Don_K
Agent
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2002
- Messages
- 27
I'm wanting to switch from cable to satellite. What to buy is probably an open ended question in that every answer leads to ten more questions. So here's what I'm hoping to accomplish:
Currently have ATT digital, which does not offer high quality audio or video: Composite Video, L+R Audio.
Current setup consists of three rooms, three TV's. TV's 2 and 3 are used casually and only have RF inputs. These don't require anything special, other than displaying a picture and mono sound. One has a built in VCR, the other has an external VCR. TV with built in VCR is only used for playback. TV with external VCR is used for playback and off-the-air recording.
TV 1 is an older Hitachi projection model. Not HDTV, and I'm not planning to go there in the near future. It has an S-Video input, along with two more composite video inputs.
DVD player is connected to AV receiver. Coax digital audio connection, S-Video video connection. Video from receiver is fed to S-Video input on TV. Audio is fed thru 5 channels to an excellent set of Polks. No subwoofer. The Polk towers alone shake the sofa in the Titanic engine room scene.
Cable box has L+R audio connected to receiver, composite video connected to one of the TV's aux video inputs. Because I connected receiver video to TV using S-Video, the receiver won't pass a composite video signal. This was to maximize picture quality from the DVD player.
A VCR is also connected. Video to a second aux composite video input on the TV. L+R audio to receiver. Haven't figured out how to get the VCR to record from the cable box since abandoning the RF connections.
At this point, the wife hates me. She has to use the TV remote to select the video input, use the AV remote to select the sound source, then use the cable remote to select channel. If I can eliminate having to select TV video input (S-Video satellite receiver and VCR so the AV receiver can control things) then...
I see the TV cable being the weak link that complicates this. I'm looking for a (satellite) solution that gives me S-Video output, digital audio where the broadcaster offers it, the ability to use my VCR to record off-the-air for later playback, and to keep it simple for TVs 2 and 3.
I've done a little research, and get the impression that on the west coast, you might need an "oval" dish to maximize programming options? Something about the placement of a "mirror" satellite? And what is the advantage of a satellite receiver with caller ID?
TIA for wading through all this, and any suggestions.
Don
Currently have ATT digital, which does not offer high quality audio or video: Composite Video, L+R Audio.
Current setup consists of three rooms, three TV's. TV's 2 and 3 are used casually and only have RF inputs. These don't require anything special, other than displaying a picture and mono sound. One has a built in VCR, the other has an external VCR. TV with built in VCR is only used for playback. TV with external VCR is used for playback and off-the-air recording.
TV 1 is an older Hitachi projection model. Not HDTV, and I'm not planning to go there in the near future. It has an S-Video input, along with two more composite video inputs.
DVD player is connected to AV receiver. Coax digital audio connection, S-Video video connection. Video from receiver is fed to S-Video input on TV. Audio is fed thru 5 channels to an excellent set of Polks. No subwoofer. The Polk towers alone shake the sofa in the Titanic engine room scene.
Cable box has L+R audio connected to receiver, composite video connected to one of the TV's aux video inputs. Because I connected receiver video to TV using S-Video, the receiver won't pass a composite video signal. This was to maximize picture quality from the DVD player.
A VCR is also connected. Video to a second aux composite video input on the TV. L+R audio to receiver. Haven't figured out how to get the VCR to record from the cable box since abandoning the RF connections.
At this point, the wife hates me. She has to use the TV remote to select the video input, use the AV remote to select the sound source, then use the cable remote to select channel. If I can eliminate having to select TV video input (S-Video satellite receiver and VCR so the AV receiver can control things) then...
I see the TV cable being the weak link that complicates this. I'm looking for a (satellite) solution that gives me S-Video output, digital audio where the broadcaster offers it, the ability to use my VCR to record off-the-air for later playback, and to keep it simple for TVs 2 and 3.
I've done a little research, and get the impression that on the west coast, you might need an "oval" dish to maximize programming options? Something about the placement of a "mirror" satellite? And what is the advantage of a satellite receiver with caller ID?
TIA for wading through all this, and any suggestions.
Don