dvd player straight to tv?

[TuroK27]

hi,
i have my dvd player (video) out going straight to the tv....my question is should i run my dvd video out(component) into my harman avr 510 first & then into my tv or stright to the tv?
would i just degrade the video signal by adding an extra step or is this the common way?

thanks in advance,
turok

 

[saurabh]

I dont see any value addition by taking it to the harmon, until and unless the manual says that it provides some refinement to the video signals !!!.

 

[MDS]

Running the video to the receiver gives you the convenience of allowing the receiver to switch among multiple video sources so that you never have to switch inputs on the tv. If for example, you have a dvd player and a cable box connected to the receiver, you would need only one connection to the tv. Switching from dvd to cable will switch the picture on the tv without you having to switch the input on the tv. If both were connected directly to the tv (but audio going thru the receiver as it always should), you would have to change the input on the receiver and then also change the input on the tv.

Additionally, many receivers can convert from one format to another. If the dvd player is connected using component cables and the cable box is connected via composite or s-video, a receiver that can upconvert to component will allow you to use one component connection to the tv regardless of the fact that the two video devices are connected using different formats.

Most receivers provide at least 50 Mhz bandwidth for video switching which is more than adequate for preventing any kind of signal degradation. However, converting from composite (or s-video) to component will not improve the signal in any way.

 

[ducker]

It also depends on the receiver. I know with my receiver I wouldn't be gaining that much. Since I only have s-video up-conversion. for DVD's I'd have to still use component out. So, there is really no point in me going from DVD->receiver->TV. I just go directly to the TV.

Now for all other output though, I'll be going to the receiver, and then s-video out. (once I get back there again... Lately I haven't wanted to dive back there)

 

[ravoors]

What about lag between the audio and video if the video is going directly to TV and audio is going to the receiver ? Could there be a lag introduced ?

Several receivers have the feature of audio/video sync - this would not be possible if the video goes direct to TV right ?

On a related note, if DVD player supports both HDMI and Component video is there any benefit of choosing one over the other just to transfer the video image from DVD Player to TV ?

Thanks

 

[saurabh]

the lag that you are talking about would be so so minute that you will never be able to tell it, not even with all your concentration, so dont worry about it.

 

[claudermilk]

You wouldn't connect through the receiver to improve signal, it can't output better than what it receives. I think in most cases the reason is why I've gone that route, is to use the receiver as a one-stop switching station.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Running the video to the receiver gives you the convenience of allowing the receiver to switch among multiple video sources so that you never have to switch inputs on the tv. If for example, you have a dvd player and a cable box connected to the receiver, you would need only one connection to the tv. Switching from dvd to cable will switch the picture on the tv without you having to switch the input on the tv. If both were connected directly to the tv (but audio going thru the receiver as it always should), you would have to change the input on the receiver and then also change the input on the tv.

Additionally, many receivers can convert from one format to another. If the dvd player is connected using component cables and the cable box is connected via composite or s-video, a receiver that can upconvert to component will allow you to use one component connection to the tv regardless of the fact that the two video devices are connected using different formats.

Most receivers provide at least 50 Mhz bandwidth for video switching which is more than adequate for preventing any kind of signal degradation. However, converting from composite (or s-video) to component will not improve the signal in any way.

Running all your video through the new HK7300 may actually improve the signal. Here's part of an article taken from Sound and Vision Mag's November 2004 issue.

But the AVR 7300's most newsworthy feature — Faroudja DCDi video processing — is also among its subtlest. The headline here is the ability to “upscale” 480i (interlaced) video, like standard-definition broadcast TV, to 480p (progressive-scan) format, like the output of a progressive-scan DVD player. All of my video sources — my universal DVD player, my TiVo/DVD recorder, and my Comcast high-def cable box — can do the same already, and this is likely to be the case in a lot of up-to-date systems. But the AVR 7300 lets you assign video-setup modes individually for each input — not only DCDi deinterlacing but also settings for video noise reduction, brightness, contrast, saturation, display format (4:3 or 16:9), and so on.
In my case, standard-def images from the Comcast Motorola digital-cable box looked a bit sharper and more solid using the receiver's processing, while the TiVo box and DVD player were tossups. However, another, cheaper progressive-scan DVD player clearly benefited from the processing.

This is not a simple feature, but it is a powerful and potentially beneficial one, particularly for systems with older sources like a VCR or laserdisc player. And one big fringe benefit of the AVR 7300's video processing is simple and universally useful: it not only upscales both composite- and S-video sources to component video, but it also sends all onscreen menus and displays to the component output (as well as the others). That lets you make just one connection to your TV, vastly simplifying not only setup but everyday use.

 

[MDS]

I guess I should have said 'converting from composite to component won't improve the signal in any way unless you have 1 of the 2 receivers that include Faroudja DCDi video processing.

Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

[geob]

Running the video to the receiver gives you the convenience of allowing the receiver to switch among multiple video sources so that you never have to switch inputs on the tv. If for example, you have a dvd player and a cable box connected to the receiver, you would need only one connection to the tv. Switching from dvd to cable will switch the picture on the tv without you having to switch the input on the tv. If both were connected directly to the tv (but audio going thru the receiver as it always should), you would have to change the input on the receiver and then also change the input on the tv.

Additionally, many receivers can convert from one format to another. If the dvd player is connected using component cables and the cable box is connected via composite or s-video, a receiver that can upconvert to component will allow you to use one component connection to the tv regardless of the fact that the two video devices are connected using different formats.

Most receivers provide at least 50 Mhz bandwidth for video switching which is more than adequate for preventing any kind of signal degradation. However, converting from composite (or s-video) to component will not improve the signal in any way.

I thought I might jump in here for some confirmation. I'm a novice, so pardon me if my knowledge is limited. We just had our plasma mounted with the wires being run through an in-wall conduit. Space was limited, so 1 set of component video and analog audio was put through the walls. The plan is to hook up a Moxi box (HD DVR) and a DVD player (both have component, but no DVI). Since I only have 1 component video cable going to the plasma, I'm assuming I'll have to connect the TV directly to the Denon 2805 AVR, then from the receiver to the Moxi and DVD player. There is no other way to do this, correct? I would like to know if there are any alternatives so that I don't have to turn on the receiver every time I just want to watch TV. Thanks for any help.

 

[MDS]

If you want to watch TV without going through the receiver then you will have to use the RF signal from the Moxi to the plasma (I assume the plasma does have an RF input). I'm not familiar with that particular cable box, but nearly all I've seen have an RF In and RF Out. The cable from the wall is connected to RF In. Then run another cable from the RF out to the plasma. You could then watch cable on the plasma by switching its input to the cable input and turning on its speakers.

The way you describe the component hookups going through the receiver is the 'normal' and preferred way - you'll just have to change the input on the tv to its component in instead of cable/antenna (RF) in. If you skip the RF connection entirely, as I and most others do, the receiver will do all the switching for you and you never have to change the tv input.

You are not alone in asking how you can watch tv without using the receiver, but I always wonder, Why? You have a plasma tv and better than mid-range stereo components, so why would you ever want to watch tv and listen through the tinny little speakers of the tv? Personal preference, I guess.