Need some help connectin my new receiver

[Andrew]

Hello all. I checked the Need Basic Advice thread here, and still couldn't quite figure out how to do this. Doesn't help that I'm a total newb when it comes to this, so please help.

I just purchased a Yamaha RX-V361 in order to use my game systems, and to take advantage of the lip-syncing correction that I was having a problem with on my old receiver. The TV that I'm using is a Samsung DLP, and at the moment I've got the receiver connected to the TV via AV Out. I'm waiting for my optical cables to come in, because I know that that will give me better sound.

What I am confused about is how to hook my game systems up to the receiver and enjoy the sound from it. Everytime I hook up my game system (via component) to the receiver, I don't get an input to the TV at all (which makes sense), so I'm wondering how to take advantage of those extra three component inputs the receiver offers, and free up some space in the back of my TV. Another question I had is that the component inputs on the receiver are all labled for DTV, DVD, or DVR. Does that mean I can only hook up those components to those inputs? Even when I have a system hooked up to my V (again, via component), I still get no sound out of the receiver. The only time I do is when I'm listening to it through the radio, so I know it isn't my speakers or anything like that.

All of this is extremely confusing to me, and I hope someone can help me with this problem. Is there a website that I should look at for this receiver that goes step by step, because the instructions aren't making sense at all. Thanks in advance.

 

[mike c]

you can plug anything component unit to the DTV, DVD, DVR inputs of the receiver. those are just "suggestions"

can you take a pic of the back of your receiver, how you've got things hooked up?

when you say "you don't get an input to the TV at all" do you mean no picture?

what game system are we talking about? most game systems don't have component out.
they will have a YELLOW composite, RED and WHITE composite cables. these are supposed to be connected to the proper inputs on the receiver. (yellow for video in, red and white for left and right audio in) THEN you need a YELLOW composite cable running from your receiver to the TV because I doubt the 361 has video upconversion. then you will have to switch the TV to the proper "input" where you have the yellow composite plugged in.

 

[MDS]

Component Video cables are for Video only. You'd also need to make an audio connection. It does not matter what the label on receiver's input says - they are all the same.

Typically you'd run audio and video from each device to the receiver and then use a single video connection to the TV.

So for the game system, you'd run video (say component video cables) to one input and also an audio connection, like a coax or optical digital audio. Digital audio inputs have to be 'assigned'; ie you tell the receiver that the optical 1 connection is where to look for sound when you press the Video 1 input (or whatever the one you choose is named). From the component video out of the receiver you connect cables to one of the TV's video inputs and then make sure the TV is on that input.

 

[Adam]

Andrew, hi.

The labeling of components on the back of the receiver is just to help you know which input and output jacks go to which component selection on the front panel. You can certainly plug a gaming system into the "DVD" input jacks...you just need to select "DVD" on the receiver in order to hear/see that gaming system. Your receiver may also allow you to assign inputs (generally that's just for digital inputs, like the optical ones that you're going to use), so you can tell it which selection on the front panel goes to which optical input.

I'm not sure if I understand your issue with not getting any sound, but let me throw this out there. Component video connections contain no audio information, just video. So, if you've only connected the video outputs on the gaming system to the video inputs on the receiver, then you won't have any sound for that selection. That's not intended to be patronizing, but I have friends who have messed that exact thing up.

Adam

EDIT: MDS...so fast, so fast. I can't compete!

EDIT 2: I scrolled up and saw that mike answered first. Wow, I gotta stretch out first or something. Oh, FYI mike, I like your new sig!

 

[mike c]

EDIT: MDS...so fast, so fast. I can't compete!

EDIT 2: I scrolled up and saw that mike answered first. Wow, I gotta stretch out first or something. Oh, FYI mike, I like your new sig!

don't worry we have different suggestions, we don't exactly know what's wrong with his system yet. let's just throw out some possible fixes.

thanks on the sig. ill be going out this sunday to go fish hunting. total budget 100 bucks for a small Koi.

 

[Andrew]

Okay, I'd better explain this further, but these suggestions are definitely helping.

I've got a Wii hooked up via component to my TV, and the receiver hooked up to the TV via basic AV. I (finally) figured out how to get sound, but I guess my main question is how to hook up the Wii to the receiver through component, and be able to play it through the receiver instead of the TV. My main problem is as soon as I do that, the TV does not recognize that anything is hooked up to it at all...I get no picture whatsoever, no sound, it's like I don't even have the system.

I saw that MDS said "Typically you'd run audio and video from each device to the receiver and then use a single video connection to the TV." So, right now since I'm using the regular white and red cables from the receiver to the TV, I need to hook the component cables from my Wii to the receiver, in addition to the white and red cables?

Sorry if this isn't making any sense, but I really really appreciate everyone's patience.

EDIT: Okay, I've got the Wii hooked up to the receiver now, but still no picture. I'm starting to think that I'm missing a cable from the receiver to the TV in order to get picture, because all I've got is just the red white, and yellow cables hooked into the TV (AV out) from the receiver.

 

[mike c]

MDS got it right ...

your wii needs to be connected to your receiver VIA component AND audio connections (i.e. optical, red and white cables)

then your receiver will need to connect to the TV via the same way you have your wii connected to the receiver (i.e. component cables, yellow cable, s-video cable)

the red and white cables from the wii don't need to go to the TV.

