Topic: Some questions to get me started....

[pjl100001]

Ok, I have some basic questions that would really help me to get started with my new semi-HiFi system.  I just invested in a Sony 3000es and it should be here any day now.  I am now starting to wonder if I will be able to play my television (Cable) sound through my speakers.  Can I connect the cable cord to the receiver and then run the video to the TV from the receiver?  My second question is which connection would be best to use for audio and video?  For video, should I use the S-Video or Composite Video to connect my DVD player to my receiver and my receiver to my television?  For audio, which would be better, optical or coaxial connection?  Any help is appreciated.

[1st set only]

question a) yes if your cable has an audio output, otherwise you have to go cable>TV>amp
question b) if your tv and dvd have DVI then use that otherwise go straight from the dvd to the tv
question c)no real diffrence between optical an coax

[jpschust]

question c)no real diffrence between optical an coax

wrong.  significant difference in bitrates they typically carry and optical cables are much more prone to jitter.

[scervin]

question a) yes if your cable has an audio output, otherwise you have to go cable>TV>amp
question b) if your tv and dvd have DVI then use that otherwise go straight from the dvd to the tv
question c)no real diffrence between optical an coax

Use DVI if you have it, if not use Component (RGB) from DVD to TV.

[Wes]

yeah.. use the 3000es for audio, but leave it out of the video loop. 

[dnsacks]

1) the sony strda3000es has no capacity to decode the audio of a cable television broadcast from the raw cable feed, so plugging the cable connector into the sony is not hte way to go.  Instead, run the analog audio outs from your cable box or tv into the sony.

2) video, IMHO, best to skip running the video through the sony, instead go direct from dvd>tv.  If you have dvi or component on both the dvd and tv, use ;em (in that order) if not, go with s-vhs over composite.

3) audio connection -- imho, use coax over fiber -- radioshack sells some nice inexpensive coax cables.

[1st set only]

question c)no real diffrence between optical an coax

wrong.  significant difference in bitrates they typically carry and optical cables are much more prone to jitter.

 
my bad yes there is the issue of jitter but Im assuming you are just watching tv and not critally listening to audio. so if you are a purist then do what he says otherwise i dont think you will able to tell the diffrence. mys sugesion is to just try it and see what you like and can afford

Im sure that the sony has on screen display if it does than get a spare video cable and hook your amps video out to you tv that might help in setting up stuff.

and id agree with everyone here about video just go straight from your dvd to your tv (less cable mess and better signal)

[sygdwm]

  Instead, run the analog audio outs from your cable box or tv into the sony.

would you do this w/ a digital cable box? i use the coax from my digicable box to my receiver. should i use rca's?

[scervin]

question c)no real diffrence between optical an coax

wrong.  significant difference in bitrates they typically carry and optical cables are much more prone to jitter.

I've found we think a lot alike.....

[jpschust]

hahaha why is it our thinking keeps costing ME money :-)

[pjl100001]

I'm finding the the inputs and outputs on my TV suck.  I have a video input on the front with a stereo audio input in next to it.  On the back I have an S-Video input, another A/v input with stereo audio and a component input.  I have no cable box so am I just up the creek in terms of listening to television audio through my sony es?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

At the least, you can take the analog audio out from your VCR, DVD, and/or PVR and put those to the Sony analog inputs.

If you are feeding cable directly into your TV, are you using only analog cable channels?  If so, you can put your cable to your VCR/PVR, use that box's tuner to select the channel, then use the audio outputs from that box to feed the 3000es analog audio input.  Your TV would then take video from whatever output you have on your VCR/PVR.

[pjl100001]

At the least, you can take the analog audio out from your VCR, DVD, and/or PVR and put those to the Sony analog inputs.

If you are feeding cable directly into your TV, are you using only analog cable channels?  If so, you can put your cable to your VCR/PVR, use that box's tuner to select the channel, then use the audio outputs from that box to feed the 3000es analog audio input.  Your TV would then take video from whatever output you have on your VCR/PVR.

My DVD player doesn't have a cable input... but yes I am only using analog channels.  Does this mean I have to go out and find myself a vcr to feed the cable signal into?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Your DVD player won't have a video input unless it is also a recorder.  But it should have analog audio outputs which can feed your TV stereo in parallel to the video feed going to your TV.  If so, you can use your stereo to play sound from DVD movies without doing anything else.

If you have a VCR, it will have a tuner that can be put into "cable" or "broadcast" mode.  That will allow you to use the tuner in the VCR to select the channel that you want to see on TV (as well as record from cable).  If the VCR has component outputs, you can feed the analog audio from the VCR output to your stereo.  That should give you what you are looking for.  A cheap VCR will work for this but the quality of the resulting AV signals will depend on how good the tuner in the VCR is.


edited for accuracy

[1st set only]

if you want sound from your cable to your amp you need to have either audio rca outs on your tv or a vcr.

unless there is something at radioshack that converts a coax (75ohm video\audio) into component video and audio
illl look