HDMI Hookup

[lakeman]

I have an Onkyo TX-SR604 receiver [with 2 HDMI inputs and a single HDMI outout] and a set- top cable box with HDMI output. Should I run a HDMI cable straight from the cable box to the HDTV HDMI input with optical or coaxial audio cable from the box to the receiver; or hook up the cable box HDMI output to the receiver where it should pass the video to the HDTV and the audio to the receiver. Will the HDMI video signal be degraded/improved/unchanged by passing it through the receiver?

 

[Nick250]

I run my DVI (same as HDMI only without audio) directly from the STB to the TV so I don't have to fire up the whole system to watch TV. Audio gets to my TV by stereo RCA cables, though you would not have to do that with HDMI. Don't know about potential video degradation when running it through the receiver.

Nick

 

[duncan618]

HDMI cables aren't cheap! I would run the HDMI from the stb to the tv and an optical from the stb to the rec.

 

[Hi Ho]

I run everything through my receiver. It's just personal preference. I like the simplicity and I never use my system without the receiver on anyway. I have never seen any signal degration from running video through a receiver. Everything goes into my Yamaha 2700 and out over S-Video to my TV and HDMI to my projector.

By the way, HDMI cables don't have to be expensive...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2412&seq=1&format=2&style=

Perfectly fine cable.