Please inspect my home theater set up

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Capn Stabby

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Hello,
I set up my first home theater system for my dad - we're on a budget and he just wants the basic experience so we didn't go crazy on anything. I'm just hoping someone could make sure I have everything plugged in right for maximum effect - it's kind of confusing.

Here are the components:
Onkyo HT-S590S HTIB (5.1, receiver)
Toshiba CRT HDTV (component, digital coaxial, composite)
Sony DVD (component, composite, digital coaxial)
Toshiba DVD/VCR combo (component, composite, digital coaxial)

1) I have both DVD players plugged into the receiver via composite cables.
2) The receiver is plugged into the TV with composite cables (yellow + red + white) as well as a digital coaxial cable.

Concerns:
I get 5.1 surround sound playing DVDs, but not during HDTV broadcasts.
I'm also not sure what the deal is with the digital coaxial cable and how much it helped or if it's even in the right place.
My dad said he didn't want component cables because he wasn't sure how much the video quality would increase and it wasn't that much of a concern to him.


Thanks!
 
Buy component cables and surprise him. An HDTV with HD sources, that's not using component cables or HDMI or maybe VGA is a waste. Order them from Monoprice if you're worried about price. If you're using composite, you're not getting HD. Good HD content is amazing.
How are you getting HDTV broadcasts? Do you have a cable box?
In my case, I have the cable from the wall going to the cable box, then the cable box going to the receiver (Onkyo as well) with component cables for video and optical for audio, then from the receiver to the TV with component for video and regular stereo audio cables.
You need digital audio, coax or optical, or multichannel audio to get surround sound. Then you need to make sure the cable box is outputting surround sound. Of course make sure you are selecting the right 'digital input' and the right audio mode.
Lots of HDTV content isn't broadcast in surround sound, so make sure you're watching something that is.
If your cable is going through the DVD/VCR, it's quite possible it can't pass HD signals through, or that you're not even getting HD signals. You need an HD cable box or an HD receiver/antenna to get HD signals.
 
^ agreed. you should def be using component cables. does ur tv have and HDMI input? if so, id recommend getting an upconverting dvd player if u watch a lot of movies.
 
I'm setting up a home theater in my parents new house, got a Mitsubishi 5000BL projector for cheap and some 5.1 Klipsch in wall speakers. All I need now is to pick out a good 1080p dvd/vcr player combo, receiver(I'm thinking of going with a Pioneer one, any suggestions?), and of course a nice fixed screen.
 
Oh, I completely forgot to mention,
the TV has a built-in tuner and we're using an antenna so we get the NBC, ABC, etc HD channels over the air.

So you suggest getting component wires for both dvd players and plugging them into the receiver, as well as component cables for the receiver --> TV?

I checked the set-up against the manual and it looked alright. It said to connect a digital coaxial from the receiver to the TV to receive digital surround sound in digital broadcasts, but to also connect the analog (red/white?) for regular analog sound.

I find it kinda weird that I have to mute the TV when the receiver is on or the TV speakers will play in addition to the 5.1 speakers.

Oh, and my dad said he's not too worried about the upconversion stuff. It doesn't have HDMI, only component.
 
To get progressive scan/480p from your dvd players, you will need at least component. If you're running everything through the receiver, which is usually what people do, you need to have component from each dvd player to the receiver, and component to an HD input on the TV. This all assumes your reciever can pass HD content, which is likely. If at any point in the chain you use composite, you've broken it and can't get HD.
However, the difference between 480i and 480p is not nearly as impressive/obvious as the difference between 480i/p and 1080i/p.

With the tv/receiver sound, yes, the TV gets the audio from the cable, and then passes through audio to the receiver. What I've done is just set the TV volume to something very low, and I just use the receiver audio for everything.
I use a cable box, so I'm not real familiar with the audio outputs of TVs or the use of an antenna--I would assume if it has digital audio output, it can pass through DD multichannel audio and that "should" work, but I don't know what the TV is receiving (ie, can it get digital audio from the antenna?)
 
[quote name='invinceable104']To get 1080i/p, I'd need HDMI and an upconverting DVD player? Otherwise, if I bought component cables, it'd just be 480i --> 480p?[/quote]

correct, i think there may be a couple of rare dvd players that do upconvert through component tho..

if i were you id just upgrade everything to component, go on monoprice.com and get them for dirt cheap. otherwise your not using your system to its full potential
 
[quote name='TimPV3']Wait, you have an HDTV, but you don't want to worry about component? Why did you get a fucking HDTV then?[/quote]
All my dad does is watch DVDs and watch OTA HD stuff, he doesn't game or anything.
This isn't my set up...


Yeah, I'll go ahead and grab some component cables for my dad. Thanks!
 
I bought a component upconverting dvd player just this year, from Sam's Club I think. It's a Magnavox DP170MS8. Works great.

Since this seems to be as good a place as any to ask - any opinions on these speakers? http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-P43...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1189259326&sr=8-2

Getting them to connect to my Sony STR-DG500 receiver I picked up last year on BF. Don't wanna break the bank, but I want something that's decent.
 
[quote name='argyle']I bought a component upconverting dvd player just this year, from Sam's Club I think. It's a Magnavox DP170MS8. Works great.

You sure it upconverts over component? Pretty much all new players have HDCP and will max out at 480p over component unless you hack the player and disable HDCP and Macrovision.
 
[quote name='DreamSymphony'][quote name='argyle']I bought a component upconverting dvd player just this year, from Sam's Club I think. It's a Magnavox DP170MS8. Works great.

You sure it upconverts over component? Pretty much all new players have HDCP and will max out at 480p over component unless you hack the player and disable HDCP and Macrovision.[/QUOTE]

Positive. All of my DVDs are now playing in 1080i.

EDIT: Doh, my mistake - I have it connected using a HDMI -> DVI cable. Coulda sworn I was using component.
 
My apartment set-up should be fairly simple right?

Vizio VX32L LCD --> component --> receiver

PS3 --> HDMI --> TV
PS3 --> Optical --> Receiver

360 --> Component --> Receiver
360 --> Optical --> Receiver

Would I need a digital audio connection between the TV and receiver?
The Receiver only has 2 optical connections, and the TV has an optical one in addition to both consoles -- I guess I would need to find an optical/coaxial converter and plug that into my tv?


Found this one:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/n...d=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2948&cmd=an_submit

OOS :(
 
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