Need an AV EXPERT to clarify some things...

[Mitch613]

First here is a layout of our basement...

The right side is the theatre room which is 100% wired and figured out. The problem room is the room on the left. There's a wall mounted LCD in the corner (BLUE), there's a 2.1 that we want to supplement the tv audio AND run music at times so the sub is under the stairs (RED) and the speakers are in green mounted on the upper part of the walls.


We thought that we'd wire the 2.1 to our Marantz sr6004 as it has multi zone programming. However being relatively new to the AV side of the world, we don't full understand how we should be wiring the room on the left. So here are the questions...

1. If we have the 2.1 wired to the Marantz, if someone is watching a movie in the theater room, is it possible to simultaneously use the speakers in the other room listening to something separate? Or does the Marantz only allow for one "operating output"?

2. If we want to have the 2.1 on with the LCD (for football or something), how exactly do we wire this? Do we run the cable line to the Marantz which then carries the audio to the 2.1 and run an hdmi to the LCD? (Keep in mind, the Marantz already is getting a cable line going into it to watch tv in the theater room... so do we put a second cable line in the marantz?) This also brings about something from the first question.. If the theater room is watching a movie or tv, can the LCD watch something different or again, does the marantz shoot the signal to both outputs?

3. We were going to get Comcast, and I've heard that since fall of '09 you need some sort of converter box. Where does this box fit into the mess? Does the coax line go into the box prior to the marantz?


Thanks a million for any help! We are really stumped as far as the wiring for all this stuff!

 

[MDS]

1. If we have the 2.1 wired to the Marantz, if someone is watching a movie in the theater room, is it possible to simultaneously use the speakers in the other room listening to something separate? Or does the Marantz only allow for one "operating output"?

Yes, 7.1 receivers with a powered zone 2 capability can play 5.1 in the main zone and stereo in the second zone at the same time. The source can be different for the main zone and the second zone.

2. If we want to have the 2.1 on with the LCD (for football or something), how exactly do we wire this? Do we run the cable line to the Marantz which then carries the audio to the 2.1 and run an hdmi to the LCD? (Keep in mind, the Marantz already is getting a cable line going into it to watch tv in the theater room... so do we put a second cable line in the marantz?) This also brings about something from the first question.. If the theater room is watching a movie or tv, can the LCD watch something different or again, does the marantz shoot the signal to both outputs?

The cable feed never goes directly to a receiver. If you have a cable box or DVR, the cable from the wall goes to it and then its output is connected to the receiver like any other source such as a DVD player.

Most dual zone receivers do not have any video outputs for zone 2 and those that do often only have composite video which will not work for high definition. If the receiver has multiple HDMI outputs (I'm not familiar with that particular receiver) then you could run one output to the main TV and another to the LCD in the other room but then you'd have the same channel on both TVs.

The audio part will work fine but you'll have to have a separate cable box or coax connection from the cable company to the LCD to get the video.

3. We were going to get Comcast, and I've heard that since fall of '09 you need some sort of converter box. Where does this box fit into the mess? Does the coax line go into the box prior to the marantz?

You need a cable box if your TV doesn't have a digital tuner. Unless that LCD is one of the first made (it will say 'HD ready'), it will have a built-in ATSC tuner and therefore no cable box is necessary if you subscribe to only basic cable. You always need a cable box if you subscribe to any premium channels or want to watch pay per view or 'on demand' channels.

 

[Phil Taylor]

Another note - you won't get a ".1" (sub LFE output) out of the receiver for a second zone. If you want run a sub in zone 2 you will have to get one with speaker wire pass-throughs and a crossover circuit built in - which would be a PITA for wiring (but could be done). And it still wouldn't be a true .1 LFE channel -- but instead it would be enhanced bass response for small-ish speakers.

 

[Mitch613]

So just to make sure I'm on board...

If we put the 2.1 in the room on the left and wired it to the Marantz, only the 2 speakers would actually be functional unless we bought this supplemental sub thing? Sounds like I'm pissing in the wind with that...

We have an old Pioneer receiver (10 years old.. ish) that's running the 2.1 upstairs currently. You guys think we should say screw it to wiring the 2.1 to the Marantz and just put the 2.1 on the Pioneer by themselves?

We just figured since we got this nice home theater receiver, we'd try to use some of the functions that it says it can do. But now it seems like it's much better to keep the 2.1 separate on it's own receiver...

 

[highfigh]

All new TVs have a digital tuner and have for years. Before that, they needed to be digital compatible.

 

[Phil Taylor]

So just to make sure I'm on board...

If we put the 2.1 in the room on the left and wired it to the Marantz, only the 2 speakers would actually be functional unless we bought this supplemental sub thing? Sounds like I'm pissing in the wind with that...

We have an old Pioneer receiver (10 years old.. ish) that's running the 2.1 upstairs currently. You guys think we should say screw it to wiring the 2.1 to the Marantz and just put the 2.1 on the Pioneer by themselves?

We just figured since we got this nice home theater receiver, we'd try to use some of the functions that it says it can do. But now it seems like it's much better to keep the 2.1 separate on it's own receiver...

You could do that and possibly feed the signal to the Pioneer from the Marantz if the Pio has a zone 2 line out.