Home Theater hook up advice anyone?

[sl4vik]

Onto business, anyone giving advice would be appreciated.

Here is the current setup (not finished with cables).

TV: 46" Sony Bravia 1080P LCD 1920x 1200 res

Sound: samsung HT-TQ85 5.1

Cable box: Motorola Comcast HD DVR box


I'm having trouble hooking this up. How can I achieve the best sound and video quality? Do I connect the Samsung to the motorola box with Optical cable? And from the Cable box I use my monster components to the TV? does component even do 1920x1200??

Secondly, the samsung is also a dvd player, so do I just connect that via HDMI to the TV directly? Will that give me 5.1 in DVD's that I play?

I'm hella confused and help at all will be appreciated.

[Blackstar]

Wow, you've got a lot of new toys. Getting the best experience out of your new set up is going to take a little research, the right cables, and the right settings. (But you have to promise never to use the word 'hella' ever again.)

To start:

The TV.

Which 46" is it? The Sony KDL46V2500, Sony KDL46XBR2, or Sony KDL46XBR3, or a different one? Each is slightly different and will have different amount and type of inputs. This will limit your options.


The cable box.

Is it the digital cable, DVR, or HD-DVR type? Again, this will change your output options.


The DVD/Surround Sound.

This will be a little simpler since this is an "all-in-one" surround sound system with the DVD player and receiver built in. Just put the speakers in the correct positions for the correct channel. (Left front, right front, center, and so on.)

The best quality video output that will give you the DVD upscaling is the HDMI plug. This plugs sends audio and video information to the tv. (You won't need the TV volume on anyway for DVD viewings since that audio will be coming from the surround sound speakers). Since the DVD player only upscales to 1080i, the TV will be upscaling that to 1080p. The DVD player has component outputs, but you will only get 480p out of those analog connections.


Without more info on the other equipment there is not much else I can tell you. It will all depend on what connection and wires you have.

- Blackstar

[sl4vik]

Wow, you've got a lot of new toys. Getting the best experience out of your new set up is going to take a little research, the right cables, and the right settings. (But you have to promise never to use the word 'hella' ever again.)

To start:

The TV.

Which 46" is it? The Sony KDL46V2500, Sony KDL46XBR2, or Sony KDL46XBR3, or a different one? Each is slightly different and will have different amount and type of inputs. This will limit your options.


The cable box.

Is it the digital cable, DVR, or HD-DVR type? Again, this will change your output options.


The DVD/Surround Sound.

This will be a little simpler since this is an "all-in-one" surround sound system with the DVD player and receiver built in. Just put the speakers in the correct positions for the correct channel. (Left front, right front, center, and so on.)

The best quality video output that will give you the DVD upscaling is the HDMI plug. This plugs sends audio and video information to the tv. (You won't need the TV volume on anyway for DVD viewings since that audio will be coming from the surround sound speakers). Since the DVD player only upscales to 1080i, the TV will be upscaling that to 1080p. The DVD player has component outputs, but you will only get 480p out of those analog connections.


Without more info on the other equipment there is not much else I can tell you. It will all depend on what connection and wires you have.

- Blackstar

Ya, thanks. I actually ended up hooking it up right and sony just looks JAW DROPPING GOOD. I have never seen a better picture on any TV in my life! Madagascar at 1080i was just purely ridiculously good looking. I'm wondering if I trully need the HDMI cable vs component. We'll see I guess.

[Blackstar]

Ya, thanks. I actually ended up hooking it up right and sony just looks JAW DROPPING GOOD. I have never seen a better picture on any TV in my life! Madagascar at 1080i was just purely ridiculously good looking. I'm wondering if I trully need the HDMI cable vs component. We'll see I guess.

Yes, yes you will. ;) The component is analog. The HDMI is digital. If your not using HDMI, you 'ain't seen nothing yet'.


- Blackstar