Help with the best way to wire my set up..

[BeardedNinjaGuy]

Hello all.

Ive recently made the upgrade to Blu-Ray after much deliberation and have been hovering around this site for some time now reading reveiws and what not.

Im looking for some help as to what the best way it to go about wiring my set up to get the most out of my equipment. My TV is the weak part of my set up, but im hoping with help I can still get some great quality out of it PQ and AQ wise.

So, I have the Panasonic DMP-BD30K player, the Onkyo HT-SP908 audio system, and an RCA D52W20 HDTV. The TV is a few years old now, and doesnt really have the up to date input types. Im pretty much taxed out from the Player, the audio system, and the 40 movies I picked up, so id like to make that last for another year or two. So no "get a new tv you silly fool" comments please

Now, the major Drawback is the lack of HDMI input on the TV. I know this. Is this going to limit my audio connection options? Will I just run audio only from my Onkyo system and thats all (IE have no volume coming from the TV Speakers)?

Right now I have an HDMI to HDMI 1.3 cable, and an HDMI to DVI-D (the type of input on the TV) cable. Im guessing (When the stuff comes later this week) that Ill be running the HDMI to DVI from the DMP-BD30K to the TV, and the HDMI to HDMI from the DMP to the Onkyo.

Now I know from my reading that the DVI is video only, so Im guessing ill need some other type of cable to hear the sound from my Cable/TiVo sets jacked into the Onkyo system? Im guessing standard audio cables, but im wondering if there is something better I can use that im just not hip to.

My Cable box does have an HDMI output, but not the TiVo. Im not sure how to go about getting the best sound out of these. I really dont want to loose my TiVo to a better HD-DVR cable box (TiVo interface is so much better, and quicker). Tho I have had my TiVo box for about as long as the TV, perhaps there is some way of upgrading to a newer model TiVo that someone knows about that would have a better input type selection for me.

As a side question, the TV can do 1080i and 480p. Will the DMP-BD30K be limited to the 480p or will it do some shenanagans and use some form of the 1080i?

Thanks in advance.

[DrinkMore]

Welcome to the site. I will help you the best I can.

For basics, think of your Onkyo as the brains of your system. It's job is to control the audio and video.

Here's how it goes for your set...

Onkyo has HDMI - 2 in and 1 out. Your 1 out ALWAYS goes to your tv. So you will have your HDMI to DVI connection there. On your 2 in, you put your blu-ray player and let's say your cable box. Woila - you have your bd player and your cable box hooked up and going to your tv! Same thing applies to your Tivo box. However it will use component connections (red green blu). All 3 of those devices use that 1 connection going to your tv. Simple, clean and nice.

Now the problem here is your tv does not support sound via HDMI because it's using DVI. So, all your equipment must have a seperate cable for audio going to the onkyo. Most times - this is an optical cable, either fiber or coax. Look on the back and you will see. You should have 2 or 3. I believe 3. Your BD player, cable box and tivo all need to go to these connections.

Since you have a nice receiver and I will assume speakers to go along with it, sound should never come out of your tv. Ever. One because it can't - you don't have a cable to it, nor is your tv capable of it due to no HDMI port, two because well - you have a receiver with speakers so why use crappy tv speakers?

So, does that help? Go slow and do one thing at a time.




Onkyo - HDMI Out- TO TV via HDMI to DVI

Onkyo - HDMI In 1 - HDMI in from Blu-ray Player

Onkyo - HDMI In 2 - HDMI in from Cable box

Onkyo - Component In 1 - Component (R G B) in from Tivo box


Audio goes the same way.

Lastly, your TV SHOULD do 1080i. However if it will ONLY do 480p you are going to be sadly upset. That is when I will tell you to most highly - get a new tv.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Onkyo - HDMI Out- TO TV via HDMI to DVI

Onkyo - HDMI In 1 - HDMI in from Blu-ray Player

Onkyo - HDMI In 2 - HDMI in from Cable box

Onkyo - Component In 1 - Component (R G B) in from Tivo box

Yep. That is all you should need. Good luck.

[BeardedNinjaGuy]

Ok, thats what I figured. The speakers in the TV are actually pretty decent when matched with my old system (nothing special). This new HTiB will just run it all if thats my best option.

Now I just get to wait in anticipation for everything to come. Gotta love everything coming from different places.. Blu-Ray movies from amazon, player from another place, HT system yet another..

Ive been getting ready for the arrivals, Setting up my Harmony 880 to work with the new stuff, getting the firmware update for the Panasonic Player burned to a disc. Im getting addicted and have yet to even get this stuff in the house yet.

Thanks for the help. Ill get back with how it all went down once everything gets set up.

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

sound should never come out of your tv. Ever.

This is my new favorite quote.

Welcome to the forums, good luck with your setup, you've gotten good advice here.

[gearyt]

excellent replys above, makes me jealous

[BeardedNinjaGuy]

Well, Ive finally gotten the Player, cables and HTiB and got them set up, only a few of my Blu-Ray titles have showed up so far tho.

Ive got to say the PQ is excellent. Im really impressed. I was worried my TV wouldnt look too stellar at 1080i but its still leaps above standard DVD's with the Panny Blu-Ray player.

The audio is also amazing. After wiring all those speakers from that Onkyo system and hearing the exposion scene at the beginning of Swordfish on Blu, it just blew me away.

Unfortunately for some reason my Xbox 360 will not show video through an HDMI connection for some reason (from what ive been able to research so far, its a M$ issue with how they have the system set up) but thats not a huge deal to me.

Thanks again for the help. I cant wait to get more movies and be blown away even more