I have a question that I am almost too embarrassed to ask. How to you connect your cable to your home theater system so you can use your home theater speakers and surround system when watching network and cable channels. I have asked a couple people and do not believe they really knew the answer. I do not have a cable box; the coaxial cable runs from the wall to the TV. I have a Denon 3808CI A/V receiver with Axiom speakers. The cable at the current time is analog, but due to the new Federal law will become digital. I was thinking about switching over to satellite. The Denon 3808CI does not have a coaxial connection on the back of the receiver for your cable connection. What would be the best way to make the cable connection? Thanks

You should be able to output the audio from the TV to the Denon. I imagine it will be a stereo RCA connection, and you'll want it to be a fixed output signal (as opposed to variable, which the TV's volume setting would control) if there are settings for that in the TV's menu. You'll also disable the TV's speakers. At least, this is all that's required in my TV. I would assume yours would be set up similarly.

I have a Sony Bravia LCD Projection TV. The TV is connected to the Denon A/V receiver via a HDMI cable. Does the HDMI carry the audio signal instead of using the RCA connection?

With my Sony TV, they keep the analog and digital signals separate, so it wouldn't send regular cable's audio over HDMI. Does the TV actually have an HDMI output going to the receiver, or is it the input into the TV you're talking about?

I think the Bravia has an HDMI output as well as an input for picture and audio. You would just run another HDMI cable from the TVs output to an input on the 3808. If there is no HDMI output from the TV then look for an optical output and run an optical cable from this output to one of the 3808s optical inputs. Finally if you find there is no optical out then I know there will be at least one set of analog outputs that you can then hook up to the 3808 analog inputs.

Another option is to use an old VCR as a tuner connect the cable to it and run the analog audio output from the VCR to the 3808 and the video (composite or S-video) to the 3808 as well and let it upconvert the video signal to be sent to the Bravia over the HDMI cable. I run something like this for my system as I have my audio gear in one corner and the TV in the other corner 12' away.

On the back of the Sony TV there is two HDMI connection ports stacked one over the other. Above the top HDMI port has "HDMI In". I have a HDMI cable running from my Sony Blu Ray DVD player to the Denon 3808CI A/V receiver, then another HDMI cable running from the Denon A/V reciver to the Sony TV. I am not getting any sound from my home threater speakers when watching cable or network channels.

What he said! To hear sound that is sourced from your TV on your surround system you need to run audio from your TV to your receiver using any type connection compatible to both devices.

Some TVs have an optical out that would let you pass 2 chanel or 5.1 from the TV to the Denon with one cable. If you have any HD channels over the air, all you need is a cheap antenna to get full HD and 5.1 sound for TV broadcast. Much better than the RCA cable setup, but only if you like HD over the air and live within 100 miles of a tower.

Stoner,

I’m a bit confused to why you want to continue using the coax cable and have not picked up a converter box from your service provider?

They are going digital, no? When they do, you will need a converter box or all you will get out that coax is fuzz and static. If you go satellite, you will get a box too. You might as well just get the gear now and be done with it.

If it were me, I’d call my cable service provider and ask if they have the converter boxes yet and if they do, go get one. They will have a variety of outputs that you will be able to connect to your 3808.

The digital transition is for OTA. Cable isn't being required to change to all-digital transmission.

http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html#faq30

And if he is in Canada, we don't make the switch till 2011.

slackers.

Yeah, remind me not to get a Canadian execution. They'll draw it out.

... a loooong time. Last one was in the 60s I think.