Your Experience/Help PLEASE!

[Miss-HiFi]

Hello guys, I'm new here and not sure if I'm posting this in the right place but I could really use some assistance.

To make a long story short, my big brother gave me a Amplifier/receiver (B&K 307) some time ago but has not been able to hook it up because he is currently serving overseas (Afghanistan) and I am only familiar with regular 2-ch (stereo) audio. To be honest, I find all these digital audio/video connection very confusing. I wish I had all HDMI because I hear you only need ONE cable for both audio AND video!

After reading a LOT of different posts here and elsewhere, I THINK I may have the basics for a successful 'hook-up' but I would appreciate it IF someone would tell me IF anything maybe wrong with my setup.

Okay... I have these components:

B & K AVR-307 (Amplifier/Receiver)
CD Player (California Audio)
DVD Player (Sony) Just a basic player, nothing fancy.
S.A. Explorer DVR (cable source).
TV - 46" Toshiba

I am quite familiar with audio analog & Speaker connections but am confused with all this component video, digital audio, S-video stuff!

1) DO I connect everything to my receiver and then receiver to TV? or just audio to my receiver and video to my TV? Someone said I should have EVERYTHING go into my receiver and then my receiver goes out to my TV.

It would take a long time to list everything on the back of my receiver (it has everything except HDMI), but I will list the connections on my other items.

TV- (2) sets of composite IN (Red,White,Yellow)
(1) Composite OUT
(1) S-Video IN

CD Player - Analog (L&R)
Digital IN
Digital OUT

DVD Player - Composite OUT (red,white,yellow)
S-Video OUT
Component OUT (Y,Pb,Pr)
Digital Audio (coaxial)

DVR Player - (2) Composite OUT (Out 1 & OUT 2)
S-Video OUT
Digital Audio OUT



=========================================================

SO: this I what I've figured out for the connections.


B&K Receiver to TV (using S-Video AND Composite Audio [red, white])

DVD to B&K (using Component Video [Y,Pr,Pb] AND Digital Audio)

75ohm cable IN to DVR; DVR to B&K (using S-video AND Digital Audio)

CD player to B&K (using Digital Audio) not sure about this???? Should I use this (digital) or the regular analog (red,white)??????



Okay, this is what I find confusing (a bit). My video connection from receiver to TV is Composite (yellow) because that is all my TV is capable of right.? But the video connection from DVD to receiver is Component (Y,Pb,Pr). I know that component is better than composite CORRECT? So why would it matter sending the better component signal from DVD TO my receiver only to have a lower composite signal sent from the receiver to the TV.?? Why not just go composite Out from DVD to Receiver and then composite from receiver out to TV?

I REALLY hope someone can make sense of my gibberish. I tried to explain it as best as I can. PLEASE bear with me


Thank you all so very much for your help!


~Jacinta~

 

[bandphan]

Your almost there...
Connect the dvd player with s-video also and with the cd player use digital, as the B&K will handle the DA conversion better.

If you dont have it here is the remote manual which can control most of the products

 

[AVRat]

Welcome Jacinta, you are on the right track. Your TV can accept either composite/S-video. Video quality between the two is negligible so the composite from receiver to TV is fine. The BK 307 doesn’t offer video conversion so using anything other than composite for DVD/DVR won’t work. Or you could use all S-video connections, it's up to you.

CD using digital audio is the way to go.

 

[Halon451]

Hello Miss Hi-fi, welcome to the forum.

Fortunately that AVR has a good number of optical and coax digital audio inputs which should have you covered for all components you wish to route through it. Should be no need whatsoever to bother with the red/white stereo audio jacks.

As an FYI - you can either use optical OR coax from your source components to the receiver, as either will send essentially the same digital signal with (IMO) no discernible difference. It's up to you. As another FYI - the term "DA" means Digital to Analog conversion, which means that the component has to translate a string of 1's and 0's (digital format) to an analog wave form that your speakers need in order to produce sound.

