Cable connectivity headaches: achieving best HD results from Sky+ HD, Blu Ray 5.1 surround sound Home Cinema and Full HD 1080p LCD TV

[admin_exported]

I have many bumps along the road towards upgrading to HD, not least the scarts currently buried in the wall that now need replacing with HDMI (resulting in a much wifely frowned upon ruining the perfectly adequate, recent decoration), the new TV that was DOA and awaits swap out, and a revisit to the debate of whether it really is a good idea to have an LCD TV wall mounted on a working chimney breast (gas, not the higher temperature solid fuel). All of these will be challenges in the coming days/weeks, but one headache I did not anticipate was the cables I would need...surely I just put my new kit in place of my old, replace the 2 scarts that currently go from my Sky+ box to the old home theatre system, then to the first generation wall mounted Ambilight TV with HDMI?!?! My Panasonic SC-BT200 home theatre system arrived yesterday (with one HDMI output connection) and cable reality struck...

Can anyone please advise the best cable set up to get the most out of my new kit: a Sky+ HD box linked to the SC-BT200 linked to the Samsung UE40B8000 200Hz LCD 1080p full HD TV?

I am thinking I will need an optical cable from Sky+ HD to the SC-BT200 and HDMI from the SC-BT200 to the UE40B8000. But the SC-BT200 instructions then recommend (even with an HDMI cable) you also have optical and video cables from the home theatre to the TV - is this really necessary if I am using HDMI? Stupid question, but do I also need a second HDMI cable from the Sky+ HD box to the TV? Do I need any other connectivity to maximise the HD?

Any advice that anyone can give will be gratefully received.

 

[Andrew Everard]

You'll need an HDMI from the SC-BT200 to the TV, and another from the Sky HD box to the TV, plus an optical digital connection from Sky HD to the SC-BT200 to carry the surround sound from Sky HD via the system.

The only reason for having another optical cable from the TV to the SC-BT200 would be
a) if the TV had an optical digital output, and
b) you wanted to be able to listen to sound from the TV's internal digital tuner via the SC-BT200 - ie with the Sky HD box off.

If you don't want/need this, or are prepared to listen to terrestrial TV broadcasts via the TVs own speakers, then you're all sorted.

 

[Anonymous]

? or c) you have several input sources to the TV and you want the amp output to be swiched automatically when you change the selected source at the TV ?

Accepting Pro logic decoding of stereo output from TV - how inferior would that be?

Am I cheating by using someone elses post to answer my own?!?

 

[chudleighpaul]

Most TV broadcasts are just stereo, so there is no disadvantage in taking the audio out from the TV and converting it into Pro Logic.

At the moment Sky is the only source of 5.1 sound (other than Bluray and DVD)

 

[Anonymous]

Well yes bd and dvd but surely also HD from freesat. The point is that these are indeed the 3 sourses used and I am trying to find out whether the downside of loss of sound quality in using the tv output outweighs the advantage of sound output at the amp automatically following the source selected at the TV. I have to take account of the ease of use for the rest of the family!

Ideal solution new amp with fullHDMI connectivity but cant afford yet.

 

[chudleighpaul]

Sorry forgot about Freesat, although I dont think there are many broadcasts in 5.1

For 5.1 sound you will need to connect all your sources direct to the amp, but for TV sound i.e. Freeview there is no disadvantage in taking it from the TV

 

[Anonymous]

Sure but I'm still uncertain. Agreed freesat and freeview (I use both) won't be affected. Altho bd/dvd/hd will be compromised I dont 'need' to go direct to amp. I can go thru TV but wot I don't know is how much of a loss of quality I would suffer.

Thanx for input

 

[chudleighpaul]

If you connect a 5.1 source direct to the TV and then take the TV audio out you will lose the 5.1. It will be output as stereo and the amp will convert it to pro logic. Definitely a disadvantage. Connect all 5.1 sources direct to the amp for best results.