Given :
-aerial input (coaxial cable)
-sat dish input (coaxial cable)
The task: to connect everything together
I’m not completely clueless but not sure how to do it properly.
I’m thinking of connecting it in chain (in series)
but not sure in what order and what cables to use
( coax or two pins ones yellow and red)
any suggestions or links to the relevant how-to sites would be appreciated.
It depends on how many inputs the TV has. Obviously, the satellite antenna connects to the set top box, so that means you’re trying to connect four things to the TV. You can reduce this to three if you connect the antenna through the VCR. I think you might have a problem if you try to connect the satellite or DVD player through the VCR, as the Macrovision encoding might screw up the picture. I think you’ll get a better picture using the RCA cables, although this should involve red, yellow and white cables (you only mentioned yellow and red, which would give you mono audio).
sure : it’s yellow, red and white
TV has digital and analog input jacks
Good, but how many of each, and how many antenna inputs? (It might be easier if you provided the brands and model numbers of each of the components, including the TV.)
With three signal sources, you might be best off buying an A/V or home theater receiver, if it’s within your means. Trying to hook up these devices straight to the TV is likely to be a little cumbersome and not provide the highest picture quality for some of your components. But it may be possible
To start, you will need an RF splitter to split the signal from the aerial to the VCR and the TV (and possibly the DVD player and satellite STB, if they have antenna inputs).
You will want to decide which of the components you watch most, and which is your top priority as far as picture quality is concerned. The order of picture quality from the various types of connections is (from highest to lowest):
HDMI/DVI (digital, rectangular multipin connector)
Component (analog, 3 RCA jacks, red, green, blue)
S-Video (analog, circular multi-pin connector)
composite (analog, RCA jack, yellow)
RF (analog, F-type connector)
Obviously, you have to have the same type of connector at both ends,* so the kinds of outputs the components have and inputs the TV has will determine how you can connect them.
If you watch the satellite the most and it has an HMDI or component output (assuming the TV has a matching input), use that to connect to the TV. Then connect the rest using the remaining inputs according to their priority and the quality of picture the input will provide. Under this plan, the DVD might be connected with an S-video or composite cable, and the VCR would probably be connected to one of the TV’s antenna inputs. If so, you’ll have to tune to channel 3 or 4 (depending on which in not being used by a local broadcast station) when watching it.
There are more possibilities, but this should get you started. The list of your hardware details will help us find the best setup, as will your willingness to consider a receiver, and the amount you could spend on it.
*It is possible to get converters for some of them, for instance HDMI to DVI or vice versa, and s-video to composite.
Instead of an RF splitter, a good A/V splitter may be better. I have one with 4 inputs (and each input has SV, RCA, RF, and composite) and one output (of the same types as the inputs) to the TV. Of course, my TV also has several inputs, and the remote can configure which input to use.
You misunderstood my point. Both the VCR and the TV (and maybe other components) need to get the signal from the aerial so they can tune in the broadcast stations. This is the case regardless of how the other components are connected to the TV.
If the TV has only one antenna input (relatively rare these days) and you’re using it for the VCR, then you won’t need the splitter. The aerial will be connected to the VCR and the VCR’s RF output will go to the TV. Then, when the VCR is off, the TV will be able to receive all the broadcast stations through its tuner. Or you can watch through the VCR’s tuner, and leave the TV set to channel 3 or 4.
Yeah, I realized this after I posted (my setup is more complicated than I implied [I have a VCR and a DVD recorder, and both have tuners], and I use an RF splitter as well, but I thought my situation was rare and that an RF splitter probably would not be needed if one has an A/V splitter).
Of course, you get a better picture from the VCR while playing a movie with the RCA cables, even if you use the coaxial for the TV.
Assuming I have one coaxial input and two rear RCA inputs in the TV and no other inputs (which would make it easier) and that the set-top box can at least output a signal using RCA phono, I would: Plug the antenna into the coax on the VCR and then go from the coax out of the VCR to the coax in to the TV. Do not use the RCA plugs for the VCR as the VCR output inherently has the worst picture quality and coax should be good enough. Plug the DVD player into the TV using one set of RCA plugs. Plug the satellite into the TV using the other set. There you go, all set up.
It can get trickier, of course, as you add components, but it can also be easier. To the TV I have in my living room I have connected:
The Playstation 2 (no standalone DVD player) with the video into the front RCA input the audio going directly into the minisystem (the input marked AUX.)
Two VCRs: One is connected only into the other with RCA cables for dubbing purposes, which isn’t really used. The other gets the coax feed from the DVR from the satellite dish. That VCR is then connected to the TV’s single coax input. No antenna is involved. This VCR uses an A/B switch with the video going into the rear input while the audio goes into the minisystem (the input marked Video.)
The Sega Dreamcast: Plugged into the RCA-only VCR. This feeds the signal from the Dreamcast into VCR2 and then into VCR1 and works fine once all the settings are right in both VCRs.
The XM receiver: Audio-only, goes into the other half of the A/B switch. Obviously the audio again outputs out of the switch into the “Video” input.
So, if I want to watch a TV show I just I turn on the TV, set it to the appropriate channel (in this case, 60), and change channels in the DVR while leaving the TV on 60. If I want the audio from the minisystem as well, I have to turn on the VCR and the minisystem with the input set on Video and the switch set properly, but I don’t actually have to use the tuner in the VCR, meaning I don’t have to switch the TV to video mode.
To play a Playstation game or a DVD I just switch the minisystem to the Aux setting and switch to the proper input in the TV.
I can listen to the audio from the XM separately from what’s playing on the TV or the Playstation by switching the A/B switch and turning the minisystem to Video. This is nice when you’re sick of the commentary in Madden or want to watch baseball without having to listen to Tim McCarver and want the game’s radio feed.
Of course this would be easier if I spent the cash on an ABCD switchbox, but I use the Dreamcast so rarely it’s not worth the cash.
Except for the dreamcast ( I have an xbox instead), our setups are simiilar.
However, the way we do it is different, as I use a switchbox (actually 2, as I use one for audio only connected to my stereo and one for A/V connected to my stereo TV), and I believe the extra $50 for the two boxes is worth it for the convience of pushing a couple of buttons at most to watch/listen to what I want to.
Thanks to everyone ,have to do some more research before asking more questions.
I thought it’s pretty straightforward thing to do. Not so.
Off Topic
Why skotjamb has been banned ?
or was he ? How come he can still post, then ?
Well, if you’d answer our questions (all right, my questions), we might be able to help.
It’s really pretty easy. As we’ve said, if you’re willing to spend some cash on splitters/combiners and switchboxes it will be even easier. But without telling us what we have to work with, we can’t really give more than generalities and examples. We can even give suggestions on other possibilities–as I said earlier, RCA video will give a better picture than coax, but S-video or component will give a better picture, up to the limits of your source, of course–but we have to know what is available.
commasense ,asterion
I appreciate your willingness to help, but I’m not ready yet to give you all the information you request.
It’s my friends’ house ,so I’m not sure about makes , models of the equipment.
Besides I didn’t see any splitters/combiners and switch boxes but they claim that everything was working before they moved and nothing is missing.
They just don’t know how to reassemble it.
Also we are not in the US so there might be some country specific nuances.
May I contact you by email when I’m ready ?
Have hooked up new dvd to tv and satellite box. Picture comes through fine, but there is no sound. What did I do wrong?
what cables and output and input jacks used.
model numbers of devices would help.