It has been a few years since I have been around home theater. Regardless, I have just purchased a 50" Panasonic Plasma Panel and am preparing to connect everything. But first I am doing my home work. I have questions:

I will be connecting a Motorola DCT6416 DVR HDTV cable box to the Panasonic TH-50PX75U. I will also be connecting a standard DVD player and outputting everything to an older Kenwood 5.1 receiver.

Here is how I plan to connect. Please tell me where I am wrong:

Motorola to the Plasma screen.

I plan to connect to the plasma with HDMI. I am believing that the HDMI will handle all of the audio as well as the video.

My only question is how will the non high def stuff be handled? IOW, What if I am viewing standard def via the set top box? Do I need further connections, or will the HDMI handle it ALL?

Do I need to run a digital audio line as well to get 5.1 on the non high def channels? (optical or coaxial?)

Standard DVD Player to HDTV.

I will use component for video but what about audio? Do I need a digital audio line for this as well? The manual for the tv just shows hooking up the analog audio and the component video.

Lastly, I plan to run digital audio out to my AV receiver to get 5.1. I surmise that I will just have to do the input switching with the TV.

Am i on the right path here or not?

Standard DVD Player to HDTV.[/B]

I will use component for video but what about audio? Do I need a digital audio line for this as well? The manual for the tv just shows hooking up the analog audio and the component video.

Lastly, I plan to run digital audio out to my AV receiver to get 5.1. I surmise that I will just have to do the input switching with the TV.

Am i on the right path here or not?


I cannot answer your HDMI ? since I just got a new plasma myself but assume it can handle your SD programs just fine.

I would also assume you wouldn't run the DVD player without having the receiver on because I want to hear movies in 5.1. If you won't watch the dvd player except when the receiver is on, you can use the video component out on the dvd player and run them to the TV. Then use your optical or coax digital audio out from the dvd player to your AV receiver.

If you want to watch your dvd's without using the receiver for audio, you will have to hook up the RCA outs on the DVD player to the RCA audio in's to your TV.

The audio out from the the Panny (I have the same one) is two RCA audio plugs for your receiver, thus you will not output 5.1 from either the motorola box or the dvd to the receiver.