Set-up Help Needed (1 Viewer)

[Doug_Fr]

I need some help in trying to figure out how (if at all) I can hook up this system to make it work the way I want. Relevant equipment:

Anthem AVM 20

Toshiba 57HX81

Panasonic RP91

HDTV Receiver - (probably Tosh DST3000)

DirecTivo - Sony SAT-T60

I want to be able to

1. Watch any source through EITHER the surround sound system OR just through TV speakers -- for example, I want to watch the news using only the TV speakers but I want to watch HBO movies through surround sound

2. Watch all channels through the HDTV receiver (I understand the non-HD signal may look better through HD receiver)

3. Have actual PIP - two channels on screen at once

4. Be able to record using directivo -- although I understand that it won't record HD

5. Make operation (switching from the news to a DVD) as simple as possible

I'm totally lost as to how to accomplish this. Any help/experience would be appreciated

 

[Selden Ball]

Doug,

Unfortunately, it seems to me that "you can't get there from here".

In general, I'd suggest connecting the video and stereo audio outputs of your source equipment to your TV, and connect their digital audio outputs to your Anthem. That way you can watch everything using just the TV with the Anthem off and have surround sound when the Anthem is on.

Unfortunately, however, as best I can tell from the specs available on the Web (I can't find a manual online), your TV only has two separate inputs. If that's true, then you can have one source connected directly (I'd suggest either the TiVO for versatility or the HD STB for best imaging). Everything else has to be routed through the Anthem,

which gets connected to the second input.

If, in fact, your TV can select among more than two inputs, then refer back to my 1st suggestion.

The best way to simplify things is to get a programmable remote control that has macros. That way you can define several push buttons, each of which generates an approprate sequence of commands: one might be to turn on TV, turn on anthem, turn on dvd, select DVD input, play DVD (for example).

I hope this helps a little.

 

[Doug_Fr]

Thanks for the reply Selden -- I'll check it out.

Here is another (maybe stupid) question> If I hook a source (like the satellite box) to the ANthem processor and let it do the video switching does that require me to play the audio from that source through the processor?

 

[Selden Ball]

Doug,

(note my additional paragraph above)

While you certaily can switch video but not audio, I'm not sure why you'd want to. Do you have something specific in mind?

The Anthem is unusually versatile. It has three separate outputs, called Zones 1, 2 and 3 and it can associate any video or analog input with any or all of them (although only Zone 1 is multichannel surround sound, the other two get only stereo). As a result, you can select either of its component video inputs while listening to any of its audio sources.

Does this help?

 

[Doug_Fr]

Selden

You're being incredibly helpful. Here is what I was thinking:

- DirecTivo - S video to Anthem; digital audio to Anthem; RCA audio to TV (able to audio either TV or surround)

- DVD -- component video to anthem; digital audio to anthem (audio always surround)

- HDTV reciever - component video to anthem; digital audio to anthem; RCA audio to TV

(able to audio either TV or surround)

- Anthem hooked to TV

I'd like to use the Anthem to switch between the video but still have ability to run audio through TV. But, how do I select DirecTivo audio or HDTV audio to either go through Anthem or go through TV?

Or, do I need to do this

- DirecTivo - S video to TV; digital audio to Anthem; RCA audio to TV (able to audio either TV or surround)

- DVD -- component video to anthem; digital audio to anthem

(audio always surround)

- HDTV reciever - component video to TV; digital audio to anthem; RCA audio to TV (able to audio either TV or surround)

- Anthem - component video to TV

Sorry for my confusion-- maybe I just need to wait until everything is in the house but I'd love to figure it out before

 

[Selden Ball]

Doug,
Your problem is that you have too many options
Either setup would work, but I'm leaning more toward your second one, but with the addition of cabling that you may not have considered.
With only two component sources, you should be able to connect both directly to your TV, I think. Or are you planning to subscribe to the HDnet satellite service? That'd add a 3rd component source, and you'd have to use the Anthem to select between two of them.
In general, all of the audio outputs, both digital and analog, of your source equipment are always active at the same time, so there's no need to select between them at the source, just at the TV.
(I'm being a little wishy-washy here with my "in general" because a DVD player does not provide analog outputs for DD and DTS unless the player has those decoders built in, while DVD-A [and SACD] are available only on analog outputs.)
Don't forget that your RP91 can play DVD-A audio discs. The audio output for them is only available on the 5.1 analog outputs. It's not available digitally. You'll have to connect another 6 audio cables from the DVD player to the Anthem if you plan to listen to DVD-A audio discs.
Another possibility to consider is using Y connectors at the source (both TiVO and HDTV receiver) and connect the analog outputs of those two sources both to the TV amd to the Anthem. Dividing the analog audio output this way *should* not cause problems in most situations. There will be times when you'll want to compare the analog and digital signals, whether for trouble shooting or just for amusement. You can't divide video signals this way, however. (Some satellite and HD receivers actually have two separate sets of outputs. I don't know if yours do. That'd eliminate the need for Y cables.)
Does this help?