Reciever questions Svid and subout

[David Kyser]

I'm in the market for a new reciever. I have some video components that use RCA (composite) and some use S-video.

I want to run one S-video cord to my TV and no RCA. Is there a reciever that can intake a RCA and output it thru the S-video.

Also a lot of the recievers a see say that in in order to get below 100hz on your front speakers there won't be a signal sent to the sub. Is this true with all recievers? I mean I have big front speakers and I want to use my sub but where would the sub get a signal if I have the reciever set on big fronts

 

[Harold_C]

Also a lot of the recievers a see say that in in order to get below 100hz on your front speakers there won't be a signal sent to the sub. Is this true with all recievers? I mean I have big front speakers and I want to use my sub but where would the sub get a signal if I have the reciever set on big fronts

The LARGE and SMALL settings on receiver are mis-named. These settings have nothing to do with the physical size of the speakers.

The LARGE setting should be labelled "full-range". Any speaker set to "full range" will have to handle ALL the bass recorded in the corresponding channels and no bass from those channels will be sent to the sub. If you set all of your speakers to LARGE, the subwoofer would play nothing except the LFE channel on Dolby Digital and DTS discs. No subwoofer on CDs, FM, TV broadcasts, VHS tapes, or Dolby Digital 2.0 DVDs.

The SMALL setting should be labeled "high pass". Any speaker set this way will reproduce everything but the very lowest bass frequencies, which will be sent to the subwoofer. This is the optimum setup because it sends the lowest two octaves of bass to the speaker best designed to play it (the subwoofer) and gives you the full dynamic range benefits of bi-amping, which is very important with Dolby Digital recordings.

With very, very few exceptions, you should set all of your speakers to SMALL (no matter how big they are) and redirect all low bass to the powered subwoofer. This configuration is mandatory for any THX system for good reason -- it provides the best chance of reproducing the deep bass and unprecedented dynamic range of Dolby Digital and DTS recordings (both of which challenge your system unlike anything ever offered previously in consumer audio).

100 Hz is a very good crossover point for this purpose. Really, anywhere from 80 Hz to 120 Hz would be OK.

 

[John Garcia]

What Harold says is correct.

Is this true with all recievers?

No, this is not true with ALL receivers. Most more recent receivers, allow you to set your main speakers to large, while still routing only the LFE signal to the sub. Just make sure you look into the fact that the receiver you are buying has this capability.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I want to run one S-video cord to my TV and no RCA

That "RCA" is also known as COMPOSITE video.

One of the most expensive parts of your TV is called the "Comb Filter". It's job is to convert COMPOSITE to SVideo.

Because it's expensive to make a good Comb Filter, most receivers will not convert composite to SVideo. There is a high-end Kenwood?? receiver that does.

What source do you have that is Composite only? If it's just a VCR, you CAN buy a cheap Composite-to-SVideo converter for $20 from Radio Shack. The quality is .. not great, but for the occasional use from a low-grade source, it should work fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[David Kyser]

Wow, great advice, it is appreciated.

the composite video sources would: Dreamcast, laptop, and a vcr. I found the cheap RCA to S-video plugs in my parts express catalog. Would the quality with the plug be as good as the RCA alone?

I have just noticed that some of the newer recievers have the ability to send front

 

[Harold_C]

I have just noticed that some of the newer recievers have the ability to send front

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

the composite video sources would: Dreamcast, laptop, and a vcr. I found the cheap RCA to S-video plugs in my parts express catalog. Would the quality with the plug be as good as the RCA alone?

Nope- significantly worse. Again- understand, for your TV to be able to display the video signal it has to be turned into essentially a Svideo type signal. So, if your device has a composite connection- the TV is filtering it to make the signal into basically an "svideo" type signal.

A passive filter like those adaptors are crappy- again we're not talking about only a difference in connector type- rather in the type of signal carried. In order to the signal to be even passable- I'd say the filter needs to be of at least decent quality.

For the dreamcast- I believe there is a svideo pack available that gives you Svideo output stright from the AV connection on the back.

Also, VCRS are produced with svideo output (if you're serious about watching VHS- I would say you could pick one up for $100-$150).

Hope that helps

Vince

 

[chella]

There is a high-end Kenwood?? receiver that does.

I think even the mid(?) end Onkyo receiver TX-DS696 does that.

 

[chella]

Harold,

All SMALL. Subwoofer to "ON". Crossover set somewhere between 80 and 120 Hz: Sounds great, plays loud, doesn't blow up. What more could you ask?

Can I add, instead of x-over between 80-120, use the x-over defeat/disengage switch on the sub, if available? Will that be better? That way two cross-overs are not in chain (in receiver and in sub).

 

[John Garcia]

Yes, if your sub has an x-over defeat altogether, that is the best way. Otherwise, just set it to it's highest point, which is often higher than the receiver's x-over, in which case, there is no cascade effect.