T.V. Volume ? (1 Viewer)

[Don]

How High should it be set before you turn your speakers off. i would like to know so i can properlky set my home theater system up or how high is the volume on your tv set. Don,

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Uhhhh...

You adjust the listening volume to taste - often a bit different for each movie.

When you use a SPL meter to level-adjust your speakers, you typically run test-tones at about 75db. You let the tones move from speaker to speaker and make sure they all produce the same volume at your listening position.

But you DONT LISTEN with the volume knob at the 75 db position. It's way too loud. (Ok, some people actually do this, but most of us find it too loud).

The "db" reading on the front panel of your receiver- that's an aproximation only. Dont pay too much attention to it.

 

[MarcVH]

I think Don is talking about using a "variable out" on his TV set, a situation in which both the volume on the TV and the volume on the receiver influence how loud the sound is.

The problem is, since you have 2 volume controls, one (or both) need to be turned up higher than they normally would be to provide an acceptable volume. If you turn the TV volume up way loud, then you'll get blasted out when you switch the TV back to using its own internal speakers. If you turn your receiver volume up way loud, you'll get blasted out when you switch your receiver to a different input source.

Most HT purists would advocate not using two separate volume controls, but instead configuring your TV (if possible) to have a "fixed" instead of "variable" audio output. That solves the "blasted out when switching modes" problem, but now your TV remote's volume adjustment doesn't do anything when you are listening to sound through your receiver. That may have a low WAF for some people.

 

[Don]

yes i think it is the varibale out not sure what it is called. but i know what your supposed to do. i'm not sure if i should have the speaker volume all the way up like i have now. and then i just adjust the volume from the receiver. cause on my tv once i turn the speakers off the only way to readjust them is by turning the speakers back on. oh by the way what is WAF. Don,

 

[Stephen Tu]

If you have fixed output (which should be used if present), it's irrelevant. If you only have variable out generally you want to set it up so it's about the same level as the other component you would frequently be switching to, e.g. a VCR. That way you don't get blasted or have to fiddle with the volume every time you switch between the two. On my Toshiba this worked out to be 83 on its volume scale of 0-100. Basically you keep the receiver on one setting, switch between VCR & TV set to the same channel, & keep adjusting the TV volume until it's about level.

"WAF" is "wife acceptance factor", in this context basically how much other members of your household gripe about not being able to figure out how to use the system. (Also used to describe acceptance of the physical appearance of a system, e.g. dislike of a mammoth big screen TV in a room) Can be solved with any decent universal remote, which can be set to turn on the receiver at the same time as the TV, and have the volume buttons control receiver volume always, even if the rest of the buttons are in the mode for controlling the TV. I keep my TV speakers permanently off.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I prefer the more generic SAF term - "Spouse Acceptance Factor".

 

[Don]

ok on my tv i have the volume all the way up. its a 20 inch rca tv last years model i can turn the volume all the way up by just going into the menu. without it sounding. does anyone know how much more output power a 27 inch would have over a 20 inch tv. Don,

 

[Bill Will]

Don, it doesn't make any difference if it's a 20" set or a 27" set it's how many watts the audio amp. is rated for. You could have a 27" set that's only 2 watts or a 20" set that has 20 watts. I once read an article about "Variable Audio Output" & it said that you should turn the volume all the way up on the tv & then slowly back it down until there was no distortion in the sound & to never turn the volume way up on the receiver because you could get feedback to the tv & damage the tv's audio amp. As far as how may watts your RCA is if you give us the model number of the set maybe someone will know. If I remember right, RCA 20" sets ranged from 1 watt a channel to 5 watts a channel & the lower the watts the more the variable audio out would have to be turned up. This is one of the reasons I always tell friends that if they get a set with only varaible audio outputs to get one that has at least 5 watts a channel if they plan on hooking it up to a receiver.

 

[Don]

Bill Will here is the Model # F20TF10 i'm thinkig of getting a Panasonic Flat screen which i think would have more power meaning on the Audio outs. Don,

 

[Bill Will]

Don, I checked RCA's website & on your model they don't list the audio watts in their specs. But it did say that the set only has "FIXED" audio outputs not "Variable" audio outputs. With fixed audio outputs the volume setting on the tv should have no effect at all on the volume level being sent to the receiver. With "FIXED" audio outputs you can only control the volume by using the receivers volume control & not the tv's volume control. Meaning the tv's volume setting should have nothing to do with the sound that's being sent to the receiver. Try turning the volume control "ALL" the way down on your tv & then turn the volume up on the receiver & let us know what you are getting. You really din't say how high the volume is from your receiver for the tv compared to the radio, CD & etc. Also what are you using for a receiver? It's also possible that RCA's website is wrong & it does have "Variable" audio outputs.

 

[Stephen Tu]

The power numbers are irrelevant if you are using a receiver. They refer to what's driving the set's internal speakers or if the set has speaker terminals and you hook up speakers directly to the set. The power going into the RCA jack line outs is a tiny, tiny fraction of that. Your receiver will supply all the necessary power to your speakers.

 

[Don]

Will my Receiver is Denon's AVR-3200. i also have a Toshiba ??-4700 DVD player. Don,

 

[Bill Will]

Your Denon receiver should have no trouble driving the tv sound at all. Exactly what kind of a problem are you having anyway? In your post you just asked what to set the volume level to. The answer is:

If it's "FIXED" Audio Outputs: It makes no difference

If it's "Variable" Audio Outputs: See my post above on how to set the tv's volume

 

[Don]

Bill Will, no Problems with the tv just want to get more better sound out of my receiver. i'm not sure how to also how do i tell if the Audio is fixed or variable. the receiver volume is set in the middle for the channel level settings. Don,

 

[Bill Will]

Don, I don't know what you mean by better sound?

The way to tell if the outputs are "Fixed" or "Variable" is:

When the tv sound is playing through the receiver take the RCA tv remote & lower the volume all the way down. If your still getting the SAME volume level through the receiver it's "FIXED" if the volume goes down on the receiver while your holding down the RCA TV's Remote button until the sound turns off it's a "VERIABLE" output.

FIXED: tv's remote will not control the volume levels
VARIABLE: tv's remote will control the volume levels

 

[Bill Will]

I should also add that on "VARIABLE" Audio Outputs if a set has Bass, Trebble, Balance, Auto Sound Level Circuit (RCA calls ir "SOUND LOGIC"), or any type of Surround Sound Circuit these controls will also effect the sound being sent to the Receiver.

 

[Don]

Will by better Sound i mean to get LOUDER then it currently is. if i have the tv speakers turned off you cant adust the volume from the tv and right now i do have the volume down all the way on the tv. and i think it sounds the same so i guess mine is fixed. Don,

 

[Bill Will]

Don, if it's a "FIXED" Audio Output there is nothing you can do to make the sound from the TV to the Receiver get any louder. The only thing you might want to do is play around with changing the inputs & try hooking up other things like a vcr just to see if maybe the "output" on the tv is messed up or the "input" on the receiver is messed up & you might even try a "new" audio cable because that might be messed up. That's about all I can think of.