QuestionQUESTION: I just purchased a new Yamaha RX-V665 receiver, which I'm
pairing with a Klipsch Quintet SL speaker system and a Klipsch Sub10 subwoofer. The speakers are in transit, but I'd like to start purchasing the cables I'll need to hook everything up. The sound system should be no problem, but the connections to my other components has me baffled. We have a DYNEX 37" LCD TV, model DX-LCD37-09 and an older Daewoo DVD/CD/VHS combo player, model DV6T811N. The TV has 2 HDMI in jacks and digital audio out, using coaxial. The DVD/CD/VHS doesn't have any HDMI, but it at least has dts digital audio out using either optical or coaxial cables. I'm assuming the digital audio needs to go from the DVD/CD/VHS to the receiver, but does the video signal go through the receiver too, or does it just go straight to the TV? To get the TV's audio through the sound system, is it best to use the digital audio out coaxial from the TV to the receiver? We just have basic cable - I assume that still goes straight to the TV, but should that video signal also go through the new receiver?Thank you in advance for any help you can give me. I'm 51 years old, but I'm like a "kid in a candy shop" waiting to hook up all my new gadgets so I can rock the house! BUT I want to be sure I'm connecting everything properly to get the maximum performance. Thanks again!"
ANSWER: Here's how I would run everything...
I would run the DVD/VHS video out to the TV - Component out (Red/Green/Blue) to the component input on the TV, composite video (yellow) to the composite input on the TV. this gives you separate inputs for the DVD & VHS respectively.
Plug your cable TV in as usual
For the audio portion - From the DVD/VHS, use the shared AUDIO OUT to the audio input associated with the component video input (RGB) on the television (stereo audio cables- red/white)
From the a/v output run stereo audio cables to the input associated with the composite video.
Now you have all audio options covered between the DVD/VHS & TV. Let's get the receiver into the mix now...
From the back of the TV, run the digital audio cable to one of the digital inputs on the receiver (make a note of which input this is - AV1 for example). This will allow any audio, from whatever source, to be sent to the receiver. However - to take advantage of the surround sound from the DVD, you'll need another digital audio cable from the back of the DVD to a digital input on the receiver (AV2).
The reason for the 2 digital cables is that the digital audio that practically every television maker uses is strictly 2 channel. SPDIF is typically implemented (a digital stereo feed).
DVD players encode the audio differently, and can send the surround audio through the same cable type. It all boils down to the encoding - it's never a cable thing. Practically ANY RCA cable will function as a digital audio cable for SPDIF and surround formats (don't let any salespeople tell you differently)
So... what you'll need is 1 set of component video cable (red/green/blue); 1 composite video cable (yellow), 2 digital audio cables (you'll need to discern if you'll need optical or coaxial), and 2 sets of stereo audio cable (red/white).
I will add that you should avoid retail pricing when you're looking for cables. Almost all AV stores (even the high-end shops) primarily sell inexpensive Chinese made cabling that has been put in a pretty box and marked up around 500%. Go online - look at places like Tartancable.com, monoprice.com, and bluejeanscable.com - retail stores make most of their profits on accessories, and cabling is the biggest money maker they have. Avoid the "monsterous" brands as these can be some of the worst price gouging offenders.
I hope this helps you out. Feel free to follow up if you have more questions...
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QUESTION: Hmmm... Wayne, you obviously know your stuff, but you're the first person I've asked who says to not run the video signal from the DVD/CD through the Yamaha receiver. It's pretty much the way I have the old set-up hooked up now, with everything but the sound going straight back to the tv from the DVD player. The Yamaha has all these "upconvert" and "video enhancement" features - won't I lose those features if I bypass the receiver for the video signals?
Oh, and by the way... what you guys do here is truly wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
AnswerI generally don't like upconverting and most video "enhancement" features, and don't recommend them very much. In truth, most of these "enhancement" circuits are adding noise to the picture. Upconverting doesn't really work like they make it sound...your picture quality can only be as good as the source material. Trying to upconvert a DVD to 1080p will never make it as clear as a blu-ray disc.
It's like recording a record (yes, a vinyl record) to a cd. Even though you now have it on a superior storage format, it'll always just sound like a record because that was the source - regardless of the boosting and EQing that may have been added.
The reason I had you set up like that was to give you the option of not using the receiver for everyday use. I'm sure you don't need to watch the news through a surround amp, but the option is there if you want to.
Also, If you had more devices I may have chosen to run through the receiver and do all of the switching there.
In the end, there really isn't a single "right way" of setting it up. All you really need to know is your signal path, and the phrase "outputs feed inputs", and this stuff gets pretty simple to reconfigure.
