Getting connected properly

[admin_exported]

Hi. I've just re-entered the world of hi-fi and home cinema after some years in the BOSE wilderness. I have bought the following equipment after a modicum of research and auditioning and I am extremely happy with it all: Panasonic TH-37PX70B Plasma, Panasonic DMR-EX77EB HDD/DVD Recorder, SONY STR-DA1200ES AV Receiver, Mission M34i floor standing stereo speakers, Wharfdale Diamond 9.CC centre speaker, Pioneer iDK-01 ipod dock, I'm retaining some old SONY surround speakers for a later upgrade and forgoing a SUB for the time being as I'm very happy with the bass performance of the M34i's in Cinema and Stereo configuration. After all that, my question is how to best connect the different sources and receiver? I'm worried about missing an important secondary connection or else having too many links which might cause the equipment to auto select the lesser route. I want to be able to see the menus on-screen for the SONY 1200 and the Pioneer iDK-01. I also want to know is it best to route the HDMI from the DVD player/recorder through the 1200 or direct to the plasma? Do I need SCART at all in this set up? I'm a little confused and in need of guidance... Thanks in anticipation. Bob.

 

[Joe Cox]

Hi Bob,

After reading your email I almost without thinking found myself singing, "your ankle bone connected to your leg bone, your leg bone connected to your knee bone..." Looking at the back of a modern AV receiver can certainly be daunting, but rest assured, it's always much easier than you think.

Dealing with the issue of viewing menus for the Sony and Pioneer dock, both have composite and s-video outs, so using one of each seems sensible. So run a composite video cable from the Sony receiver to your TV, and an s-video cable from your dock to your TV. You how have two separate inputs on your screen, each serving a separate device. Lastly, connect an HDMI cable direct from your Sony DVD player to your TV. Should you buy a second HDMI device, you could use the HDMI-switching capabilities on your receiver, but otherwise it's not entirely necessary.

Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Joe. I remember the skeleton song! Thanks for the advice. Just one point of clarification. There isn't a S-Video connection on the plasma so did you mean to connect it to the 1200SE which in turn would route the ipod dock menu to the screen? Or should I stick to composite here? Regards. Bob.

 

[Joe Cox]

Ahh! There's always something. In that case, yes - I'd use two separate composite video inputs on your TV.