Best way to connect my stereo receiver to set up home theatre?

Question

Best way to connect my stereo receiver to set up home theatre?

Here are components:

1. HDTV with 3x HDMI ports

2. HD cable box with 1x HDMI port.

3. Combo DVD/CD player with 1x HDMI port (DVD does not record).

4. Stereo receiver with 1x HDMI port.

All components have RCA and optical link inputs as well.

Currently I have my cable box connected to the TV via HDMI port 1 and the DVD connected to the TV via HDMI port 2.

How do I connect the stereo receiver in order to:

1. Channel the DVD/CD audio through the stereo receiver?

2. Channel the Cable TV audio through the stereo receiver?

Thanks.

Answer 1

1. Thru optical or coax audio input on your receiver.

2.  Thru optical or coax audio input on your receiver.

In short, use the optical and coaxial inputs of your receiver for audio.

Answer 2

Did cable installation for a few years so I know a few things about this.  Think of everything you have there as a waterfall.  Connecting most of these in series is the easiest way.  Since everything in being inputted to the tv at some point, you want to be playing whatever sounds end up at the tv.  If your tv has sound output, attach the stereo to that, and anything playing to the tv will be heard from the stereo.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

If you list model numbers and brands we can help you with a more accurate  configuration.

Alright then:

The HDMI is the best output from the cable box and DVD player. These are the only sources you have listed.

The fact that you have listed the Stereo receiver as having an HDMI means that it has to have at least HDMI inputs because the only reason to have the HDMI is for video switching (selecting which device you want to watch along with listening to.) If this is the case then connect your cable box and DVD player to the receiver using HDMI and ONLY HDMI. It would seem like there is no harm in connecting the other cables but by doing that you may find yourself unhappy with picture or sound and think that is as good as it gets but in reality you are watching through the inferior connection.

The HDMI will give you picture and sound. (and is the only way to get the 1080i/p scaling that the DVD player is capable of).

Now connect the HDMI output from the receiver to HDMI 1 or whatever the 1st HDMI input is on the TV.

Connect the receiver to the speakers and sub as normal.

If the receiver has HDMI upconversion you are done. If it doesn't then connect component cable to the TV from the receiver. Hopefully the receiver has component video upconversion so you can leave it at that.

The receiver will carry the picture to the TV from whichever device you have selected.

Once you have all devices connected and made sure the settings are right check to see that all devices provide a digital signal. Play a DVD and make sure that the receiver indicates Dolby Digital is playing. Some cable channels may also provide Dolby Digital but many do not (Starz is a good bet.)

Now if the receiver doesn't have the HDMI inputs then you can use a digital output from each device to connect to the receiver (optical or coax is fine.) The drawback to this is that you will have to switch inputs on both the receiver and the TV this way and the other way you only have to switch inputs on the receiver since it is handling the switching for the TV. Also this way you need more cables and will have to use more remotes more often.

Once again, list the model #s for more accurate info. Have fun.

Answer 4

Since your receiver only supports 1 HDMI connection your best choice for video quality is to do as you have done and make separate runs from each component to your display for video.

To answer your question about audio, run separate optical cables from the DVD/CD and the Cable box to your receiver.

That way you will still get surround sound and also see HD for each device.