Help...old A/V Receiver, new TV...no sound

[Saratoga]

Hi all...hope you can help.

I've got a Marantz SR5200 from 1993 that I am very happy with, and don't have the cash to upgrade right now...in a few years I will go full 1080P and Blue Ray, its just not in the cards right now That said, I just got a new TV (Panasonic TCP42X1) and DVD player (Sony DVP-NC800H).

I am struggling to connect these newer components and get everything working...here's what I've done;

Cable Box to TV: HDMI
DVD to TV: Component Video
DVD to Marantz: Optical Digital Audio
TV to Marantz: Optical Digital Audio

I am mixing too many formats? I cannot get anything to play out of the Marantz right now...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Tony

 

[Kai]

Hi Saratoga,
Welcome.
The connections you describe look just fine and are in fact close to what I use. Have you checked the connections section of the owners manual for the receiver to make sure the audio connections are set up correctly?.
You don't say but I presume you have no problems with the picture.
Check your inputs on the receiver set up screen to make sure that you have chosen the correct inputs.
Here is a link to the owners manual.
Good luck and tell us how you made out.

http://www.devicemanuals.com/guide/AV Receiver/Marantz/Marantz-SR5200-AV-Receiver-Owner's-Manual-T0RjMk5qZz.html

 

[Saratoga]

Thanks Kai! I just check...and you are on to something. I just plugged in the optical digital connections but did not go into the receiver set-up and tell it how to apply the coonections.

Which brings up a new problem...I need to get to the on screen menu to make the change, and lost the remote long ago...using a universal remote and cant seem to get to the on screen menu. And I assume I need to temporarily connect the Marantz to the TV (s-video maybe)?

 

[Adam]

There are a few approaches that come to mind for using those optical inputs:

1. One potentially easy solution is to figure out which source those optical inputs are assigned to and then just use those inputs.
2. I'm looking through the owner's manual now to see if there's a way to work the menu from the main unit. I'll let you know if I find one.
3. You can download the remote control code list directly from Marantz (as well as the manual and spec sheet) at the link here. If you can program your remote, then that list might help you out.

 

[Saratoga]

Thanks Adam. I got home and played around with my uiversal remote...the only possibility is an option "Display"...which I am hoping is the onscreen display.

What needs to be hooked up between the TV and Marantz to view the onscreen display? I tried the S-video connection...but got nothing...

 

[Kai]

Just use a plain rca cable...the yellow banded one is for the video output on the receiver but any rca cable will do and connect it to the tv. That is what I use for my Yamaha and it works fine. Make sure you know what video output you are using so you can access it from the remote. While I have my remote I use the Harmony 1 universal and have that screen access on my first page on the remote's display. Or I click on the receiver device button on the H1 and have full access to all the receiver's remote buttons.

 

[Saratoga]

Thanks!!! Half-way there...I got the onscreen menu, but the Logitech Harmony remote does not seem to control the arrows...so its on the screen but I can't access it. Aghrrrrrrrr.

 

[Adam]

Until Kai comes back with the answer, I'd try the following - after you get the menu up on the screen, try turning the surround mode dial on the receiver. Probably won't work, but it's what I'd try (assuming that you've tried various buttons on your remote already).

 

[Saratoga]

I got it!!! Adam & Kai..Thank you! Could not have done it without your help...I wish I could buy you guys a few beers right now.

You guys got me on track with the RCA cable and I got the onscreen menu going but could not access it...I them hooked up my Harmon remote online and customized the buttons, which I did not even know I could do. Once I got in, it was a snap...changed the TV to Digital 1 and the DVD player to Digital 2 and bam...everything is coming out of tha Marantz again, and sounding great. And everything being controlled by the Harmony remote.

Thanks again guys...seriously, I was going a bit nuts until you got me on the right track.

 

[Saratoga]

damn...spoke to soon...new problem;

Everythng works and sounds great...except...the Marantz is now shutting down/turning itself off every 4 or 5 minutes. What could be causing that?

 

[Adam]

...the Marantz is now shutting down/turning itself off every 4 or 5 minutes. What could be causing that?

Sounds like the receiver is going into protection mode. There are two things that come to mind straight away for you to check:

• Make sure that the Marantz has adequate ventilation. Do you have it inside of an entertainment center with the doors closed? One way to help check if it's overheating is to blow a fan on it and see if it will run longer that way.
• Carefully check all of your speaker connections to make sure that you don't have copper strands bridging across from one binding post to the one next to it. Those will cause a short circuit and can cause a receiver to go into protection mode.

 

[tom67]

Big coincidence since you have been playing with the remote....make sure you didnt somehow activate a timer on the receiver and/or the tv or other source...

 

[Saratoga]

ok...thought I had it. Found the banana plug from the Axiom center had actually split while pulling the received in and out numerous times, so I removed the center all together until I can repair or get a new cable. Ventillation is not an issue...it's open at the top (same as its been for years for no problems)

All seemed well, but it started happening again...only happens when listening to the TV through the Marantz...I will check for any timer's that I may have accidentally activated...

 

[Saratoga]

checked everything...the Marantz is turning off every 5-6 minutes, but only wheh listening to the TV. I can play a CD all day with no problems.

I checked connections...there was maybe one stray copper strand from a surround, but it was not touching another post.

Any thoughts???

 

[Saratoga]

Any chance this would happen if there is a problem with my Digital 1 input that has an optical digital cable from the TV?

I ask because the problem does not occur with DVD's or Cd's...