PS2/HDTV connecttions and composit vcr hook up question (1 Viewer)

[Jacqueline C]

My HDTV which is a Panasonic has a lot of inputs but only 2 are component. Since my biggest concern is dvd pic and sound I plan to connect the progressive dvd player I just bought to one of the component inputs and run either a coaxial or optical cable to the receiver. I plan to buy (I don't have one yet and I have never had a HT receiver before) a receiver with at least a couple of component input/outputs for future expandability. I have a PS2 which I don't keep connected. I connect it to the front composit(NOT component) input that the tv has, because the tv is huge and it is hard to move to connect and disconnect from the back where the 2 component inputs are. Would it work to connect the composit connector that the PS2 came with, to the front composit input AND run a digital optical cable from the PS2 to the reciever? Also they sell monster cable "component" PS2 cable. But unlike the x-box I don't think the PS2 actually has progressive scan or something to make this necessary or even advantageous. Can someone clarify this? If somebody DOES connect a PS2 component cable, do you STILL have to add an optical cable going to the reciever? I'm guessing yes as the connection from the tv output to the reciever would be rca white/red cables at best.
Lastly, I initially thought my vcr had s -video output but upon actually looking at it, it's best output is a composit. I currently have it directly connected to one of the tv's composit inputs. Can I do better than connecting the vcr ouput composit directly to the tv, and running rcs red/white to the receiver? I've read to get an s-video adaptor but if the source is only composit would that actually help? And if I did that would the best connection I could make from the reciever output to the tv input be s video?

My priorities are thus: I want the progressive scan of the dvd HDTV and the receiver to give me the best dvd playback possible , the next most important thing is very good sound from my cd's played on the dvd player, after that I would be thrilled for the sound of my tv shows and vcr to come out of my speakers. I loved going from mono tv to stereo out of the tv speakers but now look forward to stepping up to HT.

Thanks in advance to anybody who replies.

 

[JayDaniel]

Jacquelin - I'll try to answer your "priorities" from your last paragraph in order.

1. Your DVD hookup is the best (or preferred) method - component straight to the TV, sound to receiver via either digital coax or optical (you choose - either is fine).

2. Sound of cds played on your DVD player. You have two ways to hook up - digital (either coax or optical - which you already have done in #1 above), and analog (RCA L/R out to your receiver's analog CD input). The difference is in the DACs (digital to analog converter) used. With digital connections, you are using your receiver's DACs. With analog, you are using your DVD player's DACs. Which is better? Hook it up both ways and decide for yourself. You can leave both the analog and digital hooked up to your receiver. Then you just switch back and forth between DVD & CD on your receiver to decide which you like better. You don't list your equipment, so I don't know which has the better DACs.

3. TV/VCR sound thru your speakers. This is easy enough to do. Just run the sound out of each into your receiver. Both your TV & VCR will have audio out. Run them into an audio input on your receiver, then select that option when watching TV or VCR. Run your video straight to the TV.

Also, you mention getting a composite to S-video adapter. No need for one in your case. You would get no picture benefit or improvement, and it might actually be worse. It is still a composite resolution even if using the s-video adapter. You can't "improve" the resolution of the source material. The only do this is for convenience when trying to stay with all one type of video - S-video in this example. It eliminates an extra remote and extra buttons to push when you have all the same type of video sources coming into a receiver and only one cable going out to the TV. In your case, you have multiple sources - component, composite etc.

Hook everything up and enjoy.