Sony Blu-ray home theatre setup help

[DarthMonkey]

I just got a Samsung 40" LCD TV (the box says Series 7 and 750) and a Sony Blu-Ray Home Theatre (aka BDV-E500W) for Christmas. We have the following components:

- the TV
- a regular Rogers cable box (don't have HD yet)
- an Xbox
- Wii
- the Blu-Ray player/receiver
- the speakers (attached to Blu-Ray receiver)

I got the cable working no problem (but the sound is through the TV), and the Xbox works (sound also through the TV), and the Wii working (no HD component cables so it is not much of a concern). My question is how do I get the sound from the Xbox, TV and Blu Ray player to come out of the speakers? I connected all of the speakers, but when I go to test the speakers in the menu of the Blu Ray player, no sound comes out. I assume that means that the speakers aren't working at all, but my ultimate goal is to get the sound from my TV, Xbox and Blu Ray player to come out of the speakers. I have the following cables at my disposal (and limited funds to purchase new cables):

- component cable that comes with Xbox (and only works with Xbox)
- one HDMI cable
- one digital audio cable
- one yellow ended video cable (sorry don't know technical term)
- Wii component cable (that came with and fits Wii)
- regular cable (attached to cable box)

Aside from the above cables, there are the cables that connect the speakers together, but they're colour coded and reletively intuitive, so I am pretty sure they're connected correctly.

Right now, the TV is connected to the Blu Ray player with the digital audio cable and the HDMI cable. I am not sure if that's right. I tried putting the sound input on the Blu Ray player as "TV", and put the TV speakers on the "external speakers" setting, and it still doesn't work.

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new gear!

I'll look into that and get you an answer in just a little bit.

 

[DarthMonkey]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new gear!

I'll look into that and get you an answer in just a little bit.

Thank you, it will be greatly appreciated

 

[Adam]

Alright. We will certainly need to get your speakers working properly, but let's tackle the connections between your components first. I'm assuming that you got the Samsung LN40B750 television, so just let me know if it's a different model.

I started to write down the connections that I would make, but then I realized that I need some more information first:

• What audio/video outputs does the Xbox have (is it a 360)?
• What audio/video outputs does the Rogers cable box have?

Just let us know that, and I'll set you up with the connections.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Well, I had quick look on your TV and Sony HTIB specs and looks like your bet to connect it all together and get the best sound and picture is
Connect ALL your sources direct to TV (xbox - possibly get Xbox HDMI cable, if you don't have enough component inputs) since Wii is not HD component will be more then enough or even s-video you wont loose much on video quality,
not sure about your rogers cable box, but use component/s-video/composite in this order of preference)

Sony receiver will connect hdmi to tv.

Now the tricky part - I think in your case best idea is to let tv to do source switching, but output the digital audio back to sony htib.
Unfortunately your tv digital audio out is optical, but your htib input is coaxial.

You need to get this adapter :
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2948&seq=1&format=2

But ! To control this madness and reduce amount of remotes - I'd HIGHLY recommend to get universal remote like harmony - some older models (even refub) will do fine

Good luck !!

 

[Adam]

Unfortunately your tv digital audio out is optical, but your htib input is coaxial.

Hi. The Sony has both coax and optical digital inputs. So, no adapter is required.

I still believe that it is best to understand the available connections before finalizing any recommendations.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Hi. The Sony has both coax and optical digital inputs. So, no adapter is required.

I still believe that it is best to understand the available connections before finalizing any recommendations.

Hey Adam, Well I don't have unit infront of me and my source said there is only coax input.... But me or my source might be incorrect. I'd double check the back of sony unit before placing the order...

But still, you'd have to agree - my idea fits his budget and existing equipment very well

 

[Adam]

Hey Adam, Well I don't have unit infront of me and my source said there is only coax input...

Hey, good morning! The owner's manual shows both.

But still, you'd have to agree - my idea fits his budget and existing equipment very well

My goal is to get the OP the best connections. Routing everything through the TV might limit the audio performance, but knowing if that's the case depends on the answers to my questions posted above.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Hey, good morning! The owner's manual shows both.

G'morning to you too
My apologies then... In this case i see slight chance of using his htib as audio switch....

 

[DarthMonkey]

I am trying to post some pictures, but it won't let me unless I have a post count of 5 or greater. Posting random posts on this thread would likely be considered spam, so I won't do it.

But to answer the question, the Xbox is a 360, and comes with a blue/green/red part of the cord, and a yellow/red/white part of the cord. In the picture I am trying to post, all the ends are connected except for the yellow part of the cord, and that works fine (except for the sound not coming out of the speakers).

