# Home theater trouble **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791 "2003-12-24T05:09:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/1 "2003-12-24T05:09:02Z")
Here’s the setup: DVD –composite a/v-\> receiver CD –composite audio-\> receiver Xbox –composite a/v-\> receiver Digital Cable –composite a/v-\> receiver Receiver –component video-\> TV I read all my manuals, set everything up, and I get audio for all my devices, but no video. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey-Hotel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e68b1a/32.png) [@Whiskey-Hotel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey-Hotel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/2 "2003-12-24T05:36:42Z")
Most receivers can only output the same type signal as is input. So unless you connect your TV to the composite output, you’re not going to get any video. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/3 "2003-12-24T05:40:21Z")
I think you’ll have to connect the TV to the receiver with a composite cable, not component. On my receiver, you only get output to the TV from inputs of the same connector type. So if yours is like mine, it’s a switcher only. It doesn’t process the signal and convert composite inputs to component outputs, or vice versa. Try conecting the composite output of the receiver to the composite input of the TV. It should work. Use the component inputs for those sources that put out a component signal. But if your sources don’t all have component outputs, you will have to switch inputs to the TV to see all sources. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/4 "2003-12-24T08:24:20Z")
How many inputs does your TV have? You might be better off if your DVD video out bypassed the receiver anyways. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/5 "2003-12-26T04:49:33Z")
Thanks guys that was the problem. Followup question: does the same go for digital audio? If I use a toslink or digital coax, does everything have to be digital? ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-trouble/220791/6 "2003-12-26T16:09:57Z")
No, although depending on your receiver you may have to tell it whether you’re using analog or digital (some will automatically assume analog unless they detect a digital signal, others you can map a digital input to a source button on the receiver).