Home Theater set-up

When setting up a home theater system, I have never done this with a proper Home Theater Receiver, how is the TV ran through for TV viewing through the system? Is the TV used as both a source and receive an input signal from the processor? Meaning do you use the TV's tuner for station selection, send the dignal to the processor and then back to the TV?

Jim

I guess it is going to depend on the television; but as far as I know, most TVs with a built in tuner do not have a tuner output that can be routed out of the TV then back to the TV. What is the make and model, this will help out.

In my case, I have a 42" Vizio Plasma with 2 HDMI, 2 Component, 2 Composite, 1 S-Video and 1 RGB input; it also has a built in HD (Digital) tuner. In my case, all the video goes to the TV while all the audio goes to my processor; some route all their video and audio through their processor. So, when I want to watch satellite, DVD or my HD PVR, I chose the appropriate input on my TV and then on my processor. When I want to use my TV, I use the built in HD tuner which has an optical output which allows me to decode the 5.1 audio, provided the channel is broadcasting an appropriate signal.

If you TV does not have an optical out then most have a line level out that can be sent to a processor, but be careful as some are variable output as opposed to being a fixed output and some TVs let you chose.

DSA

I have a 42 inch LG LCD, I believe it has several outputs. If I understand you are using the TV as a source then for the audio signal to the processor.

Jim

Not quite; most of the time, my TV is used as a monitor, with something else (DVD, HD PVR, Satellite, etc...) used as the source. The video from these sources go to the TV while the audio from these sources go to my processor. On those occasions when I want to watch just my television, I use the internal tuner which has two audio only outputs, 1 optical and one pair of standard L/R audio on RCA jacks. The video from the tuner itself has no output that can get routed out of the TV and then re-used as a source. It is this last part that I understand you wanted to do with your existing TV, maybe I just misunderstood.

I found a review on two 42 LG HDTVs (LG Electronics 42LP1D LCD HDTV and 42PX4D Plasma HDTV) from the August 2005 issue of Home Theater Magazine; see attached link:

http://www.hometheatermag.com/lcds/805lg/

From this I gathered the following information on the LCD model:

Inputs:
Video: HDMI (1), RGB (1), component video (2), S-video (2, shared), composite video (2, shared), RF (2)
Audio: optical (2), stereo RCA pairs (4), stereo mini-plug (1) Outputs:

Outputs:
Video: composite video (1)
Audio: optical (1), stereo RCA pair (1)

Additional: CableCARD (1), FireWire IEEE 1394 (2), CF Memory Card Slot Type 1/II (1), Memory Card Slot for most other type (1), Remote control mini-plug (1), G-Link (1), RS-232 (1)

It would appear that it does have a video output, albeit a composite one (low resolution). I am not sure the reason for this, maybe the owner’s manual has an explanation? I, however, would not not send this composite signal to your receiver just to send it back to the TV though. Seems like a waste of time, not to mention resolution.

Not sure if I made this clearer or muddier

DSA

This post has been edited by dsa220 on September 15, 2008 12:22 pm

Yes, thank you I think I understand now. I am now going into the market of a sound processor. I am leaning towards either Adcom or Denon, any preferences?

Jim