theater is easy, but the other components (tivo and satellite) thrown in are throwing me off. As it stands, I have two red & white plugs going from TV to receiver for audio, and an S-Video going to the DVD. My question is where do the tivo and satellite fit in (do the components "flow like a river", so to speak)? I have the audio from TV to DVD in Video 1, so does the DirecTV "flow" into the Tivo, which then goes into the receiver? Or does the tivo and/or satellite go the TV?

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Lew Crippen]

There are lots of options, depending on the inputs and outputs on your TV, receiver, Tivo and satellite box

You need to consider all of your inputs and outputs before deciding how best to connect all of your components.

Your display has one S-Video input, one set of component inputs, 2 composite video (the yellow RCA input) and two RF (the black cable from the satellite box or antenna) inputs. Plus 3 analog audio inputs (the red and white jacks).

Your receiver has two optical inputs and one digital coax input (all for audio).

Your DVD player has a set of component outputs, a S-Video output, and a composite output for video and an optical output and an analog audio output pair.

The Tivo has one S-Video input, one composite video input and one RF (coax) input. It has the same outputs for video. There are also a pair of RCA audio inputs and a pair of audio RCA ouputs.

If you can use your Tivo as the DirectTV receiver do that (connect the coax feed from the satellite directly to your Tivo). If not, connect your satellite receiver to your Tivo (I assume that you have already done this).

Now, the video connection options are in order of quality:

1.Component
2.S-Video
3.Analog RCA (the yellow jacks)

And the audio options (again in quality order)

1.Optical audio or digital coax (these are the same)
2.RCA analog pair (the red and white jacks)

The first thing to do is connect your best satellite audio and video to your TV. Connect the Tivo to your TV using the S-Video output from the Tivo to the S-Video input of your TV (this is your best option for picture quality). Also connect the audio to the TV by running a red/white RCA pair from your Tivo RCA analog outputs to one of the TV’s analog inputs.

You are now set to watch and listen to TV via your Tivo. (In addition you could connect your satellite directly to your TV using the same methods—assuming you have separate satellite receiver and Tivo.

Next connect your DVD player to the TV. The best video is to use your DVD component outputs (requires a special component cable) and your TV’s components inputs. Connect audio using the RCA analog pair outputs of the DVD player directly to another set of RCA analog audio inputs on your TV. You can now watch and listen to DVDs on your TV.

You now have the best picture you can get from both DVD and the satellite. To get better audio, you need to run the sound through your receiver.

The Tivo will not provide 5.1 sound, as it only has RCA stereo (analog) outputs. Connect the unused RCA outputs from the Tivo to your receiver’s RCA inputs. You can now use your receiver and speakers to listen to TV shows—no doubt a better quality sound than your TV. Or you can just turn on the TV and use its speakers if you don’t want to bother with your sound system (probably the McNeil report or something similar).

For the DVD player, run an optical cable from the DVD optical output to one of your receiver’s optical inputs. Now you have 5.1 (or 6.1) sound for your DVDs. Or you can choose to use your TV speakers for the DVD player as well.

 

[Lew Crippen]

You're welcome.