Newbie needs help!

[mybrokengnome]

I'm very new to all this, so I will try to explain as best I can.

I just purchased a used Yamaha HTR-5640 receiver - a quick search on google will bring up the manual, it wouldn't let me post the link because this is my first post.

6 speakers and a sub from a friend. I'm really not sure if the way I have it hooked up is the best way, so if someone can tell me how wrong I am I'd appreciate it.


Currently I have the cable running through my dvr/cable box, and that running into the tv all using coax. I have a 360 running into the TV(a 30in Olevia) using component, and my Wii running into the TV through composite. The 360 is also my DVD player.

Now that I have the receiver, I've just got the audio running out of the TV(using the red/yellow wires) into the D-TV labeled audio in on the receiver. I'm almost positive this isn't right, and maybe its just me, but I don't think it sounds that great. It sounds pretty good on something called "Neo:6 Music", but anything else and the bass sucks. What should I listen to tv, play games, and watch movies on? I read the manual, and I tried to set it up best as I could, but a lot of it made no sense, and the diagrams weren't that easy to understand.

Sorry for the n00b questions, but I'd appreciate any help. Thanks!

 

[Seth=L]

Ok, what types of connections, other than RF Coax, are on the DVR? I assume it has component. How many Component video inputs does the TV have? Does it have at least 2?

You can run a set of stereo audio cables or a toslink from the DVR to the receiver directly for starters. That will get you off of mono sound. If you connect the DVR directly to the TV using Component you could potentially do HD if your service has those features available. You can leave the audio cables from the TV to the receiver connected for the Wii. You might also want to get a digital connection for the 360 to go direct to the receiver.

 

[mybrokengnome]

Yes, the TV has 2 component, and also 2 composite if I remember correctly.

I don't currently have HDTV, so the DVR they gave me doesn't have component, just composite.

 

[Seth=L]

Composite is better than Coax.

Does the box have an Optical or Coaxial Digital output (the coaxial digital output will be an RCA jack if it has one)? You can use that to connect directly to the Yamaha receiver. The 360 seems to be in order, aside from a possible digital connection.

 

[mybrokengnome]

Ok so here's a listing of what everything has... and I'm kinda getting frustrated



DVR/Cable box has:
S-Video
IR
an out-1 and an out 2 column, out 1 has a yellow TV/Video, red and white, and then a black digital audio out. Out 2 has red yellow and white.

The TV has, going out:
red and white
something called ANT
and a headphone jack

It also has 2 svideo in, 2 composite, and 2 component


As a reminder, cable goes to TV, tv goes to receiver using the red and white cable, 360 goes to TV using component, wii goes to tv using composite.


Now the reason I'm getting frustrated. Everythings hooked up, and I know it's working correctly because I can run the speaker test on the receiver and all channels will function, and they will light up on the receiver as being active. But, when I'm watching TV, playing the 360, or watching a movie on the 360 only the left and right front speakers are showing up as active. Sound will come out of the rear left and right channels, but its very low and just what's coming out of the front ones. Nothing comes out of the center rear. I'd really like to be able to play games and watch movies in 5.1, and have something come out of all the speakers when I'm watching TV would be nice.

If I ran composite out of the DVR box into the receivers composite in, 360 into the receiver using component, the Wii into the receiver using composite, and then the receiver out to the tv using either component or composite would that get me everything I want?



Sorry for asking stupid questions

 

[Seth=L]

It's OK, there is no need to apologize.

So is the video and audio working at the moment? And the audio is not working optimally?

 

[mybrokengnome]

Yep, everything is working, the receiver is only outputting, and showing it working, in stereo.

 

[Seth=L]

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemsetup/xbox360/console/digitalaudio.htm

That might have come with your xbox I am not sure. You will need one of these to connect it to the Optical digital input on the receiver rear on the far left of the unit.

http://www.mycablemart.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=368

You can use any standard Composite video cable to connect the black digital out on the DVR to the receiver's digital input on the far left of the back of the unit.

 

[mybrokengnome]

Yay!!! Progress!!! Thanks Seth.



I went and bought a TOSLink, hooked it up to the Xbox and then to receiver and I now have 5.1 on my Xbox(it only does 5.1, not 6.1).

I also bought a sony digital audio cable(it has an orange connector), because it was only a few more dollars than the red/yellow audio cables. I hooked that up to the black digital audio out on the DVR box and into the orange digital in on the receiver. I get sound through it, but it's still only doing stereo. And I also tried just using a composite cable like you said, but it did the same stuff. Oh well, at least the Xbox works

 

[Seth=L]

Yay!!! Progress!!! Thanks Seth.



I went and bought a TOSLink, hooked it up to the Xbox and then to receiver and I now have 5.1 on my Xbox(it only does 5.1, not 6.1).

I also bought a sony digital audio cable(it has an orange connector), because it was only a few more dollars than the red/yellow audio cables. I hooked that up to the black digital audio out on the DVR box and into the orange digital in on the receiver. I get sound through it, but it's still only doing stereo. And I also tried just using a composite cable like you said, but it did the same stuff. Oh well, at least the Xbox works

Most sources on cab/sat are 2 channel. Only a few programs will be ouput 5.1