Need expert advice for this issue...

[germ79]

I recently upgraded my Home Theater so I have all HDMI connections, uncompressed sound, blah, blah, blah. SO, I gave my 2-year old NON-HDMI Harmon Kardon receiver to my folks along with my Sony satellite speaker and subwoofer.

The goal was to hook everything up so that they can listen to TV shows over the surround sounds system, as they have trouble hearing it now.

Here is my dilemma:

They have DISH network and the satellite receiver box for the TV I'm hooking this up to is a shared connection and the box is located in another room (1 box split to two TV's). So, they have an RG6 coax cable coming into the TV that carries the satellite signal and sound. **Is there ANY way to connect the receiver somehow so that the satellite TV sound will be coming through the receiver?** I hope that makes sense. Basically, the box is too far away and I can't run an audio cable from the box to the receiver, so all I am left with is the RG6 coax cable. Even analog sound will be sufficient.

Thoughts?

Thanks so much!

Jeremy

[CptGreedle]

the best quality you can get is from an HDMI cable. If you are using a coax from the box to the TV, you are already limiting the quality of the image and sound.
If it is possible, get a new satellite box and upgrade to HD service. Otherwise the best thing you can do is try to find an optical audio out on your tv and hook that to your AV receiver optical audio in. It will give you up to 5.1 if the coax can send the signal. You will have to check with other on what the coax cable can handle.
If not an optical cable, try finding any audio out on your TV (analog) and using that.

Best advice I have is to get a new box with HDMI.

[germ79]

I should have been more specific. They don't care about quality. They just want to be able to hear their tv shows!

Also, the tv has composite video and audio INPUTS only. They do have a VCR and DVD player combo, so I might be able to rig something up with that because the RG6 coax runs through that combo player first.

SO, all I have to work with is an older tv with only composite inputs, a VCR/DVD combo, the RG6 cable coming from the wall, and the non-HDMI receiver.

It doesn't even matter if it is only stereo sound, I just need their tv shows to be louder!!

J

[CptGreedle]

well if buying a long composite cable will not work, try running the coax through the VCR/DVD and then to the TV or receiver. They might need to turn on the VCR/DVD to hear or see anything, but it should allow you to use composite into the tv from the VCR/DVD.
It is regrettably, one of those kinds of things that I am really good at in person, not so great at over the phone/internet. There is usually a work around for this kind of thing, and you can sometimes find something to buy just for a situation like this, but you will have to do some quick searching at radio shack.

When I tried to give my parents better/louder sound on their TV, I took some good computer speakers, hooked them up to the earphone jack on the front of the TV, and adjusted the volume where they wanted it. Now they can change the volume on the TV and it works giving them louder sound (and more bass).
Good luck.

[Manco]

Run your COAX thru the VCR to the TV. Then run RCA audio cables from VCR to RECEIVER. Set the TV to Channel 3 and perform channel changes using the VCR remote.

[germ79]

Originally Posted by Manco

Run your COAX thru the VCR to the TV. Then run RCA audio cables from VCR to RECEIVER. Set the TV to Channel 3 and perform channel changes using the VCR remote.

Will that work with the Sat. box?

Your guys' ideas are GREAT! I can usually figure these things out, but I'm stumped!

J

[Manco]

Originally Posted by germ79

Will that work with the Sat. box?

Your guys' ideas are GREAT! I can usually figure these things out, but I'm stumped!

J

Your right. My mistake. Re-read your problem.
Had done a similar setup for my folks but yours is slightly different.

I'm in the middle of a problem at work so can't concentrate on two things at once. I can solve this for you shortly.

Send me a PM so I have your user name to repond to and I'll try to post here too.

Thanks.

[Manco]

It just came to me. OK...

Most VCR's have an AUX or VIDEO input. You generally select this input by channel changing down on the VCR remote (or faceplate) past channel 2. The VCR display should read something like Channel 1 or AUX or VID 1. You get the idea. Based on this, you abandon the idea of running the COAX from the SAT BOX. Instead run a single RCA VIDEO CABLE from the SAT BOX VIDEO OUT to the VCR VIDEO IN (AUX or VID1 input). Set the VCR to the AUX or VID1 input when you want to receive the SAT BOX feed. You will probably need to go to Radio Shack to get a very long RCA video cable (or order online if it needs to be custom made for the desired length).

EDIT: Oopps... I forgot. You need to run RCA AUDIO CABLES also from the SAT BOX AUDIO OUT to the VCR AUDIO IN.

Now... Run a RCA VIDEO cable (or Component, etc...) from the VIDEO OUT of the VCR to the VIDEO IN on the TV. Run RCA AUDIO cables from AUDIO OUT on the VCR to AUDIO IN on the RECEIVER.

Set the TV to the AUX or VIDEO input your selected on the back of the TV.

Perform channel changes using SAT BOX remote. The VCR is now essentially just a pass-thru A/V switcher.

You should be able to test this theory without buying the long cable first by simply moving the VCR into the room where the SAT BOX is now and doing the same config with a short cable.

Oh.... they also make "dongles" that convert COAX screw ends to RCA plugs. That might be easier than buying a long RCA cable since you probably already have the COAX.

[MacDaddyOJack]

If the tv is fairly recent, then it will have red/ white audio outputs on it. Run the coax cable directly into the back of the tv, then run the red/white output from the tv to your reciever. I had my tv hooked up that way in college..... so glad I've moved past that!

[Manco]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

If the tv is fairly recent, then it will have red/ white audio outputs on it. Run the coax cable directly into the back of the tv, then run the red/white output from the tv to your reciever. I had my tv hooked up that way in college..... so glad I've moved past that!

YES! Buying the folks a new HDTV would definitely simplify this problem.
(I get the impression there are no audio outs on the current set)

[germ79]

Yeah, no audio outputs on the TV.

Do they make some kind of box that accepts a coax and spits it back out, but has some kind of composite connections shooting off from it? That would be easy!

J

[jmramirez]

From what I remember the second tv on a satellite receiver just needs be on one certain channel and it uses an RF remote to change the channels on the main box in the other room. My solution would be this....plug the coax into the input on the vcr...set the vcr to whatever channel is need to the satellite...then using composite..run the red/white audio cables from the VCR OUT to the receiver and the yellow video cable from VCR OUT to TV IN. You will no longer get any sound on the tv speakers only the receiver and channels can be changed as normal. Just remember the vcr will need to be on and set to that special channel to watch anything.

[germ79]

Originally Posted by jmramirez

From what I remember the second tv on a satellite receiver just needs be on one certain channel and it uses an RF remote to change the channels on the main box in the other room. My solution would be this....plug the coax into the input on the vcr...set the vcr to whatever channel is need to the satellite...then using composite..run the red/white audio cables from the VCR OUT to the receiver and the yellow video cable from VCR OUT to TV IN. You will no longer get any sound on the tv speakers only the receiver and channels can be changed as normal. Just remember the vcr will need to be on and set to that special channel to watch anything.

Oohh.. I like that! That sounds like a possibility. I don't think they would care if TV sound no longer worked.

These are all great ideas!

J