Help Setting Up My new HDTV w/ Onkyo Receiver
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | So, I need some help. I'm not the smartest guy when it comes to all this home theater business, but I have my system setup right now... and it works just fine. I just want to know if I have it setup to optimal performance. PLEASE HELP!! The components I have are: Onkyo 6.1 AV Receiver HT-R520 Vizio 47" HDTV GV47LFHDTV Samsung DVD-VR320 Nintendo Wii Antenna (Rabbit ears... I know its not the best but its all I have for now) What would you guys suggest for the optimal setup? All I have are mainly composite and 1 optical cable, but I am willing to buy different cables if it means better quality (ie.- component cables or more optical cables). Let me know if you think it would be worth going to component over composite and I will get one more optical cable so I can hook my HDTV directly to the receiver for audio. Unfortunately, neither my reciever nor my DVD player support HDMI, which would be the best, I know. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a ton!! |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 334 Registered: Feb-08 | Greetings Derek, Your question is good because as you have no doubt discovered there are several ways to hook this up. As the simplest method, I would suggest that the DVD an Wii (upgrade the supplied cable) both be connected to the Onkyo via component video and optical audio. From the Onkyo run component video to the Vizio and an Optical audio from the Vizio back to the Onkyo for your TV sound. With this set up your Onkyo is the switch and the majority of your wires are likely to be in one place. There are other ways to set this up but I am trying to keep it as simple as possible while getting the most out of your components. |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | Hey Thanks! That seems simple enough. So, would I hook the antenna into the dvd player via coaxial and then out to the tv, or would the component cables take care of that? Also, would the component cables allow me to view HDTV, or would I have to upgrade everything to HDMI? Thanks! |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 336 Registered: Feb-08 | Your antenna should be hooked directly into your TV and only to your DVD/VCR recorder with a signal splitter if you want to record TV shows. Component video cables will carry HD signals. HDMI is better mainly because you reduce a lot of wires down to one. There are a few other advantages but you will be well off using component. If you are buying cables look first at: www.monoprice.com |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | Hey, thanks a bunch! This really helped. The way I have it set up now is the DVD player is my main source of channels, so I can't use the Picture-in-picture feature on the tv. I think this new setup will allow me to use the PIP feature, so thanks again. Also, that website is great! They have really cheap prices!! |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 4 Registered: Jul-08 | I just thought of something else. If the Wii is connected to the Onkyo via component video, how do I hook up the audio for the wii? Would I plug in the analog audio into video 1 in on the Onkyo?Or would it be easier to hook the wii up to the Vizio tv and won't that work the same? I would just have to go through the tv's video options, but I would still have surround sound with this hookup, right? Or maybe my thinking is messed up... Just trying to figure out the best option. Thanks! |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 5 Registered: Jul-08 | |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 337 Registered: Feb-08 | If you end up buying something like this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10830&cs_id=1083001 &p_id=3566&seq=1&format=2 Then you would indeed hook the audio up to the inputs associated with the component video inputs you use. If you hook it to your TV the TV may not digitize the analog signal and send it back to the Onkyo. |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 6 Registered: Jul-08 | Well, I just got my cables from monoprice.com and hooked it all up the way you suggested. Hooking up the antenna directly to the tv gave us sooooo many more channels, all with HD signals. It was amazing. So, I'm glad we did that. Everything is working great and I have sound coming from the Onkyo for almost everything. I just have two quick questions that I hope someone can help me with... By hooking up the optical cable from my tv to the receiver, I don't get any sound for regular over the air non-HD channels. I only get sound for the HD channels. Its not a big deal, since we have the HD channels now, but is there a way to hook it up so it will play the regular over the air stations as well as the HD stations? I assume this is because the HD channels are in HD and have digital audio. Should I hook up regular analog audio cables somewhere for that? So, thats question one... Question 2 involves the picture quality on the DVD. The picture looks great, but the display on the tv says 480i, even though I have component cables hooked up. Shouldn't it be at least 480p or 1080i? Or does it depend on the DVD... or does the actual display shown on the tv have nothing to do with the display put out on the DVD? Is there an option I have to change to let the DVD player know I'm using component? Or whats the deal? The wii shows up as 480p, which is good. So, that seems to be working. I just want to get the most out of my system and make sure everything is working tip top shape. Thanks everyone (especially you Jim) for all your help. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 351 Registered: Feb-08 | Q1 - the optical cable, as you may already suspect, will not pass analog signals to your receiver, if there are analog audio outputs (red/white) on your TV you could use those to pass these signals. Q2 DVD as opposed to Blu-ray is not Hi-Def. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 352 Registered: Feb-08 | PS - Glad to help, it's what I do!!! Now if I could only figure out how to make some money at this consulting thing!!! |
