audio input question

[Verity33]

Hi all,

I am getting ready to set up my new home theater (onkyo 602 + athena micra6) and I am really confused about the audio inputs. I have both a dvd player and hdtv that I wish to input audio for and am not sure which cables to use for each. The Onkyo manual mentions both optical digital and multichannel analog cables but I'm not sure which to use for the hdtv and which to use for the dvd. I wish to be able to have 5.1 for both the hdtv and dvd. Do both the optical digital and multichannel cables support 5.1?? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[JJMP50]

Inputs

You probably have both Coax (looks like a single RCA in) and Optical digital inputs on your receiver. Both of these serve the same function and use the receivers decoder(s) and will give you 5.1 output. Coax is the better of the two, but I'll be damned if I can tell the difference. The 5.1 individual inputs are for using an external decoder. This is mainly used these days for universal players because SACD and DVDA (in most cases) have to use the decoder in the player. Hope this helps.

 

[JohnA]

You can use either optical or coaxial digital for the DVD and for the TV. Your receiver has both. I a little confused about the TV...do you have SAT or Cable? If so you would take the output from the SAT/Cable box to your Onkyo 602 and just use the TV as a "monitor", but if you are using your TV to control analog cable then you can only use the analog audio (red/white) outputs from the TV.

Hope that helps

 

[Verity33]

Thanks for the responses, it does help me!

John, I am using cable (Comcast) and using their hdvr (Motorolla, can't remember model #) and am using component cable to connect the hdvr to my tv. I would like to use my home theater for the high definition channels that broadcast audio 5.1. But I wish to use the tv speakers when watching "regular" tv. Are you saying to use the output from my hdvr to my Onkyo (using either coax or optical)? How would I be able to switch from using my home theater (for high def) to using just the speakers on my tv (for regular channels)? And how should I be setting up my video? As I said earlier, I am using component cable between the hdvr and my tv....is this the right way to be doing this or do I need to be using the Onkyo for the video?

I hope you can make sense of my questions, as you can tell I am very new.

Thanks!

 

[racquetman]

No need to do anything with the video. If everything is hooked up to your TV that is fine unless you want to switch the audio with the video (I'm not sure if your receiver has video switching).

To watch regular TV, you will need to connect the audio outputs from your HDVR directly to your TV (via red and white composite cables terminated with RCA connectors probably). When you are watching regular TV simply leave the receiver off. It isn't serving any purpose.

To watch HDTV with 5.1, connect a digital coax or optical cable (whatever your HDVR offers) to your receiver from your HDVR. Switch on the receiver and set it to the input that you just plugged your digital audio connection into. Then go into your TV menu under the audio setting and turn your TV speakers off. You will now be getting sound only from the speakers connected to your receiver. Turn the TV speakers back on when watching regular TV.

Regular TV will sound a lot better through your home theater speakers no doubt. I would take your TV speakers out of the equation all together. You'll get more use out of your home theater stuff this way. Run the red and white composite cables from your HDVR to your receiver to do this. Just a thought.

Hope that clears everything up!!

 

[Verity33]

Thanks for the help all!

This helps me out tremendously, hopefully I can get this set up tonight after work!