I was advised by the cable guy to connect my dvr(cox cable) directly to my receiver then from there to my tv. So I connected the svideo and rca sound from dvr to receiver, then component and same sound to tv. Worked ok but I had a coaxial output on the dvr and receiver(not on tv though)so i pulled the rca, added coaxial and the sound was much worse with a loud hiss. So, i've tried all combinations and the rca is the only one that works, is this what i'm stuck with because the tv has no coaxial? Also is it a waste using the component from receiver to tv while using the svideo to the receiver from dvr?
Have you asked the cable guy about the digital coaxial connection and why there is a hiss? That should be your next step.
What you can also do is connect the DVR video output directly to your TV's Video input by using the best available connection. Component should work best or HDMI if available, then S-Video, then the dreaded Composite cable.
Connect the audio output of the DVR to your receiver by using the digital audio output of the DVR. If there is still analog output from the DVR, like the L/R RCA...connect that to the Audio input of the TV.
The TV becomes independent of the home theater receiver. You can hear the audio and see video from your TV without having to turn on your entertainment center.
I didn't have the coaxial cable yet when the cable guy suggested I do this since I didn't even know what outputs were available at the time of installation. Having the tv independent of my receiver would defeat the purpose of having the coaxial connection between dvr and receiver would it not? I don't want to hear the sound from the tv, I want it to go through my surround system. Maybe I'm missing your idea and I'll try it and see how it goes. thanks
No, an independent TV would not defeat any purpose at all and the audio will still go to your system regardless. You don't have to connect audio from your DVR to the TV at all if you don't want it.