Sorry, this is probably overkill, but I'm new to the home theater stuff! I have a new Panasonic TX-5077U Plasma (2 HDMI). I have a Time Warner 4250 HDC Scientific Atlanta cable box (HDMI equiped). I have a Onkyo 894 AR/DVD, with 2 HDMI out, 1 in. I also have a Toshiba DVD/VCR combo, but only use it for VHS, if ever. I think I have to hook up the old RCA plugs on that one - to the AR, but can I hook up the rest with HDMI? Any recommendations? Is 12 ga. speaker wire OK as well? I appreciate your help, in advance!
"I have a Onkyo 894 AR/DVD, with 2 HDMI out, 1 in."
For the record Bryan, you have that backwards--you've got 2 HDMI in, and one out. One of those HDMI inputs should be hooked up to the DVD player's output, and the other HDMI input should be occupied by the output of the cable box. Then, of course, the receiver's HDMI output feeds one of the TV's HDMI inputs.
"I also have a Toshiba DVD/VCR combo, but only use it for VHS, if ever. I think I have to hook up the old RCA plugs on that one - to the AR..."
Yes, but you'll also have to connect the video out to the TV separate from the HDMI cable coming in from the receiver. This receiver will not convert that signal to its HDMI output.
You're right, my bad. Sorry to make this so trivial, but I should have one HDMI cable going to the TV from the AVR and the old style RCA's going to the TV as well - right? I'm just used to my old system that was literally a cluster of cables going all over the place. This is my first experience with HDMI - seems like it simplifies things...for now!
You made it simple - thanks for your help - much appreciated!
"Sorry to make this so trivial, but I should have one HDMI cable going to the TV from the AVR and the old style RCA's going to the TV as well - right?"
Yes, only one HDMI to the TV is necessary. You should run the RCA audio out from the VCR into the audio jacks of the Video 1 audio input on the Onkyo. Then you'd need to run a single RCA video cord from the VCR's video output to a composite video (yellow) input on the TV. To watch a tape, you'd select "Video 1" on the Onkyo and the appropriate composite video input on the TV.
You would hear audio from the VCR on the Onkyo system, but there'd be no audio on the TV's speakers. But that's OK, once you see how crappy the VHS video is on that very nice plasma, your enthusiasm for playing video tapes will diminish rapidly.
Hope someone can help - the above directions worked flawlessly, but now about once a day when I'm watching TV (it happened just at the end of the Steelers/Jaguars game)the AV receiver will say "No Signal". The HDMI inputs are all kind of loose (I was told this was a problem) but I have to turn the whole thing on and off several times. Tonight it didn't work at all. It never happens when we're watching a movie. I'm assuming it's the HDMI cable from the cable box to the receiver? any advice?
It does seem strange this problem should pop up out of the blue after some months. First, I do not think this is a case of loose wires. If true, the problem would have happened before now. Second, I don't think it is the cable itself.
Cable boxes have been notoriously bad when connected through "repeaters" such as your receiver. I do think the problem rests solely with the cable box. You could try to hash it out with your cable operator, but I'll bet that will be like banging your head....
I can almost guarantee you your problem will go away if you connect the cable box's HDMI out directly to the plasma. For whatever reason, the box is having a problem with its repeater architecture. Something has changed at the cable head end, imo.
Making this switch will complicate switching convenience a little, but I'll bet you'll not lose the end of another football game.
Thanks for the response. This may be stupid, but how do I use the AV receiver for volume, surround sound, etc. if it bypasses the AVR? Do you think if I get another box from TW that it might help? Crazy, it didn't happen at all for about 2 months, now for the last 4-6 weeks it's happened almost weekly - last night at a rather inoppportune time!
You would need to hook up either the cable box's coax or its optical output into the Onkyo.
You would then select that particular input to hear the digital audio on the cable. This would represent no compromise in audio quality as the most you get on cable is Dolby Digital 5.1 and either coax or optical connectors are perfectly able to carry that.
Changing out the cable box might work. The problem here is that it will be difficult to demonstrate the problem for the cable guy when he shows up. But then, they may already know they have a problem so it might be easy.
the AV receiver will say "No Signal". The HDMI inputs are all kind of loose (I was told this was a problem) but I have to turn the whole thing on and off several times. Tonight it didn't work at all. It never happens when we're watching a movie. I'm assuming it's the HDMI cable from the cable box to the receiver? any advice?
