Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Stupidest Cable Question

I am not mechanically inclined at all, but I am trying. I hope this is good for a laugh for some of you.

I am trying to set up my new receiver to my dvd player, dish network sat and my samsung tv before my speakers arrive next week. In the directions on my receiver (pioneer vsx 1015) it states to use digital optical cable for my sat. I do not have one, but will buy one tomorrow. Then it states to use a digital coax for the dvd player. I got that already. Then it states to use a digital coax from my monitor out on the receiver to the tv. This is where my problem lies. My tv has input for s video or component video. I do not see anything labeled Video in on my TV for digital cable. My receiver has a monitor out for component video or s video but I cannot seem to find any audio out on the receiver for these. I am assuming (yes I know I shouldn't assume) that using either the s video or component on my tv, I will still need audio out for sound on my TV.

Also, I am noticing in my TVs manual, that they talk about connecting to a DVI or DVT without a mention really of what it is other that my TV can use digital form using a 25 pin cable if I have a dvi box. I do not have a 25 pin on my receiver. Do I need this box to go digital or even have sound to my tv? Will my new speakers pick up the sound without audio cables to the TV?

I know it is a stupid question but would appreciate any help.

Mike

Actually these aren't stupid questions at all. I can't answer all of them but I'll give it a try...

1. Digital optical and digital coax cables are for audio, not video.

2. Analog video is either carried by a good old RCA cable (composite), a DIN connector (S-Video) or three RCAs (component). None of those carry audio.

3. Digital video is carried by DVI or HDMI. HDMI can include audio but I don't think anyone is using it yet. DVI is video only, no audio. With anything but HDMI you absolutely need separate cables for audio and video IF you need to get audio to your TV (see next point).

4. The normal setup is to run video out to your TV but not to run audio out since your receiver feeds it directly to the speakers. Unless there is some special reason why you want audio going to your TV (like you don't have any speakers ) don't worry about audio out.

5. (here's where I get off the edge of my knowledge) if your receiver doesn't have a digital out and your TV doesn't have a digital in I wouldn't worry about digital for a couple of years until the industry gets its act together. The best you can do with digital today (AFAIK) is run from a few DVD players directly to the TV, bypassing the receiver completely.

Unless someone else jumps in and explains why this is easy, I would forget about digital for now. Component analog is best, S-Video is second best, Composite is "least best"

Hope this helps a bit...

JB

So I was right in my assumption that the sound will come from the speakers only?

Thank you for not making me feel like a complete idiot!!!!! LOL

At least I can laugh at myself.

Thank you so much!!!

Yep... you can run more wires and get sound from your TV as well (every TV these days has some kind of stereo audio inputs, usually red/white RCAs) but the sound is usually no match for the speakers attached to your receiver.

I do not see anywhere on my receiver to attach cables for audio to the tv.

I want to have sound on the TV for times when my wife is sleeping and want minimal volume.

I am almost certain that this will only be done on occasion.

Mike

these outputs are going to be the red/white RCA cables, usually labelled "audio out." They should be located in close proximity to the video out connections to the TV (unless you're usuing component video - in which case, they sometimes separate these connections).

Check out the back of your receiver. If you're going from cable box to "TV video in" and "TV audio in" and then from the receiver to the TV going from the "TV video out," then the audio from the receiver to the TV should come from the "TV audio out" (two RCA - red/white) to the "audio in" portion on the back of your TV (the same input of course that the video is being input on the TV). This will get you sound and video from the source to the TV.

Connect another set of analog video and audio outs from the sat receiver directly to your TV. This will bypass the receiver and allow use of the TV speakers, but only for sat viewing. (If your TV can accomodate more inputs, you can repeat this procedure for the DVD player, too.) Keep in mind that you may have to use a lower quality output (i.e. s-video vs. component and stereo analog vs. digital) but it works well for those times when quality is not an issue.

Are you happy with the Pioneer VSX1015. I got mine last week and have M60 fronts. I feel the volume from the amp t be low. I could set the volume right up to -10to 0db and get just loud levels. I would have thougtht he receiver would drive the M60 lound far before the volume control reached that. How loud do you find your system ?
Thanks

My speakers are coming in next week. I am setting up my system next Saturday.

I will let you know as soon as they are up and running.

I was told that the 1015 would drive my system just fine. Now I am worried!

Mike