HDMI Home Theatre Setup Help

 

New member
Username: Bmichel

Rockaway, NJ USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-09
My home theater components are as follows, with the number and type of ports:

Olevia 37" LCD HDTV 720P,
2 HDMI In
1 HDMI Out
2 Component In
1 Toslink Out

Scientific Atlanta HDTV ready Cable Box
1 HDMI Out
1 Component Out
About 30 channels in HDTV

LG LHT874 Home theatre in a Box, 5 DVD changer, 1080P upconvert via HDMI only, 1 HDMI In (Upconvert)
1 HDMI Out (Upconvert)
1 Component Out (No Upconvert)
1 Component In (No Upconvert)
Toslink In.

Phillips BluRay with 1080P upconvert via HDMI only.
1 HDMI Out (upconvert)
1 Component Out (no upconvert)

My Question is: What is the best way to connect my components together via HDMI?

Since my home theatre has only 1 HDMI in, I have to make choices:

Plan A: Connect the Cable Box and Blu Ray directly to TV, and use the optical Toslink to connect to the Home theatre (HTiB)system and use componet cables from the home theatre to connect it back to the TV. I won't be using the DVDs on the HTiB much since I have the BluRay with upconvert. The disadvantage as far as I can tell, is that the HTiB can upconvert my cable signal, and by connecting the cable to the TV, I can't take advantage.

Plan B: Connect the BluRay directly to the TV via HDMI, and connect the surround sound to the HTiB via Toslink. Connect the cable box to the HTiB via HDMI, and and connect the HTiB to the TV via HDMI. This method would allow me to upconvert DVDs on the HTiB as well as the cable box. Will it take longer to change channels with the upconvert? Is it worth doing this way?

Since my TV is only 780P, which method makes the most sense? The TV will accept a 1080P signal and convert it to 720P. If anyone has any better suggestions, please let me know. I have attached a word document with the 2 diagrams to make things easier.

I do need a video connection from the HTiB to the TV so that I can adjust settings.

Thanks

- Bill
application/octet-streamUpload
Bill's Home Theatre Diagram.doc (26.1 k)
 

Silver Member
Username: Jrbay

Livonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA

Post Number: 604
Registered: Feb-08
If we can assume that you will never use the DVD player incorporated in the HTiB and will ALWAYS use the Blu-ray player (as would make the most sense) try connecting both the cable box and the Blu-ray to the TV via HDMI and then the HDMI out of the TV to the HTiB. I think this will work but have never tried it so I would be very interested in how successful you are.
 

New member
Username: Bmichel

Rockaway, NJ USA

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-09
Thanks, Jim. This should work, but could you tell me why I should set it up this way? I am a neophyte, and would like to understand your thinking. Why not connect the cable box to the HTiB for the upconvert? Why use HDMI instead of Toslink?

Also, I can connect the HTiB back to the TV via Component, so not a big deal to use the DVD changer in the HTiB.
 

Silver Member
Username: Jrbay

Livonia [Detroit area], Michigan USA

Post Number: 605
Registered: Feb-08
"Upconversion" is definitely another buzzword designed to confuse consumers and make them think they are getting more that they really are. For it to be useful at all you would be inputting non HD signals in via S-Video or composite video connections and the "upconversion" would simply convert the signal to one capable of being transmitted via HDMI.

https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-video/173664.html


HDMI connection is the best available video and audio signal available and if it is output from the cable box then there is no possible way currently available to make it any better. HDMI also has the added beauty of just plain being easy to use!!! The problem if anyone cares is that there IS NO LOCKING DEVICE and there should be!!!

If it were me there really is no reason to run DVD's through the HTiB, perhaps playing CD's would eb a good idea but your Blu-ray will make the most of any DVD.
 

New member
Username: Lonald77

Post Number: 3
Registered: Oct-08
i would hook up the cable box and the Blu ray dvd player via HDMI to the TV, the LG hook up component being that you can play your dvds on the bluray and then take the audio out from the bluray and hook up to the LG System.
Check out http://hdmicablezone.com I bought my cables from them good stuff. Use god "cablezonefriend" and get 15% off your purchase.
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