Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater buying cables forTV

You beat me

ha! I have fast post-fu

Jason, since you're running everything through your SR600 now, my view would be to continue that and use component cables from box to receiver and then to TV rather than using the direct HDMI connection. If you do decide to use a DVI/HDMI cable however(and possibly a fancy remote to control everything), for the 6' distance that you'd be running a 28ga cable would be fine. 28ga is commonly used for HDMI connections unless they're longer than about 15', when the lower loss of 24ga might be advisable.

Thanks for the input guys. I actually have a Harmony, so the double switching isn't much of an issue I think I am just in the mindset that I have an A/V receiver, so everything should run through it and then when you switch to a new device both audio and video switch together (even though they effectively will either way once I setup the Harmony for the new config).

It sounds like I have two options:

1. DVI to HDMI cable. Optical cable.

2. Two sets of component cables.

I assume if I had a receiver that could do HDMI, the recommendation would be cable box to receiver to TV, like option 2 with the component cables.

I don't know if this makes sense, but would this third (more expensive cable wise) option work?

3. Buy the cables from option1 (DVI to HDMI and optical). These are used for cable TV viewing. Run AV cables from all other devices into the receiver. Have a set of component cables from the receiver to the TV for these devices. Then the AV stays together through the receiver. Would this make sense? Any downside other then an extra set of component needed?

I was thinking of suggesting option #3, and that is how I would do it. Only the cable box has a DVI or HDMI output, so it would make sense to run all the other sources to the receiver and then run a component cable from receiver to HDTV to handle the all video except from the cable box. Doing so gives you the best of options #1 and #2.

Before you buy any digital audio cables, be sure of your sources digital audio outputs. When I was doing my homework on your equipment, I noticed that two of the 3 had optical outputs only, and one of them had both optical and coaxial. I believe it was the Pioneer 578 (the VCR will only have analog audio outputs, I believe)

Your SR600 has two optical digital inputs, and one coaxial digital input, so you will need to connect the Pioneer with a coaxial digital cable.

I'm a bit confused as to why you would want to run cables through the receiver, does that allow you to not change the input on the TV for different sources?
It seems to me if you have a Harmony remote then you are just adding more cables and connections that aren't necessarily needed.

Cables are going through the receiver so that Audio and video change together. If I am on video2 for example, both the TV and the audio are in sync, without having to adjust what input is being used on both the receiver and on the TV.

So yes, the input on the TV would not need to be changed for different sources.

Ajax, as far as your post goes, the 578A is currently hooked up with the 6 cables (I forget what type they are) that are needed for SACD to work. I only use that player for music and don't watch DVD on it, so I assume I could forgo the coax/optical all together for that one. I have an optical from my other DVD to the receiver currently.

I'll need an optical or coax (I don't know if it matters which with the connections I have available) from the cable box to the receiver for audio.

How about RG6 vs RG59 for component cable? The "premium" is RG6 and about an extra $8 for a 6ft cable. Will the RG6 make a difference? I just did a search and came across this: Link

It sounds like RG6 is replacing RG59, so I think I'll spend the extra money there. Even if it doesn't make much of a difference, it's only $8, not $80.

Here's what I am looking at:

HDMI DVI Cable 28AWG - 6ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold-Plated) $5.03 $5.03

2769 PREMIUM 6FT 3-RCA Component Video Coaxial RG-6 18AWG 75Ohm Cable $12.54 $12.54

2764 PREMIUM 6FT Optical Toslink 5.0mm Cable w/Fancy connector $4.87 $4.87

Sound good?

Just ordered. Had to get it in by 5 eastern for it to ship out today. Thanks for everyone's help.

Well, ever happy to be a day late and a dollar short , I'm sure those are the right cables.