AV/Home Theater Experts ... Need Some Help: Lavender Room: Slowtwitch Forums

AV/Home Theater Experts ... Need Some Help

Jul 21, 17 21:10

I need a little help setting up our home theater. TV died, and the one I replaced it with does not have as many inputs and outputs. I am missing a composite video in and an audio (L/R) out. I believe there is an optical audio out, but therein lies the rub ... I do not know if I have an optical audio in for my current receiver.

What I would like to do ...

1) watch tv
1a) watch tv using the Home theater (this is what I had the L/R audio out for)
2) watch Blueray through my BR using surround sound (I think this works)
3) watch vhs/dvd through a combo unit using surround sound (this is what I used the composite cables for ... There is a composite input but I am using it for the Wi)
4) use our Wi (I think this works, currently using the Audio and Video inputs)

What I think would solve my problem is a receiver that I could run both the BR and vhs/dvd inputs into that could then send a signal to the TV through the second HDMI input.

In a perfect world, the receiver would also let me run the Cable signal through the receiver but with a passive throughput so I would not always have to use the receiver for TV audio.

So ... Does the above make sense? If so, any thoughts on a receiver that would do what I need?

If it does not make sense, what am I missing?

Thanks, drn92

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Re: AV/Home Theater Experts ... Need Some Help [drn92] [ In reply to ]

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jharris

Jul 21, 17 21:31

Post #2 of 3 (564 views)

Depending on how old the receiver is, you question is- do you have hdmi inputs and outputs? HDMI will transfer audio and video. This is the good news- you can run the hdmi from your cable box and blue ray direct to the tv for hdmi. You can simply watch tv or a movie. However, if you want audio through the receiver, then you need to run an audio cable from the blue ray as well as your cable box to the receiver. You can use either, old school rca, optical, or composite digital audio depending on what inputs and outputs you have to connect the blue ray and cable box to the receiver.

In a perfect world, all devices should connect to your receiver and your receiver should connect to your tv as a "monitor". Newer stuff that utilizes HDMI requires less cables since HDMI does both audio and video in one cable, but the cool part is, newer gear can transfer the signal when the receiver is turned off. So, you can run the cable box to the receiver and the receiver is connected to the tv. Yet, even with the receiver turned off, you can watch tv with your cable box and the tv will have the sound through the tv speakers. Kinda neat.

If you end up getting a new receiver, I personally bought a Pioneer elite that was pretty darn cheap- $300 or so and it does quite a bit at that price point and sounds decent. Of course, depending on your needs, "real" sound can get pricey with a more elaborate system.

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Re: AV/Home Theater Experts ... Need Some Help [drn92] [ In reply to ]

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efernand

Jul 24, 17 10:45

Post #3 of 3 (441 views)

Sound like you need a new receiver with HDMI with ARC (Audio Return Channel).

This will allow you to hook up your receiver to the TV and send sound/video to it as well as receive sound back over 1 cable.

If you hook up you BluRay directly to the TV (via HDMI), you should get audio back to the receiver also.

This would give you TV and BluRay either with or without the receiver on. (Although you would have to juggle the volume/mute/audio output settings on the TV when you turn on the receiver).

The Wii and VHS would connect to the receiver and it would have to be on to use those devices. make sure the receiver will upconvert those inputs and send it over the HDMI cable.

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