 

[Andrew]

MDS got it right ...

your wii needs to be connected to your receiver VIA component AND audio connections (i.e. optical, red and white cables)

then your receiver will need to connect to the TV via the same way you have your wii connected to the receiver (i.e. component cables, yellow cable, s-video cable)

the red and white cables from the wii don't need to go to the TV.

Okay, so that may be my problem. My receiver is connected via regular composite cables, and my Wii is hooked up to the receiver via component cables. They don't match, but they need to in order to get the picture and sound? What about when I get an optic cable to hook up the receiver to the TV?

EDIT: Well, now I have the Wii hooked up to the receiver via red, white, and yellow, and the receiver still hooked up to the TV via red and white and yellow through AV out, and I'm getting sound, but no picture.

 

[mike c]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhoran/385844583/

what is the AV multi-out composed of? yellow, red and white? if so, yellow goes to composite in of the yamaha, red and white goes to the red and white input of the yamaha, then a yellow cable from yamaha to the tv.

how many cables does the AV multi out have? 3 or 5?

 

[mike c]

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/setupAV.jsp

looks like the AV multi cable is composed of the red yellow and white.

andrew, when you say component cables - these are the red green blue cables used PURELY for video.

the red white and yellow cables are called composite cables.

let's check your connections again:

let's use the DVR input.

all three cables from the wii go to the receiver: yellow, red and white all under "DVR in"

then you take a NEW yellow cable to connect from the yellow "monitor out" of the receiver to the yellow "input" of the tv.

done.

http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/av/products/ht/rxv361.html

 

[Andrew]

There's my problem - I've been hooking the receiver up to the TV via an output, not an input. Once I switched that, I got picture and sound to go with it. So, problem sort of solved.

Now, when I get the optical cable in to hook my receiver up to the TV, then instead of using the regular white, red, and yellow cables for the Wii I can use component to hook in the Wii to the receiver?

 

[mike c]

or alteranatively, if you don't have a separate YELLOW cable, the yellow from the Wii goes straight to the TV

 

[mike c]

There's my problem - I've been hooking the receiver up to the TV via an output, not an input. Once I switched that, I got picture and sound to go with it. So, problem sort of solved.

Now, when I get the optical cable in to hook my receiver up to the TV, then instead of using the regular white, red, and yellow cables for the Wii I can use component to hook in the Wii to the receiver?

you're gonna need something like this to use component:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/acc/componentCables.jsp

so which one do you have? the cable above with 5 wires or this one with 3 wires:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/acc/avCables.jsp

i'm not aware if the wii has an optical out

 

[Andrew]

I've got those exact component cables - 5 wires. The Wii doesn't have an optical out. Will I need a cable that has red, green, blue, and red + white on both ends to take advantage of running my Wii in component using my receiver?

 

[mike c]

ok.

from the Wii

connect the red green and blue wires to the TV inputs.

connect the red and white audio cables to the receiver inputs (you can use whichever: CD, DVR in, DVD).

switch the TV to the inputs you used to connect the cable at the back.

switch the yamaha to the audio input you used.

done.

so you don't need an optical cable, or any other cable.

 

[Andrew]

Okay, that makes complete sense. Only problem now is that the red and white audio cables aren't nearly long enough from the back of the TV to the receiver.

Always something new here...

I very much appreciate your help.

 

[avaserfi]

If the audio rcas aren't long enough you can get female to female connectors at radioshack and then plug the wii cable to one end and any old rca to the other and the tv. Shouldn't cost more than 10 bucks.

 

[Andrew]

Well, I managed to get the connections going despite the short cable length for the red and white audio cables, but now I'm at the problem I was at before I bought the receiver; the sound doesn't match the picture. The picture is moving too fast for the sound, and I tried the audio syncing feature of my receiver. Unfortunately, it only allows me to further delay the sound; not speed it up. While it isn't noticeable at all times, it is very noticeable whenever I have my TV's speakers on, comparing them to the receiver. So, now I have a new question: The way I understand an optical connection is that it gives a clearer sound, sort of like how component cables give you a better picture than a regular yellow connection. Will hooking up my receiver to my TV via optical help with this problem, or should I look at returning this one and look for one with a feature that speeds up the audio?

I'm about to lose my mind with all these problems...

 

[MDS]

An optical connection is simply a digital connection. It sends the data as binary information - zeros and ones - and the receiving device (whatever it is) decodes it if necessary and converts it to analog.

Lip sync problems are usually caused by video processing in the TV. The processing takes time and usually causes the video to lag the audio. Therefore receivers are starting to incorporate a lip sync delay that slows down the audiio. The opposite problem you seem to have is very unusual.

Here's the thing with the optical audio out on the TV:
That is for the case where the TV itself is receiving the audio information. If you do not have a cable box and have the RF cable connected from the wall to the TV, you could use the optical audio out to send the audio to another device, like a receiver, for processing. There is no need to send the video anywhere as the TV already has it from the RF cable.

If you want to treat the TV like any other source, like your Wii, DVD Player, etc, then you run the audio only to the receiver (from the TV's audio out).

 

[mike c]

ok, maybe we can slow down your video if we let it pass through the receiver ...

connect the Wii video (red green blue) cables to the receiver
leave the white red cables on the receiver

connect three cables from the receiver "component out or monitor out" to the TV, you can use any color cable as long as red is connected to red, green to green, blue to blue.

I'm not seeing an optical out from the Wii.