Composite Video + Audio (L/R) to HDMI through Receiver?

Question

Conceptually, should you be able to output composite video and audio (L/R) from a DVD player into an a/v receiver, and only output HDMI from the receiver to the HDMI input on the tv?

I recently purchased the Denon 4308ci as my AV receiver. I have a Sony XBR5 as my tv/monitor.

When I have HDMI OUT on the DVD player connected to DVD HDMI IN on the receiver, and HDMI OUT from the Receiver to HDMI IN on the tv, I successfully get both video and audio on the tv.

However, when I hook up composite video OUT and audio (L/R) OUT from the DVD player to composite video IN and audio (L/R) IN on the receiver, while still maintaining the HDMI connection from the receiver to the tv, I get video only, but NO audio/sound on the tv.

Am I doing something wrong? Or could this be a bug with the Denon?

I have tried hooking up 3 different components (2 DVD players and a Tivo) to the AV receiver in this way.. but no audio... in each case.

Answer 1

your not doing anything wrong, you just need to allocate the same input for each output.....

For example lets take AUX as your setting, you need to go into your amps system setup and choose something thats along the lines of...assign input.

You then choose your HDMI for AUX and your COMP for AUX and hey presto it should work

sometimes however the rule of thumb with some AMPS especially DENONS is that if you go in composite, you have to come out composite, and same for HDMI etc....

HDMI doesnt carry Audio as arule, you would need to purchase a V1.3 HDMI Cable...

Answer 2

Your receiver will convert ANALOG VIDEO and DIGITAL AUDIO signal to HDMI - not ANALOG AUDIO.

You have to use digital audio connection - optical or coax.  Analog will not work - it did not work for me when I tried to connect my old VCR once.

You are degrading your sound and video because the way you connect your equipment requires additional conversion.

Why would you use COMPOSITE when you have such a great receiver with HDMI?

I do not understand what your problem is, but if you do not have enough HDMI inputs on your receiver (you have 4!) - get an HDMI switcher.

If you HAVE to connect the way you want for some reason - you can get one of component/composite/s-video to HDMI convertors - but it is a waste of money.

Answer 3

From what I hear you can only get the lowest transmission. So in yer case youd only get composite goin even though you got hdmi in the connection. Lets say Ive got a composite video and I got an adapter to hook up to an s video then to the tv. I'm only gonna get the lowest transmission which is composite even though I'm attempting to get a better picture with s video. Get it?

I dont know about the audio stuff or anything else.

Answer 4

The big difference between the DVD player putting out HDMI and using the composite + L/R audio cables is that you're now asking the receiver to take a bunch of analog signals, digitize them, and then run them out the HDMI output.  When you use the HDMI output from the DVD player, the receiver barely has to do anything but route the signals directly to the HDMI output.

My guess is that you just have the receiver configured wrong somehow, and that it's digitizing the audio from the wrong source (or is perhaps taking a digital audio stream from another input which is currently unconnected).

Answer 5

It seems like there should be no reason it wouldnt work either way. Although HDMI is meant to carry one signal contaning audio and video so it probably is only going to take one source and it chooses video not sound hooked up the way you have it. In any event you would only be getting the lower quality of video and sound from the non HDMI cables. Your equipment is only as good as its weakest link so your best bet is to just use the HDMI cables when you can.**edit** i dont know if this is relevant or not but i had a 'switcher' thing for my tv which i had multiple sources hooked into then ran just one connection to the tv. the components were all hooked into the regular composite video and at first i tried to do the video out from the switcher to the tv through Svideo and that didnt work. Some signals just dont work together with the different kinds of cables.