Personally as bandphan stated, I wouldn't even bother with the component connection between the DVD and the receiver - stick with S-video, from what you post your TV will accept that, and it's a better quality signal than composite. Unfortunately it's the highest quality signal your TV can support, so you're kind of stuck with it. But it will still look pretty good, and the digital audio connections will ensure you have good clean sound from the receiver.

Hope this helps!

 

[Knucklehead90]

It would appear the best video in your tv has is s-video. Composite is the same resolution - but s-video is a tad better. You may want to see if it has component in for video - seems it should have unless it is a very old tv. Just scanning your list of gear you can either use the AVR to switch video or connect directly to the tv. You may want to connect video directly to the tv for the reason I outlined below.

Be aware that this AVR does not convert one analog video to a different analog form. So connecting an s-video source requires you to use the s-video monitor out to the tv. For composite input you will need another composite monitor out to the tv. Same for any component video input. I think I'd connect all the video gear directly to the tv - this will require less cabling.

By all means use digital audio whenever possible.

 

[Halon451]

I think I'd connect all the video gear directly to the tv - this will require less cabling.

Requires only one less cable that way. And more complicated switching between sources. If she routes everything through the AVR all she has to do is switch inputs on the receiver. Her TV is clearly the limiting factor here, but will support S-video, so as long as she sticks with that format throughout she'll be fine.

 

[highfigh]

Hello Miss Hi-fi, welcome to the forum.

Fortunately that AVR has a good number of optical and coax digital audio inputs which should have you covered for all components you wish to route through it. Should be no need whatsoever to bother with the red/white stereo audio jacks.

As an FYI - you can either use optical OR coax from your source components to the receiver, as either will send essentially the same digital signal with (IMO) no discernible difference. It's up to you. As another FYI - the term "DA" means Digital to Analog conversion, which means that the component has to translate a string of 1's and 0's (digital format) to an analog wave form that your speakers need in order to produce sound.

Personally as bandphan stated, I wouldn't even bother with the component connection between the DVD and the receiver - stick with S-video, from what you post your TV will accept that, and it's a better quality signal than composite. Unfortunately it's the highest quality signal your TV can support, so you're kind of stuck with it. But it will still look pretty good, and the digital audio connections will ensure you have good clean sound from the receiver.

Hope this helps!

Remember, a TV that was made for composite and S-Video will look better with that format than a HD TV made for component and HDMI. Composite looks just fine on a TV that only has that kind of input because no conversion is happening.

 

[Halon451]

Remember, a TV that was made for composite and S-Video will look better with that format than a HD TV made for component and HDMI. Composite looks just fine on a TV that only has that kind of input because no conversion is happening.

I think we just basically stated the same thing in a roundabout way...?

 

[Knucklehead90]

Requires only one less cable that way. And more complicated switching between sources. If she routes everything through the AVR all she has to do is switch inputs on the receiver. Her TV is clearly the limiting factor here, but will support S-video, so as long as she sticks with that format throughout she'll be fine.

As long as she is only using one type of video input to the AVR then yes - but the 307 does not scale between analog signals - s-video in requires s-video out.

 

[Halon451]

As long as she is only using one type of video input to the AVR then yes - but the 307 does not scale between analog signals - s-video in requires s-video out.

Which she can do, so what's the issue? I think given her component limitations (mainly TV), this is her best option (S-video and digital audio throughout the system). Why complicate it more than necessary?

 

[bandphan]

Why complicate it more than necessary?

Like the extensive manual speaker setup and eq

 

[highfigh]

I think we just basically stated the same thing in a roundabout way...?

No, it's semantics.

I took your post to mean that composite looks bad on everything and I would say that it looks a lot better on a CRT than a plasma, LCD or LED flat screen.

 

[Halon451]

No, it's semantics.

I took your post to mean that composite looks bad on everything and I would say that it looks a lot better on a CRT than a plasma, LCD or LED flat screen.

Ah.. gotcha. Agreed. Yet, at this point it's not worth debating as we only know a spattering of details about her TV anyway, other than it accepts S-Video at least. Obviously an older set if it doesn't even have component inputs.

 

[Miss-HiFi]

THANKS Guys!

THANKS You Guys... VERY MUCH! I am surprised by all the responses I received here (I posted the same question over at AudioKarma and didn't receive much help ....Oh well!)