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New member Username: DerekbcPost Number: 7 Registered: Jul-08 | Serious! You should get paid! They should figure something out. Another quick question. Where would the cables go in the back of the tv and Onkyo? I've tried plugging the cables next to the component video on the tv (so the audio next to component) into the Onkyo Video 1-in. But still no sound on regular channels. Maybe I should try plugging the audio cables on the tv somewhere else... Any ideas? |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 354 Registered: Feb-08 | The jacks in the back of the TV, if there, should be labeled AUDIO OUT or some such thing. |
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New member Username: NydiahMarietta, GA Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-08 | Hi Jim, Just found these older posts on Vizio and Onkyo and I hope you are still around to answer a question. Here is what we have: Vizio GV46L- (this has 2 HDMI inputs and 2 component) Panasonic DVD-R and VCR Comcast Motorola Cable box with DVR Toshiba HD-DVD player (bought before Blu ray won) Apple-TV Sony Playstation and we just bought the Onkyo HT-S3100 Home Theatre system (no HDMI inputs) What are your suggestions for hookup? The Vizio manual only suggests connecting the audio to the receiver- not the video. This is why we are stumped. Thanks for any help Nydia |
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Silver Member Username: CclashhPost Number: 387 Registered: Jan-08 | It really depends on how you intend to attach the devices to the TV. Not having HDMI inputs on the Onkyo is going to present a problem overall with your setup. It would appear that you would need to use the Onkyo for sound (using digital audio -optical or coax) and connect from the components directly to the TV for video. The question is what kind of output are you going to use for each of the devices you have? I would suggest that you seriously reconsider your choice for the Audio/Video Receiver for one having HDMI inputs. Onkyo receivers having HDMI inputs are really not that hard to come by. The problem that you are facing is really just an inadequate variety of choices for using the Onkyo for video. If you are using HDMI and the receiver does not have the inputs needed then you have no choice but to go directly to the TV from the components for video which greatly complicates the way you will have to set this up. In your situation you would have to control your inputs on the TV and the Receiver where as with a receiver with an adequate number of HDMI inputs you would only control your inputs on the receiver. Another aspect of this to consider is simplicity of setup. With the right HDMI receiver you would only need to connect one HDMI out from the receiver to the TV and anything that is attached to the receiver be it component or whatever would be delivered to the TV thru the one hdmi out. In your situation you would have to attach an output from the receiver to the TV for each type of input you are using. Simply put you would have several outputs going from the receiver to the TV for each type of input you use for video making you continue to have to control the inputs on the TV and the receiver. As you can see getting an Onkyo with HDMI is definitely worth considering. If you can still return the one you bought and go for one with HDMI inputs that is most certainly what I would do! |
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Silver Member Username: MccambleyBREEZY POINT, NY USA Post Number: 546 Registered: Jun-05 | I have to agree with jeff, but if you are already using the Onkyo 3100 you can get away with it.The Onkyo has 3 component video inputs and one out that you can use for your HD sources. Connect the HD cable box , the Toshiba HD-DVD and the Apple TV Via component video and use the two optiacal inputs for the Apple and the Toshiba and the coaxial for the cable box. Connect the Component Video from the Onkyo to the TV. You still have 2 composite video and 2 S-video inputs on the TV for the Panasonic DVD-VCR and the play station. Now you can at least use the receiver to switch your HD sources without having to switch the TV input, but you will need to switch the TV for the Panasonic and Play station. |
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New member Username: Junk341Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-08 | this is my first HTIB and i need help with setup. right now i have a hdtv, hddvr (dtv) and a dvd recorder. the way its hooked up now, i can record dvds off my dvr. am i right in assuming that all i need to do to add this HTIB is to run a single digital optical cable from the dvr to the onkyo and a second digital optical cable from the dvd recorder to the onkyo. (besides hooking up the speakers) thanks. |
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Silver Member Username: JrbayLivonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA Post Number: 525 Registered: Feb-08 | Give it a try, if it doesn't work, provide all of the details (model number of the HTiB for sure) in a new thread and we will get it up and running! |
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