Home Theatre Connection Help

K

Kreuzer

Audiophyte
I really could use some help from the experts on hooking up my components. I have:

Sony HDTV, just bought it so it has HDMI
Sony Blue Ray DVD
Digital Cable (has HDMI, optical and the standard connections)
Older Sony Dolby Digital Receiver (no HDMI, all the standard connections and optical connections for TV ad DVD)

I want to be able to watch cable and DVD's and have them both with surround sound. I have HDMI cables and 1 optical cable, I just don't know what component to connect to what. The guy at Bestbuy said all I needed was an optical cable and a couple of HDMI;s but didn't offer much help otherwise.

Please help me...
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Welcome to the forum!

We can best help you if you give us the model numbers for your equipment. That way, we can look up the exact connections and owner's manuals.

In general, if you're equipment can accomodate this, you would:
1. Connect the video from the Blu-ray and digital cable directly to the TV using HDMI cables
2. Connect the audio from the Blu-ray and digital cable to the Sony receiver using optical cables

To switch between the Blu-ray player and digital cable, you would need to (a) switch video inputs on the TV and (b) switch audio inputs on the receiver. If audio and video were going through the receiver, you would only need to make the switch on the receiver. BTW, I'm not talking about physically switching any cables or anything - just switching inputs using the remote controls. If you have a remote control that can run both the receiver and the TV, and that can run macros, then you could do the switching with just one button.

Adam
 
J

jostenmeat

Audioholic Spartan
there's actually many ways to do it.

if it was me, id probably run hdmi direct from stb to display, while having an optical from stb direct to receiver.

hdmi from bluray to receiver, then another hdmi from receiver to display. this way you can access lossless audio.

do not use an optical output from the display itself, whatever you do.

you may, otoh, run hdmi from both units to receiver, and use that to switch sources. you may or may not run into hdcp handshake issues. what is also nice about my first recommendation above is that you can change video settings per source input.

also, you may even compare component connection to hdmi connection from stb to display. people have had varying results.

hope this helps. if you can't understand what i typed, i think you better just start experimenting.

EDIT: I can't read. Old receiver. OK what Adam said. *just don't use optical out from tv*, because YMMV there.
 
Last edited:
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