Help on 2.1 setup w/HK3480 and HDTV?

[JJNab]

Hi all, I thought I had a great solution for a small -- 2.1 -- HT/music system for my bedroom, but now I realize that I didn't think it through carefully enough. Here's the problem: I have a HK 3480 stereo receiver and a Philips flat screen HDTV. The HK has been the heart of my main stereo system and is a great receiver, but when I went to add the tv, I belatedly realized that it has only composite video jacks. My tv, cable box and dvd player, of course, have component video. So, is there any way to get the HD picture and have the 2.1 sound? Or do I have to either sacrifice the picture quality (the composite picture is lousy compared to component) or sound and not run the tv through the HK at all? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year,

JJ

 

[MDS]

Run all the sources (dvd, cable box) directly to the tv and only send audio to the receiver. The audio from the dvd player and cable box can go to the receiver if it has enough inputs; if not, you can run the audio from the tv's audio out to the receiver.

You lose the convenience of automatically switching audio and video with the receiver but that's the price you will have to pay if you want the best video quality (component). You can always use macros on a programmable remote to make switching simpler.

 

[JJNab]

Thanks, Anon, I'll give that a try. The receiver has plenty of inputs.