 

[DarthMonkey]

The Rogers cable box has a red/yellow/white cable input, a regular TV cable input (which is what we're using now), and an input that looks like a black version of the red/white/yellow input, and is labeled "digital audio out", but it doesn't look like the same plug the digital audio cable on the TV is connected to. The cable box also has a what I think is an S-Video output.

 

[DarthMonkey]

The BluRay/receiver has a component video out, HDMI out (which I am using), and a video out (which I am using). It also has a digital audio out (which I am using), and other audio in plugs (the white and red ones). You will see in the pics.

 

[DarthMonkey]

Okay, I am going to make things simpler by uploading pictures of the backs of my components. They also have the plugs in the way I have them (except the Blu Ray/receiver thing because some of the cables were too short for me to be able to pull the unit out).

Here is the back of my TV:



These next pictures are of the back of the Blu Ray/receiver thing. I hope these are okay because I was having trouble getting the unit out without having to unplug everything.







And finally, this one is of the back of my Rogers receiver:



Hopefully these are helpful. If anything else is needed, let me know. The TV is connected to the BluRay/receiver thing via the video composite cable, the HDMI cable and digital audio cable. Don't know if that's overkill. The red/white/yellow cable on the left of the picture on the TV is connected to the Wii, which seems okay, unless you can suggest something better to do with it. The green/blue/red and red/white cables all go to the Xbox, which seem to be working fine the way it is (although I would like the sound from that to go through the theatre speakers). The HDMI IN and the Digital Audio OUT both go to the BluRay/receiver. And lastly, the regular cable goes to the cable box, which seems okay unless using a red/yellow/white cable would produce better picture or something.

 

[Adam]

Hi. I'll be back in a bit and will give you my thoughts on the way to hook everything up. I'm going to take the pooch out, so it'll probably be a couple of hours.

Are the speakers working now, btw? If not, make sure that the speaker wire connectors are fully pressed into the receiver unit.

 

[Adam]

Well, the pooch is still napping, so I'll do this now.

Here are the connections that I'd recommend:

AUDIO

• Connect the "Digital Audio Out" from the cable box to the orange-colored "DIGITAL IN - COAXIAL" jack on the blu-ray player using any cable with RCA connectors on it.
• Connect the optical digital audio output from the Xbox 360 to the "DIGITAL IN - OPTICAL" jack on the blu-ray player (you'll be connecting the Xbox 360 to that jack instead of connecting the TV to it)
• Connect the red/white analog cables from the Wii to the red/white "AUDIO IN" jacks under "AUDIO" on the blu-ray player

VIDEO

• Connect the HDMI output from the blu-ray player to an HDMI input on the TV (which you have already done)
• Connect component video cables from the Xbox 360 to the TV (which you have already done)
• Connect component video cables from the cable box to the TV
• Connect the yellow video cable from the Wii to the TV (which I believe you have already done)

(If you have component video cables for the Wii, then let us know, as there are options for that.)

You will no longer need the screw on cable connection from the cable box to the TV (I'm assuming that you change channels with the cable box...is that correct?). You will also no longer need any of the audio connections that are currently hooked up to the TV.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Just to be grammar nazi
Adam, your sight far superior to mine as I don't see digital audio out neither component video out on the cable box

 

[Adam]

Just to be grammar nazi
Adam, your sight far superior to mine as I don't see digital audio out neither component video out on the cable box

I can't see the digital audio out, either, but the OP mentioned it having that connection in post 11. As for the component video output, it actually can be seen in the picture of the cable box. Starting from the left side of the image, it shows the S-video jack, the composite video jack, the component video jacks (three jacks from top to bottom), and a black cable coming out of the box.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I can't see the digital audio out, either, but the OP mentioned it having that connection in post 11. As for the component video output, it actually can be seen in the picture of the cable box. Starting from the left side of the image, it shows the S-video jack, the composite video jack, the component video jacks (three jacks from top to bottom), and a black cable coming out of the box.

I stained my eyes a bit (and opened full size image) - The top plug out of three ones in column IS coax digital audio out (apologies, but its rlly hard to see), and below - stereo white/red, to left - yellow composite and further to left s-video.

 

[Adam]

I stained my eyes a bit (and opened full size image) - The top plug out of three ones in column IS coax digital audio out (apologies, but its rlly hard to see), and below - stereo white/red, to left - yellow composite and further to left s-video.

I stand corrected! Thanks for that.

DarthMonkey - ignore what I said about connecting component video from the cable box to the TV. I don't see any S-Video inputs on your TV, so I'd just stick with the cable connection that you are using right now. Sorry about any confusion.

 

[DarthMonkey]

Alright, thank you, I will do all of this when I get a chance to do it. After I do this, though, how will I be accessing the Xbox through the Blu Ray player? Will it be through a menu, or what?