Trouble connecting a new receiver to everything

Helpless Rock

So, I just got the Onkyo HT-S3300 HTiB. I'm pretty happy with it, i'm just having a hard to time trying to decipher the best way to connect my Xbox 360 to it. Sadly, it isn't an HDMI equipped 360 or this wouldn't need to be asked, obviously. I'm just getting my head confused when i look at the quick connect diagram and what might show up on a google search for help.

My guess is that I'm just short a toslink optical audio cable? Do I just connect the Red/Green/Blue plugs for video into the receiver and then the toslink from the 360 to the optical in slot on the receiver as well? Will the receiver just kind of do the rest? Is this the best option give my receiver inputs outside of magically making my 360 a new HDMI version?


Also, would anyone happen to know if I asked Brighthouse (time warner) for an HDMI upgrade to the component cables they have me set up with now that they'd give me one? 'Cause that would be awesome.

Pirusu

It's been a while, but last time I helped someone set up a home theater, the receiver required a video-out for every kind of component cable used.

If your 360 uses component cables, and all your other devices use HDMI you will need 1 HDMI cable and 1 Component cable to go to your television.

If you have things hooked up using RCA, HDMI, Component, S-Video, VGA, etc you will need one of each of those cables to go from your receiver to the television.

And after looking at the owner's manual for your receiver, this is true of it as well:

"When choosing a connection format, bear in mind that the
AV receiver doesn’t convert between formats, so only outputs
of the same format as the input will output the signal."

But as for connection your 360, that is how you do it, yes. Component video cables to the receiver, toslink to the receiver, then you'll need a component cable to go from the receiver to the television for video out.

Zell

Better to connect video cables directly to TV, why include more devices than needed?

RUNN1NGMAN

Yeah. Video cables directly to the TV and optical to the receiver is probably the best way to go.

EliteLamer

RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »

Yeah. Video cables directly to the TV and optical to the receiver is probably the best way to go.

That is what I do.

CF1

It would help if we knew what type of TV you had, so we could tell if it had an audio out on it.

Different company, but Comcast switched me to an HDMI box with no problems, I took my old box into the office and told them what I wanted. No change to my bill and they gave me the HDMI cable after taking my component cables back.

Zell

Why would he need/use a audio output on a TV?

RUNN1NGMAN

On almost all TVs, the optical out should only be used for OTA broadcasts. And he doesn't have HDMI anyway, so even if the optical out was a pass-through, it wouldn't make sense to run analog stereo sound to the TV and then optical from the TV to the receiver.

Helpless Rock

I'm not exactly sure what model my TV is. It's a Samsung HDTV that is about 4 years old, I think. I didn't mention that because I thought the only cable that needs to go the TV was the HDMI Out from the receiver. The only thing that I can't get to just run with HDMI is the 360. Everything else I have is or can be HDMI.

EDIT: The connecting the video to the TV and then audio from the TV to Receiver doesn't quite make any sense to me. That or I have a different view on what a receiver should do. Isn't the point of one to be a hub for everything to be switched too? Everything connects to the receiver so the receiver can be used to change inputs? I know this isn't as complicated as I'm probably making it in my head, but even now i'm not getting just a straight "No, dude, just use this type of cable into that slot" answer. ha Or maybe I am but there is just two of them. I dunno.

Zell

And after looking at the owner's manual for your receiver, this is true of it as well:

"When choosing a connection format, bear in mind that the
AV receiver doesn’t convert between formats, so only outputs
of the same format as the input will output the signal."

Tells me you'll need to switch video input on your TV regardless, so using the receiver for that single component connection is pointless.

Also, get a cheap Harmony remote.

RUNN1NGMAN

Helpless Rock wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure what model my TV is. It's a Samsung HDTV that is about 4 years old, I think. I didn't mention that because I thought the only cable that needs to go the TV was the HDMI Out from the receiver. The only thing that I can't get to just run with HDMI is the 360. Everything else I have is or can be HDMI.

EDIT: The connecting the video to the TV and then audio from the TV to Receiver doesn't quite make any sense to me. That or I have a different view on what a receiver should do. Isn't the point of one to be a hub for everything to be switched too? Everything connects to the receiver so the receiver can be used to change inputs? I know this isn't as complicated as I'm probably making it in my head, but even now i'm not getting just a straight "No, dude, just use this type of cable into that slot" answer. ha Or maybe I am but there is just two of them. I dunno.

You want audio from the Xbox to the receiver. Not from TV to receiver.

Helpless Rock

RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »

Helpless Rock wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure what model my TV is. It's a Samsung HDTV that is about 4 years old, I think. I didn't mention that because I thought the only cable that needs to go the TV was the HDMI Out from the receiver. The only thing that I can't get to just run with HDMI is the 360. Everything else I have is or can be HDMI.

