Funny thing an installer did....

[kurtkrum]

I'm an audio/video newbie just starting out, so I am writing for some advice. I had an installer run wiring through my walls for a new home theater about two weeks ago. I upgraded from my old bose system, and now have a yamaha power am and deftech cinemapro speakers (and loving it...not ever going to look back at bose).

But the way they connected the components is strange. The installer ran HDMI cables directly from the DVD player and cable box to my TV, and then used RCA-style cables from the DVD and cable box to the power amp for the audio signal.

The power amp is decoding surround (indicates it on the front of the amp) but I am wondering why they would do this instead of just using the HDMI cable, which supposedly carries both audio and video signals digitally.

It just seems odd that I have far more cables running all over the place than needed.

Anyone shed any light on if I am missing something....?

Thanks!

 

[adk highlander]

What model Receiver, TV etc are you using?
Does the receiver have HDMI connections?
How many rca cables are connected from the DVD player?

He may have used the multichannel connnections from the DVD player to the receiver and not used the receiver for any video processing. Did you tell him you wanted to be able to watch TV with out the HT system? If you did this would also be a reason. If all your HDMI sources were routed through the receiver you would always have to run the HT to watch TV or a DVD.

 

[kurtkrum]

I have a Yamaha RX-V861 receiver, and 4 Definitive Technologies pro monitor 1000s, a Definitive Technologies procenter 2000, and a Definitive Technologies ProSub 1000. I also have a Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma (forget the model number).

The receiver has two HDMI inputs. I always use the HT for audio when watching TV (I have comcast HDTV) or anything else.

 

[adk highlander]

Hmm. Well that model does have HDMI 1.2a so it can pass 1080p and will play the high res audio if the player is doing the processing.

I would probably ask him to wire it differently or explain what his reasoning is for why he did it that way. If he did not understand your products or exactly how you wanted it to function that may explain it as well.

 

[kurtkrum]

Thanks for your help! I will probably just re-arrange the cables myself.

 

[EJ1]

Yeah, I don't see why you can't connect the cable box and DVD player via HDMI to the inputs on the receiver and then run a single HDMI cable to your TV (letting the receiver do the input switching).