Having trouble with Surround Sound

DBoz699

DBoz699

Veteran
Hey

I'm trying to set up a surround sound system for my cousin. He just bought a new HDTV a home theater system, a DVD VCR combo, and 5.1 surround speakers...but im going crazy because Ive tried like 8 different ways to hook it up..but still no surround.

How would i go about setting it up?

He wants it set up where the cable cord from the wall can come into the DVD VCR combo as an input so he can record stuff off tv...then he has a cable output to the TV it self..(i think thats the problem)...but also want the DVD to connect to the home theater system.

I'm getting so confused with this crap its unbarable...does anyone know how to do this? Do i have to connect everything to the home theater system???

Please help...its getting hot in this place...
 
Here’s a barebones setup. Without knowing the specifics of the machines in question, this should work for 99% of what’s out there:

Run the cable from the wall into the VCR. (Assuming there’s no box, which you seem to indicate there isn’t.) Run a cable from the VCR into one of the coaxial antenna inputs on the TV. If there’s a coaxial input for a DTV antenna, don’t use that one.

Run the RCA cables (red/white/yellow) from the VCR into the VCR inputs on the receiver.

Run the S-video from the DVD player (yes, I know it’s the same unit) to the S-video input in the DVD input on the receiver. If there are stereo cords (red/white), run those too.

Run component cables (red/blue/green) from the DVD player to component inputs on the TV. Or, you can run them through most receivers on the market today, but if that’s the only thing he’s got with component leads, no sense in making that extra stop. Consult the manual if there are several component inputs; one of them may be for DTV signals only.

Run a digital cable (optical or coax) between the DVD player and the receiver. There may be a specific DVD input, or you may have to assign one. Consult the manual.

Run S-video and composite (yellow) cords from the outputs on the receiver to inputs on the TV. If there’s a choice, run the composite into a VCR input and the S-video into a DVD input.

Note: the S-video cable will be somewhat redundant, as you’ll be watching the DVDs through the component cables, but hey, it never hurts. My philosophy is that if you’ve got a cable, use it. It’s unlikely that the DVD/VCR combo can run VCR signals out the S-video cable, but if it can, watch it that way.

There are also probably red/white/yellow outs on the VCR section (near the inputs). Run those back to the red/white/yellow inputs on the VCR. This will allow you to record the signal coming from the receiver.
 
What piece of equipment do you have that generates a surround-sound signal? Are you trying to play a surround dvd? Or some type of HDTV broadcast surround? You won't get surround sound unless you have a surround signal. We can't really tell you how to hook up your system unless you tell us:

1) Where your surround signal is (are) coming from
2) What the outputs of these devices are like
3) what the inputs to the surround system are like
 
Jubal28 said:
Note: the S-video cable will be somewhat redundant, as you’ll be watching the DVDs through the component cables, but hey, it never hurts. My philosophy is that if you’ve got a cable, use it. It’s unlikely that the DVD/VCR combo can run VCR signals out the S-video cable, but if it can, watch it that way.
Click to expand...

Actually, some equipment will have problems with redundant connections like this. You're best off choosing EITHER composite, component, or s-video. If the DVD/VCR has all of these, it can likely play any source out through any of them. For rough testing, use composite, as it's usually the default.
 
What kind of problems? The TV won't care; you can only view one input at a time. As far as the receiver knows, there's only one cable connected in any one mode. If the DVD player puts a signal out through both -- which it probably won't -- he's covered either way.

Now, there could be an issue on the receiver if it's getting signal from both the S-video and the composite and they're both assigned to that machine preset, but it's a cheap receiver that won't favor one and ignore the other (though admittedly, who's to say this one isn't), and besides, I didn't recommend he wire it that way. Every signal goes to a different input. If he can watch the VCR over any of them, then cool. Better for him. But that's far from clear and I've got him covered any which way.

Best to stick with the basics when you're frustrated and then step it up a level later.
 
Jubal28 said:
there could be an issue on the receiver if it's getting signal from both the S-video and the composite and they're both assigned to that machine preset
Click to expand...

That's exactly it. Just wanted him to be warned

Best to stick with the basics when you're frustrated and then step it up a level later.
Click to expand...
My attitude exactly... so the fewer connections, it seems to me, the better; and the less to diagnose. Crappy composite all the way!
 
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