Hey there. I've been reading this forum a while and you all have excellent and candid reviews. Thanks a lot.
I bought a Toshiba 52HM84 this past weekend -- I looked at all the DLPs in the store and it stood out. It's awesome. It does have limited inputs, but I figure with the one HDMI input I'll be able to get a great HD picture from the cable box.
And there's the dilemma. The box looks like it will have a DVI output. Now, if I use HDMI cables and get the HDMI-DVI converter, how do I hook up the sound? And will the picture be as sharp? Would I be better off just using component cables with the Comcast Box and buying an HDMI-output DVD player for use with DVDs?
Please help me out here. I'd like to be able to watch HDTV for sports events, so that's my priority. Thanks!
Nice TV choice. You should really enjoy it. I had the same situation as you with my JVC Dila. It has the exact same inputs as your Toshiba, and I too have Comcast. The Motorola boxes they use here in Seattle do not have the DVI output enabled so I had no choice put to hookup my set using component cables. I found this out after trying to hook up my box via a DVI to HDMI cable. The picture is still outstanding though. I have some pictures of Monday Night Football in HD posted under the JVC HD52z575 thread. Next I bought the new Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player. It upconverts the signal to 720p and has a HDMI out. The cable was even included. Since HDMI carries sound, that's the only cable you will need to plug in unless you also use a receiver.
I mainly bought my TV to watch HD football and I've been more than happy with the PQ. Your Toshiba is an incredible set and you should expirience the same thing.
That's probably what I'll do, then. To be clear, you are suggesting I:
1 -- use component (Y Pb Pr) cables to hook the Comcast HD box to my Toshiba.
2 -- use the HDMI input with the Toshiba DVD player that I will no doubt purchase before Christmas.
Only a couple of more questions, I suppose. What's the best type of audio system to hook this thing up to? How do you use the split picture and change channels on the cable box?
1: what you wrote is correct. Component (Y Pb Pr) to the Toshiba.
2: The Toshiba player is a great player, I paid $180 for mine. run that to the HDMI input.
3- I have a seperate reciever and I run a 7.1 system with my TV, but it is all a matter of taste. As for split screen, just run a coax cable from the Cable box into the 2nd tuner input and you will recieve standard cable thur your PIP. The only way to recieve 2 HD signals would be to have 2 seperate cable boxes. It really isn't worth it. The cable box will change the channels on the TV, and the TV tuner will change the channels for the pip. You might have to use seperate remotes for this though. It is a pain, but it does work. I ended up just buying a $100 remote that I programed to do it all. Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for the advice again, my friend. Here's what I think I'm going to do:
1 -- use an HDMI - DVI cable and Audio cables to hook the Cable Box into the Toshi.
2 -- use the component (Y Pb Pr) cables and Audio cables to hook up my progressive scan DVD player.
3 -- when I get a DVD player that will upgrade the signal to 720p or 1080i, I will use an HDMI cable with that and use component video and audio cables with the cable box.
I'm getting HD on Sunday, hopefully before football kicks off, so I'll let you know then how everything turned out.
I'm still not sure what kind of audio system I'm going to get. Could you tell me how much yours cost and how you set it up? Thanks.
Sounds like you have it under control with your wiring. Just be prepared incase the DVI out on the cable box is not active. I've read a lot people have had this problem.
As for my audio system, it is basically something I've pieced together over the years. I have an all Infinity speaker system. I run a CC3 center channel ($300), RS5 tower speakers upfront ($600), a pair of QPS-1 surround speakers ($150) and a pair of ERS-210 ($200) in-wall speakers for my rear channels. My subwoofer is a custom box I built myself using 3 JL audio 8" subs and a 300w home sub amp I bought from parts express. My reciever is a Harmon Kardon AVR 430 ($600, bought it last week) 7.1 home theater receiver. All the prices are what I paid for them over the years. It is definitly ALOT more than what I need, but It sounds incredible. I figure if I'm spending 3k on a TV, I might as well have a sound system that can keep up with it.
My RS5s are on each side of my TV stand, and the center channel is in the stand below the TV slightly angled up. The Surround speakers are up near the ceiling directly to the left and right on my couch angles down toward the listener. The rear speakers are flush mounted in the wall directly behind the couch and even with the listeners ears. The subwoofer box is under the end table to the right of the couch. I spent alot of time under the house wiring everything. I didn't want to run all those wires under the carpet.
There are also alot of 5.1 surround packages that sound really good. You should checkout your local store to get some ideas. I guess it all depends on how much your willing to spend, and what you want to get out of it. There are tons of options out there.