EDIT: The connecting the video to the TV and then audio from the TV to Receiver doesn't quite make any sense to me. That or I have a different view on what a receiver should do. Isn't the point of one to be a hub for everything to be switched too? Everything connects to the receiver so the receiver can be used to change inputs? I know this isn't as complicated as I'm probably making it in my head, but even now i'm not getting just a straight "No, dude, just use this type of cable into that slot" answer. ha Or maybe I am but there is just two of them. I dunno.

You want audio from the Xbox to the receiver. Not from TV to receiver.

Ok, so I need to get a toslink audio cable and connect that from the 360 to the Receiver? But have the Red/Green/Blue video cables connect to the TV still? Am I correct?

Zell

That would be the optimal way to do it, assuming you don't have multiple component video devices you want your receiver to switch between.

Helpless Rock

Zell wrote: »

That would be the optimal way to do it, assuming you don't have multiple component video devices you want your receiver to switch between.

And if I did what would I need to do? Since technically I still have a Wii to hook up but I so rarely use the thing I"m not terribly worried about it. Right now I just want to make sure I can successfully and correctly get the 360 working.

EliteLamer

Helpless Rock wrote: »

RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »

Helpless Rock wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure what model my TV is. It's a Samsung HDTV that is about 4 years old, I think. I didn't mention that because I thought the only cable that needs to go the TV was the HDMI Out from the receiver. The only thing that I can't get to just run with HDMI is the 360. Everything else I have is or can be HDMI.

EDIT: The connecting the video to the TV and then audio from the TV to Receiver doesn't quite make any sense to me. That or I have a different view on what a receiver should do. Isn't the point of one to be a hub for everything to be switched too? Everything connects to the receiver so the receiver can be used to change inputs? I know this isn't as complicated as I'm probably making it in my head, but even now i'm not getting just a straight "No, dude, just use this type of cable into that slot" answer. ha Or maybe I am but there is just two of them. I dunno.

You want audio from the Xbox to the receiver. Not from TV to receiver.

Ok, so I need to get a toslink audio cable and connect that from the 360 to the Receiver? But have the Red/Green/Blue video cables connect to the TV still? Am I correct?

Yeah and buy them from mono price. I bought 15ft for cheap..

Scrublet

Personally speaking I prefer to connect everything to the receiver. This way I only have to switch inputs on the receiver...the only thing I do with my TV is turn it on and off. Unfortunately that setup you have doesn't support converting the analog components over to the digital HDMI (generally a mid-range receiver feature), so you will have an HDMI and a component running from your receiver to the TV. But I don't understand why people are recommending connecting the component directly to the TV because all you're doing is guaranteeing that you have to switch inputs on both the TV AND the receiver.

And before anyone says anything stupid, no, there is no real video degredation by introducing the extra receiver connection to speak of. Anyone who wants to debate that should start a thread named "Stupid Audiophile Bullshit" and debate the qualities of 5-figure speaker cable.

Edit: btw can I just say that as far as all-in-one box setups go what you bought looks pretty sweet.

Zell

Scrublet wrote: »

Personally speaking I prefer to connect everything to the receiver. This way I only have to switch inputs on the receiver...the only thing I do with my TV is turn it on and off. Unfortunately that setup you have doesn't support converting the analog components over to the digital HDMI (generally a mid-range receiver feature), so you will have an HDMI and a component running from your receiver to the TV. But I don't understand why people are recommending connecting the component directly to the TV because all you're doing is guaranteeing that you have to switch inputs on both the TV AND the receiver.

He has to do that anyway, so including the receiver in the video chain is pointless.

If he had two component devices or a receiver capable of converting analog to digital then connecting to the receiver would make sense. He doesn't.

Though personally I don't use the analog to digital conversion on my receiver anyway as my TV doesn't support 480i over HDMI and the deinterlacer on the receiver is slooooooow. Harmony remote simplifies input switching, a lot.

Scrublet

Yea I guess I didn't think that all the way through. What the hell are you trying to send to the receiver that's 480i? PS2?

Zell

Scrublet wrote: »

Yea I guess I didn't think that all the way through. What the hell are you trying to send to the receiver that's 480i? PS2?

Yes. Also Contra ReBirth and Gradius ReBirth on WiiWare seems to insist on it.

Helpless Rock

I think I'm going to go and buy the new cheapish Logitech Harmony 650. $100 is still a lot but I think it'll be worth it in the long run hopefully. Because even right now to watch movie on the PS3 I go throw 3 different remotes. 50 bucks for the PS3 adapter is some bullshit, but not really any choice.
That is basically what I'm going for with what Scublet describes. I want everything to work as simply as possible. Everything to one thing basically being controlled by the receiver. I was unaware of the issue I'm having now with component not converting to digital with this receiver. But I think everything else about this receiver is enough for me to still be very happy with it's purchase. I think in the end once I get the 360 connected when the wires I need come from Monoprice and a Harmony all programed up, I'll be at were I wanted things to be working.

Improvolone

It feels stupid spending 100+ on a remote, but holy shit.