Hi I have recently purchased a 52" Samsung lcd tv which will be delivered this Wednesday and a Panasonic htib, model sc-bt100. I also have a Comcast HD box. I'm a novice when it comes to connecting home theater components so any advice on how to connect them would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for a solution that will allow me to listen to cable television and blu ray in surround sound, but I'd also like the option of turning off the surround sound and playing sound through the tv speakers late at night. The htib doesn't have an hdmi input, but only one hdmi output. Would it be ideal to connect the cable box to the htib using component cables for video and an optical cable for sound and then connecting the htib to the tv using hdmi?
To accomplish your goals I believe all you need to do is connect the HTiB to the TV via HDMI, connect your Cable box to the TV via HDMI as well as the cable box via optical to the HTiB.
You did not give us the TV model #? Jim's suggestion is correct as long as you have 2 HDMI inputs on the TV? If you do not have that option then you have to consider sacrificing something somewhere.
In a case with only 1 hdmi input on the TV I'd connect the HTiB to the TV with HDMI and then the STB to the TV/HTIB with component / optical.
Hopefully you have multiple HDMI on the TV and you won't have to compromise anything!
Thanks guys for you quick responses. Jim I'll definitely try your recommendation. Robert, I purchased a 52" Samsung (model ln52a650) which contains 4 hdmi inputs. Thankfully it seems like I won't have to sacrifice anything. Thanks again guys.