Okay. Haven’t had a good stereo in years and so I invested in a new setup this Christmas:


Sony Bravia KDL-46W3000
Pioneer VSX-94THX
BDP-S500 Sony Blu-ray
Vienna Acoustics Speakers


Here is my dilemma…. I can’t get audio through my receiver to my speakers from my cable TV signal.

My connection is straight COAX from the wall to the TV, hdmi from the tv to the receiver.

*I do NOT have a cable tv box (I will be ordering a direct tv hd/dvr w/hdmi)



I’m going crazy over here. Help.

Okay. Haven’t had a good stereo in years and so I invested in a setup this Christmas:


Sony Bravia KDL-46W3000
Pioneer VSX-94THX
Vienna Acoustics speakers
BDP-S500 Sony BluRay


Here is my dilemma…. I can’t get audio through my speakers from my TV

TV HDMI 1 > Pioneer HDMI 1

Cable source is straight COAX from the wall to the TV.

I’m going crazy over here. Help.

:confused: the tv hdmi port is an INPUT port, not an OUTPUT port... you need to run a cable from the digital audio out port on the tv to a digital audio in port on the avr...

note that if you hook the bluray directly to the tv, you will not get the sound you are looking for via the digital audio out port on the tv...

i'd do this:

for tv:
cable coax ---> tv
tv digital out ---> avr digital in

for bluray:
bluray ---> hdmi ---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

I was just looking for some HDMI advice and saw this thread. I am getting ready to hook up my new Blu Ray and AVR. Using your advice below - I assume that if there was a HDTV receiver in the loop, you would recommend:

cable coax ---> HDTV receiver
HDTV receiver ---> HDMI---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

for bluray:
bluray ---> hdmi ---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

Also, I have heard varying opinions on HDMI - Monster cable is very expensive but Fry's sells HDMI cables in a wide price range (like $20 to several hundred dollars). Is it true that there is no real value in buying expensive HDMI cables, since there is a pure digital signal? I am only looking to buy 3 to 6 ft cables. (I forgot to purchase the two extra cables I needed, so I wont be able to set up til tomorrow).

:confused: the tv hdmi port is an INPUT port, not an OUTPUT port... you need to run a cable from the digital audio out port on the tv to a digital audio in port on the avr...

note that if you hook the bluray directly to the tv, you will not get the sound you are looking for via the digital audio out port on the tv...

i'd do this:

for tv:
cable coax ---> tv
tv digital out ---> avr digital in

for bluray:
bluray ---> hdmi ---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

woah...confusing...

yup. that's how i would run it. that way you'll use the avr as your "switcher". cleanest and simplest way to do things. i'm assuming your hdtv receiver is some type of set top box.

for 3 (or 6 or even more) foot runs, any hdmi cable will be just fine. there is no value in buying grossly overpriced cables. many of use forum sponsors monoprice.com or bluejeanscable.com with great results. for example, i use the cheapest monoprice ones in my system (bluray, hddvd, cable box, and a 15 foot run from the avr to my 150fd). if i was going to have more than a 15 foot run, i'd probably use 24awg, just to be on the safe side.

woah...confusing...

lol... nah, not really... :) you just need to learn how to break it down into pieces and go from there...

when i first started to try and figure out connection possibilities, i found that it helped to draw a picture...

yup. that's how i would run it. that way you'll use the avr as your "switcher". cleanest and simplest way to do things. i'm assuming your hdtv receiver is some type of set top box.

for 3 (or 6 or even more) foot runs, any hdmi cable will be just fine. there is no value in buying grossly overpriced cables. many of use forum sponsors monoprice.com or bluejeanscable.com with great results. for example, i use the cheapest monoprice ones in my system (bluray, hddvd, cable box, and a 15 foot run from the avr to my 150fd). if i was going to have more than a 15 foot run, i'd probably use 24awg, just to be on the safe side.
FYI... My setup will be:

Sony BDP-S300, Sony HT-SS2000, and a DirecTV HDTV receiver hooked up to a Sony KD34XBR960 (flat tube and only 1080i, but the picture is great - next upgrade will be the TV, but couldn't stand buying movies anymore that I knew I would want to upgrade to Blu or HD, so I finally bought a blu ray player)

sounds workable to me... :) the setup in your first post will work just fine...

I was just looking for some HDMI advice and saw this thread. I am getting ready to hook up my new Blu Ray and AVR. Using your advice below - I assume that if there was a HDTV receiver in the loop, you would recommend:

cable coax ---> HDTV receiver
HDTV receiver ---> HDMI---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

for bluray:
bluray ---> hdmi ---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv

Also, I have heard varying opinions on HDMI - Monster cable is very expensive but Fry's sells HDMI cables in a wide price range (like $20 to several hundred dollars). Is it true that there is no real value in buying expensive HDMI cables, since there is a pure digital signal? I am only looking to buy 3 to 6 ft cables. (I forgot to purchase the two extra cables I needed, so I wont be able to set up til tomorrow).




I would do that to! if I had a cable box too! :(

and about the cables...
I use Monster Cables, usually the best deal/priced ones, why use crappy cables on great equipment?

HDMI is in and out, two way?

and about the cables...
I use Monster Cables, usually the best deal/priced ones, why use crappy cables on great equipment?

because you are throwing your money away if you do... however, it's your money, and if you want to throw it away, you should feel free to do so...

HDMI is in and out, two way?

well... kind of...

it's "two way" in the sense that there's 2 way communication to establish a handshake... but as far as sending a signal (video/audio), component ports aren't two-way, they are either input or output... i.e. you can't hook up to the "input" port of your tv and expect it to send something to the "output" port of your avr....

well... kind of...

it's "two way" in the sense that there's 2 way communication to establish a handshake... but as far as sending a signal (video/audio), component ports aren't two-way, they are either input or output... i.e. you can't hook up to the "input" port of your tv and expect it to send something to the "output" port of your avr....

And that seems like such an incredible oversight. Maybe HDMI 2.0? :p

And that seems like such an incredible oversight. Maybe HDMI 2.0? :p

LOL! :D

can you IMAGINE the confusion if ports were truly bi-directional and people had to set them the correct way??? :eek:

One of my installers didn't read the bright yellow warning tag that said directional on the Proflex HDMI cable. It has a blue LED on the display end. Is it really one way or will it work reversed. We have smurf tube but can't get the cable to pull back thru now that we got it in. No display on site yet, but just wondered if anyone knows for sure, so we don't look like idiots when it doesn't work. Thanks for your help.

One of my installers didn't read the bright yellow warning tag that said directional on the Proflex HDMI cable. It has a blue LED on the display end. Is it really one way or will it work reversed. We have smurf tube but can't get the cable to pull back thru now that we got it in. No display on site yet, but just wondered if anyone knows for sure, so we don't look like idiots when it doesn't work. Thanks for your help.
Your question should be in a new thread.

If it has a light, that likely means it has a repeater/extender at the display end of the cable and it can't be reversed.

Cables without electronics can be used either way.

How long is the cable?

I assume that if there was a HDTV receiver in the loop, you would recommend:

cable coax ---> HDTV receiver
HDTV receiver ---> HDMI---> avr
avr ----> hdmi ---> tv
No.

I believe most HDTV receivers do not have an HDMI output, only a digital audio output. Thus it would be:

cable coax ---> tv
tv digital audio out ---> avr digital audio in