Switching to Smart TV content (1 Viewer)

[Daniel A.]

Hi guys. Happy holidays!


Picked up a Sony tv the other day and I have been enjoying the Android apps and online content while my wife enjoys primetime programming and morning news.


Of course I wanted to make the sound better as well as play with some more new features so I bought a Sony a/v receiver that I thought would communicate with the tv and work best to compliment each other's snazziness. I've lurked this forum long enough to know to keep away from the HTiB no matter how cute and wireless my wife thinks the speakers are and thanks everyone for that!


My first question is about finding the best way to route the ins and outs between the receiver, tv, and Comcast cable box. No other players or inputs connected.

What is the best way to watch and listen to the tv generated content when I switch from watching cable through the receiver? Currently I've got it working by running an optical line out to the receiver and switching the input to 'TV' for the audio portion. It seems like it should be a way to make it less clunky to use. Can this be accomplished with a different cable or better setup?


My other question is about impedance and the stern warnings on the back of the receiver. I found a nice old set of speakers on craigslist for good price but they are rated at 4 ohms while the receiver requires a minimum of 6 ohms. Naturally I plugged them in anyway and they seem fine and I don't smell smoke. Is this gonna be okay?


My wife's question is can we make it like it was without all that stuff that makes Alex and Pat sound so boomy?

Oh....and the 3D glasses! The manual says to use their active Bluetooth model TDGBT500A. Will other Mfr or universal RF glasses work at all or as well or better than the hard-to-find Sony models?


Thanks for your thoughts and Merry Christmas!

 

[schan1269]

Model number of TV?

You "could" use ARC, but that requires CEC and all the headaches it brings to the table. But...since your only sources are the STB and the TV, CEC issues might not be a problem.

Coincidentally...all ARC does is let you lose the Toslink. Same button pushes. The hangup with CEC would be the entire thing would always default to TV sound, no matter how you turned it off. If you leave the STB on all the time, CEC won't be a hindrance. if you don't and you are watching app content...when the STB would stir to start recording(is it a DVR?) it could make the AVR switch inputs...when you don't want it to.

Since you have the Toslink already...turn on the CEC/ARC and see if you think "losing the Toslink is worth the CEC nuisance".

 

[Daniel A.]

Right, this is the sort of added 'snazziness' I was hoping for by matching a receiver to the tv, lol, okay.

Thanks for helping me follow the 'run it all through the AVR' strategy if I can.

I tried an ARC capable cable between the corresponding terminals but couldn't find the desired set-up that way either.

Using the toslink now means I can't watch the TV generated video and AVR control screens at the same time, say if I wanted to mess with an equalizer or lip sync adjustments like the old Visio always needed.


Maybe my best option would be to get a BD player or game console (ps4?) that has the added content instead of using the TV as a distant peripheral to itself. If I understand correctly, I should wait until spring for them to figure out and release some 4King stuff. I would probably continue with Sony and it's added behind the scenes handshaking (and backstabbing, lol) added snazziness.


The Comcast box is a Motorola DCH3200. It may have DVR functions but we don't currently use them. Comcast has been bugging me to go to X1 and we probably will upgrade to that in the coming months. One thing I try keep in mind is that this Comcast remote control is her favorite...so there's that too, lol


Thanks again for your thoughts. Here are my model numbers:


XBR75X850C

STR-DN1060

M&K LCR750THX (2L,1C,2R) MX-70B

Also, I have an extra center speaker that came with the set that I'm not sure what to do with.