Yes, you are right... My TV IS old and probably the "limiting factor" as someone suggested. I'm just not ready YET to upgrade. So my TV has

2 Composite Inputs IN-1 and IN-2 (red, white, Yellow) ,
ONLY 1 S-Video Input ........ and
1 Composite output (red, white yellow)
THERE IS NO COMPONENT In/Out!!!

My Receiver is a B&K AVR-307...... I am 'with' those who say to route the DVD, DVR through the Receiver BUT some have said to run the video from the components directly into my TV and run the audio through the receiver. This is where I get confused.... I don't understand the reasoning. Why manufacture receivers with SO many video inputs, IF people are just going to wire their components straight to their TV's????



So my choices are Composite video OR S-video??? Correct? My DVR & TV both have S-video but my DVD player Does NOT. It has Component Video AND Composite Video. SO, should I just use ALL Composite video (from Components into Receiver AND Receiver out to TV) or use S-video Where possible (basically everything except DVD player) and Composite Video for DVD?

Another thing..... For my CD player..... You are ALL agreeing to just connect the Digital Audio and NOT the L/R Analog connection??? CORRECT??? Someone said I should connect BOTH because the Digital hook-up will not play ALL Cd's?????? This is the FIRST I've heard of this so I'm mentioning it here, just in case.



Geessh... I feel so stupid asking all these "basic" questions.... Guys are just SO much more "in tune" with electronics than us Girls.


Thanks SO much for all your help!



~Jacinta~

 

[adwilk]

It sounds like you've got it... You'd be surprised how many come through here that don't know close to what you do about the stuff.

There are a few reasons to let the receiver handle video, the switching is simpler, (its all done with one button), it allows for only one connection to the TV, (great for projectors) The TV's of the past didn't have many inputs, you get more calibration options, some receivers upscale and on and on. I personally don't let my receiver handle any video.

Since your DVD player doesn't have svideo, composite connections will be easiest. I personally would hook up the Svideo connection from the cable box just to see if the difference was big enough to let the TV handle video switching and route video away from the receiver.

Definitely use digital connections for CD player.

 

[Halon451]

Actually, adwilk, as per her first post the DVD player does in fact have S-video out, which is why I suggested going with this format throughout the system.

Miss hi-fi, here is a short list of instructions that should get you to where you need to be, basically a list of what to plug in and where without all the other confusing verbiage... hopefully this will help.

1.) DVD player to Receiver:
a.) S-video OUT on DVD to 'DVD' S-video IN connection on Receiver
b.) Digital optical cable OUT on DVD to 'DVD' IN Optical Digital connection on Receiver

CD Player to Receiver
a.) Digital Optical OUT on CD player to 'CD' Optical Digital IN on Receiver

DVR to Receiver
a.) S-Video OUT on DVR to 'V1' S-video IN connection on Receiver (that AVR doesn't have a specific label for 'DVR', but 'V1' will work just fine.
b.) Digital optical cable OUT on DVR to 'V1' Optical Digital IN on Receiver

Receiver to TV
a.) S-Video 'V1' OUT from Receiver to S-Video 'IN' on TV - you MAY have to configure a setting within your receiver to specify which output is active, maybe not - not familiar with this AVR.

At this point, you can turn everything on and see if you get the correct input from each source. Switching between sources will be as simple as turning the input knob on your AVR, or using the remote control to select each source. Both audio and video (if any) will be switched simultaneously, therefore minimizing the steps you have to take if say, you're watching TV from the DVR and want to watch a DVD movie, or listen to a CD. This is what I meant by simplifying the switching process. You shouldn't have to fool with anything on your TV once it's set up this way, other than to turn it on and turn it off when it's needed and not, respectively.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[JJMP50]

I was recently in my local pub when a friend of mine said he had a problem. He had recently purchased a "surround sound" system for his new flat screen and couldn't figure out how to hook it up. I told him, depending on what system he purchased, there are several ways to connect his cable box/TV/Receiver together. To this he replied, "What's a receiver?"

I then politely told him to refer to his owner's manual and ordered a beer.