Newbie: How do I hook all this up !?!?!? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Cook]

My father in law gave me a Pioneer vsx-509s receiver and Harmon Kardon KKTS-2 speakers for X-mas and it is much better than what I currently have (nothing)! Here is what I have now:
Pioneer vsx-590s
HK HKTS-2
36" Wega 36fv16
RCA Direct Tv receiver (forgot model #: d420?)
Samsung 709 dvd player (old, but does the job)
2 old vcrs (no s-video connections)
PS2
1. The Wega has so many connections on the back. It has a monitor out and audio out. All I have to do for the TV is hook a s-video cable from the tv to the TV monitor jack on the reciever?? NO audio cables? Is that the best way to do it?
2. The DVD player has a coaxial digital cable jack on the back. I hook this up to the receiver too, but is that the only wire I need to hook up for the dvd player?
3. For our play back vcr, I see a 'vcr in' and 'vcr out' on the receiver. Now, do I run the A/V cable from the input and out put on the vcr to the receiver? How would I go about hooking up 2 vcrs. I only see 1 set of in/outs for a vcr. Would I go from the output on the receiver to the input of the first vcr, then output of the first vcr to the input on the second vcr and then from the output on the second vcr back to the input on the receiver??
4. I have several s-video plugs. WHat I need so far is a sub woofer cable, coaxial digital cable, and lots of 12 guage speaker wire. Are there any other special cables I might need? Also, where is the best place to buy these cables?
5. Where do I hook up the playstation 2?? I have a monster cable s-video wire for the PS2, but I don't think I will be able to use that anymore since I will be using the s-video jack on the tv to go to the receiver. Is there anyway to hook the ps2 to the receiver. If I don't hook it up to the receiver, The sound won't come through the speakers?
Once I get all my materials and start to hook everything up, I will post a picture of our living room so I can get some advice on speaker placement, stands or wall mount etc. I need a good in-expensive audio rack too. I saw some plans on this site for one. I think it was called a flexi or something similar. Anyone build one of these? Are you happy with it?
Thanks for any tips or advice you can give me. I really appreciate it, and I have a bad feeling this is a start to a very addicting and expensive hobby!!
Mike

 

[Jagan Seshadri]

Michael,

My folks have a VSX-509S (that they had me set up for them) so I can help here.

Remember: For video signals there is composite (ok), S-Video (a lot better), and component (best). The 509S deals with the first two types of video signals.

Firstly, since you have VCRs that have no S-Video, are they recent enough that they at least have composite video outputs (i.e. video that you can connect up with RCA connectors, not with just cable-tv coaxial cable)?

The 509S selects between the different sources you have plugged into it, BUT when it comes to the video portion, all of your sources must be hooked into composite video or all must be hooked into S-Video -- at the back of the 509S.

Since you have a nice WEGA, I'd suggest hooking the DVD video directly to the WEGA and bypassing the 509S video switching capability. But use the 509S as a composite video switcher for your VCR's and feed the switched composite signal to the WEGA's composite input.

Does your DirecTV receiver have S-video out as well, or just composite?

2. For audio, yes, just hook the coaxial digital cable into the 509S from the DVD player.

3. No, don't daisy-chain the VCR's. Before I answer this, are you using one VCR as a play-and-record VCR and the other as just a playback VCR?

4. Radio shack is a good place for cables. Don't worry about spending too much on cables. I think you have all the cables covered.

5. Hook the PS2 into the front terminals of the 509S. As for not being able to use S-Video, well, we'll see. Again, the 509S (along with most receivers) has this limitation of being able to switch all S-Video or all composite video, but not a mix-and-matched group of video signal types.

Awaiting more questions,

-JNS

 

[Michael Cook]

Jagan,

1. The VCR's do have composite outputs. The direct tv receiver does have an s-video jack.

"Since you have a nice WEGA, I'd suggest hooking the DVD video directly to the WEGA and bypassing the 509S video switching capability."

Do I just hook up the video cable from the DVD to the Tv since I am using the digital coaxial cable going to the receiver?? I only have 1 s-video jack on the tv, so would I hook the dvd up to the tv with the s-video or just composites?? Don't I need to use the s-video on the tv to go to the receiver??

"But use the 509S as a composite video switcher for your VCR's and feed the switched composite signal to the WEGA's composite input."

I'm confused here (sorry). The back of the TV has an audio out and next to that is a audio and video out. It this how I would connect the receiver to the tv instead of using the s-video jack on the tv and going to the tv/monitor jack on the receiver?

3. Yes, one vcr is for play and the other is for recording tapes.

4. Thanks, Radio Shack sounds good.

5. Thanks, didn't know it had hookups on the front. Now, will I be able to use s-video, or do I have to use composites?

Thanks and ask me some more questions if I did not explain well enough.

Mike

 

[Michael Cook]

I decide to only do one vcr. Only time I ever copied tapes was when my wife needed a copy of a tape from school.