cables,cables,cables

[dcanham001]

Hi guys - I have ziltch experience with home cinema and was wondering if you guys could help me out

Just pricing up some home cinema kit and was looking at upgrading the cabling for each item.

If I go ahead and purchase Sky HD, a blu-ray player and an Amp with separate speakers to go with my HDTV what sort of cables do I need (HDMI, speaker cables, coaxial/optical interconnects - I have no idea what the latter are!) and what plugs into what (as I said, i am a novice)

Presumably the speakers all go into the Amp (with speaker cables?) which goes into the TV (with HDMI). The blu-ray and sky HD both go straight into the TV (both HDMI) - is this correct?

I dont really need recommendations for a particular cable as I can look up that info in the back of the WHF mag - I just need to know what the cables are supposed to do and where they fit in to a home set-up

PS This enquiry has nothing to do with the 'is it worth investing in a more expensive HDMI cable?' argument - I know you guys love debating that one

 

[bretty]

Hi,

You will need:

1. An optical and a HDMI to run from the sky box to the amp (optical for sound, HDMI for picture)

2. A HDMI to run from the Blu-Ray player to the amp

3. A HDMI to run from the amp to the TV.

4. You are correct, all the speakers go through the amp.

So, just so it's clear, both the sky and you BD player go into the amp and then you have just one HDMI going to your TV. You can switch the source from SKY to BD on your amp.

Hope that makes sense for you.

Bretty

 

[Big Chris]

You don't mention your speakers, but you'll also need a digital co-ax which will run from your amp to your sub. This is because subs are active (have their own amplification), so just need an audio signal to work.

I use QED performance miniature sub cable, which is small and flexible and works fine.

Oh yeah, and speaker cable from the amp to all of the speakers (bar the sub) of course.

 

[dcanham001]

Thanks guys. The help is much appreciated - at least i know i have enough HDMI inputs on my TV now!

 

[Anonymous]

Big Chris:You don't mention your speakers, but you'll also need a digital co-ax which will run from your amp to your sub. This is because subs are active (have their own amplification), so just need an audio signal to work.

I use QED performance miniature sub cable, which is small and flexible and works fine.

Oh yeah, and speaker cable from the amp to all of the speakers (bar the sub) of course.

Aren't the sub cables standard rca phono cables rather than digital co-ax?

 

[Dave_]

nibbo:

Big Chris:You don't mention your speakers, but you'll also need a digital co-ax which will run from your amp to your sub. This is because subs are active (have their own amplification), so just need an audio signal to work. I use QED performance miniature sub cable, which is small and flexible and works fine. Oh yeah, and speaker cable from the amp to all of the speakers (bar the sub) of course.

Aren't the sub cables standard rca phono cables rather than digital co-ax?

yeah, usually just a single(mono)RCA cable.

 

[Big Chris]

daveh75:nibbo:

Big Chris:You don't mention your speakers, but you'll also need a digital co-ax which will run from your amp to your sub. This is because subs are active (have their own amplification), so just need an audio signal to work. I use QED performance miniature sub cable, which is small and flexible and works fine. Oh yeah, and speaker cable from the amp to all of the speakers (bar the sub) of course.

Aren't the sub cables standard rca phono cables rather than digital co-ax?

yeah, usually just a single(mono)RCA cable.

Yeah, must have been thinking of something else. I don't know where "digital" came from.

"A mono run sub cable". There. That's better.