Newbie Needs Help!!! (1 Viewer)

[tooknowhim]

recently purchased a Samsung LN46A500. I have a boxed JVC TH-C40 Home Theatre System 5.1. I recently had a Scientific Atlanta 8240 HDC cable box connected for HD.

I read the manual for the Samsung and the JVC and set up all three components as follows.

1. HDMI cable from receiver to HDMI 1 in the Samsung
2. Optical cable from receiver to Cable box to get the 5.1 surround sound via receiver.
4. HDMI cable from cable box to HDMI 2 IN the Samsung. Originally this was connected using composite cables.
4. Cable in from wall to cable box.

My problem is I am getting no sound from the television. If I turn the receiver on to get sound..there is loud feed back coming from the speakers. I unplugged the surround speakers, to which I thought was the problem. I got sound, however the loud feedback returned. Now, when I play DVD's, using all speakers the feedback is even worse. When I turn the receiver off to get sound via the television...still no sound.
I did not have this problem prior to the installation of the hd cable box.
I had both a hdmi cable and an optical cable running from the receiver to the Samsung.

Can someone please help me. I do not wish to be without a tv over the holidays?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I don't have the manuals for all your equipment in front of me, so this is general advice:

1. First and foremost, you need to understand the difference between inputs and outputs, and you need to understand, and keep in mind, the path the signal is following from device 1 to device 2. Your description above is very confusing to anyone trying to understand the signal path because you talk about an optical cable going "from" the receiver "to" the cable box. The signal is going FROM the cable box TO the receiver - and since the receiver (at least) will have both inputs and outputs, it is critcal you keep this stuff straight.

2. You aren't hearing feedback. You don't have a microphone connected to this system, and feedback - by definition - involves the output from an amplifier being fed back into the same amp and boosted further. That can't happen without a microphone. You've either got speakers or inputs out of phase - that is, you have the left and right channels reversed - or you have a ground loop due to an electrical wiring problem or reversed polairty on a plug somewhere.

If I understand the way you have things connected...

1. HDMI cable from receiver to HDMI 1 in the Samsung

This will send video and audio from your DVDs to the TV, but will probably only send video from your cable box. Even more expensive receivers often cannot pass digital audio input via optical to coax from an outside source via the HDMI output, and it seems very unlikely that a mid-range HTiB would be able to do so.

2. Optical cable from receiver to cable box to get the 5.1 surround sound via receiver.

OK. Your receiver has no HDMI input, so this is your best bet. (Again, assuming that this cable is, in fact, going FROM a digital output on the cable box TO a digital input on the receiver. Not picking on you here, but it really is important for YOU to visualize the signal flow. If you think of "all those wires" as pipes with water flowing through them, and keep in mind where the water starts out and where you need it to go, it becomes much easier to connect things correctly.)

4. HDMI cable from cable box to HDMI 2 IN the Samsung. Originally this was connected using composite cables.

The HDMI cable should be carrying both (digital) sound and video from the cable box to the TV. The composite cables only carried analog audio and video. Check to make sure that your cable box has the digital audio output turned on. You need to go into the setup menu and reveiw the options.

I had both a hdmi cable and an optical cable running from the receiver to the Samsung.

The HDMI carries sound AND video, so there was really no need to run the optical cable as well, but it wasn't hurting anything.

Did you have to disconnect and reconnect any of your speakers during the initial setup? How do the speakers connect to this reciever - bare wires? Banana plugs? RCA connectors? Check each and every speaker connection at both ends and make sure that the left/right positive/negative connections are the same at each and every point.

How are things connected electrically? Are the components sharing a power strip? Surge protector? Battery back-up? Is the electrical wall outlet(s) on the same circuit as other stuff in your house that could be causing an issue?

Regards,

Joe

 

[tooknowhim]

Update from my earlier post. The tv now plays through the receiver with no problems. You were correct! I needed to turn on the Digital Audio Output from the cable box.

Now, the problem is I cannot play a dvd without getting this shrieking sound from the speakers. I can play a CD with no problem whatsoever. So, I unplugged the unit and reconnected the speakers. No change. All components were connected on the same surge protector. I have since changed this as well.
I bought this unit last year! Could it be dead already?

If I understand you correctly about the signal flow...this is what I have connected.

1. Receiver-JVC TH-C40 (Optical In) to Scientific Atlanta (Optical Out). According to the instruction manual, I could not get the full effect of 5.1 without this connection.
2. Cable box (HDMI - 1 port) to Samsung - (HDMI In 2)
3. Receiver (HDMI Out) to Samsung(HDMI In 1)
4. Scientific Atlanta ( Cable In)

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Close.

The TV doesn't play through the receiver at all. The cable box plays through the receiver. The TV doesn't send a signal to the receiver.

You've got the connection between the HTiB and the cable box described correctly but, again, try to keep the actual direction of the signal flow in mind, it makes it easier to keep track of things. You say "optical in" (JVC) to "optical out" (SA cable box.) In terms of where the signal is going it is always from the ouput (in this case on the cable box) to the input (on the receiver.)

So - CDs are fine, but DVDs played from the same changer produce a loud noise. Is the optical output the only audio connection you're using? Do all DVDs produce this noise? Do they do so regardless of which audio track you'r'e playing? (DD, DTS, alternate tracks?) Check the JVC set up and see if the CDs and DVDs are set up with the same output options.

This is a very strange problem. Maybe another member will pop in with some suggestions, because if the CDs work fine but the DVDs don't, the rules out a lot of the usual suspects.

Regards,

Joe

 

[tooknowhim]

Joe,

Yes, cd's are fine. As a matter of fact I can play a cd from each of the 5 slots on the player and every track plays well. When playing a dvd, I get a picture and some sound, but again, the lound shrieking, popping sound overpowers the sound from the dvd. I have tried unplugging the surround speakers. I get some sound but not that good since the other speakers are giving me static.
The optical output is the only connection I am using. I unplugged the optical cable and I still have the same problem.
I think Black Friday maybe the perfect day to buy new. Perhaps JVC isn't the way to go.

Thanks for your help!