Need help hooking up Xbox 360

If your receiver has component video inputs for an unused input, or if it's inputs are assignable, you can hook it up using component video. You will also want to use an optical audio connection.

no, "component" only refers to the VIDEO part. you can use your choice of analog (2 red/white cables) or digital for audio.

component video = the red/blue/green video cable.



"composite" = three cables (red/white/yellow) for 2 audio + 1 video:

You should have multiple inputs and a single output to your projector. Plug your 360 into one of the inputs and hit the button corresponding to that button.

oh wow, I see we are going way over your head and you just don't get the fundamental conept

think of it this way -- the "names" represent the different sources available on your receiver. For example, on your receiver you have "DVD", "TV/SAT", "VCR1", etc. The "names" are the OUTPUT of the receiver. All of these "names" have a dedicated composite (red/white/yellow) hook-up that is labeled with the name. The plugs on the back are the INPUT.

however, you only have TWO component (red/blue/green) video inputs, because when your receiver came out most people did not have more than one or two hi-def capable devices. So, since you have only TWO component inputs but many more "names" available, receivers allow you to ASSIGN the inputs to whatever "name" you choose, so the manufacturer doesn't have to predict what you will want or force you to use specific "names" to go along with those two inputs.

So the component video inputs are just numbered on the back ("1" and "2"), and you choose what "name" they become connected to. For example, if you want to hook up your Xbox 360 as "VCR1" and your DVD player as "DVD", you would assign one of the component inputs to the "VCR1" input name, and the other component to the "DVD" input name.

Once you do this, the input has now been "mapped" to the name, and now when you select the "VCR1" source on the receiver, it will "look" for the video from the component input.

The same thing happens with your digital audio inputs. You can "map" them to whatever "name" you want the audio to output on.

you may think it's dumb but it's literally the way EVERY SINGLE modern receiver works, for HDMI, component video, and digital audio!! It's actually pretty easy and pretty much every person who has bought an AVR in the past few years has to do it.

The problem is that you typically have 7 or more source "names" but it's cost ( and space) prohibitive for receivers to have seven component inputs, seven optical inputs, seven HDMI inputs, etc. So you get a few of each, and then you assign as needed, it's really not that hard.

There isn't any real need to run the video through the receiver FYI so if you are happy with your current setup (bypassing the receiver for video).

I am not sure what your points of confusion are.

First off, you don't always need to assign anything. Receivers have a set of default inputs.

Obviously, there is no XBox input. However, you can use other inputs. You might, for example your DVD input for your XBox if you don't have a DVD player hooked up.

Hook the component video outputs from the 360 into the DVD component inputs. Hook the optical audio from the 360 to the DVD optical audio input on the receiver. Now when you select DVD, you should see and hear the XBox.

You might also have other AV inputs which support the 360. I don't have your manual, so I can't tell you. But looking on the back of the receiver or maybe in the manual, you should see labeled inputs.

Where assignment comes in, is when the defaults don't work. They would let you assign a specific input such as VCR to specific physical connections on back of the receiver. I would think some more reading and experimentation might help you out.

It might help to pull the receiver out, so you can clearly see the connections on back of the receiver.

Yes, you can use any RCA terminated cable. There was a discussion that some RCA term'd cables are not the proper (75 ohm) impedance. I am not going to rehash that discussion. I would guess most RCA terminated cables would work for you. Does not hurt to try.

You can connect to digital audio rather than standard left and right (w/r) audio. If you look at the Xbox AV Cable where its connected to back of the Xbox unit, you will see a switch for TV and HDTV. Just behind that switch where the cables lead out you will see a small black port. This where to connect a optical toslink (digital audio) cable (http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...t=1#largeimage). Connect one end to the Xbox AV small black port and connect the other end to your receiver DIGITAL optical input (either TV or Tape, located at top left corner if looking from the rear).
Hook the Xbox component video cables (red, blue, green) into the your receiver COMPONENT VIDEO inputs (red, blue, green).
So the r/w/y are not used since the optical cable takes its place. I hope this helps.
BTW, don't forget to assign

In my opinion, it's best to route your XBox audio to your receiver via optical so you get Dolby Digital.

When you say video 1, are you talking your TV or your receiver?

If you are talking about video 1 on your TV, you can switch your video from your TV and your audio from your receiver. In other words, you would run component video to an input on your TV, and choose an audio input on your receiver for the audio.

If video 1 is a receiver input, it depends a bit on whether it accepts digital audio as well as component video. If it did not accept digital audio, you would be stuck with analog.

As I said before, in an ideal world, you would choose a receiver input that allows for both component video and digital audio, and use that for the 360. In this way, the receiver will switch both audio and video for you.

The downside of switching both audio and video receiver side is that you can't hear audio from the TV.

The downside of feeding the XBox into the TV, then back out to the receiver, is you will likely not get Dolby Digital.

Of course Dolby Digital is not really helpful unless you are going to run more than two speakers.

honestly dude, I don't think I could have explained it more clearly than I already did. I even looked at the back of your receiver for you and explained the specific inputs you would use. read this a few more times until it makes sense:


you need to understand that the "name" that you select on the receiver is the OUTPUT, but what inputs funnel to that "name" can be assigned by you. Every "name" gets a set of composite (red/yellow/white) connectors, but for the "higher level" connections like component video and optical audio, you need to set up how the inputs are mapped to the OUTPUTS.

yes, once you have assigned the component inputs to a specific name, now they are "attached" to that name so they will be combined with anything else associated with the name. So if you assigned the component-1 input to "VCR1", then you would want to use either the red/white audio inputs labeled "VCR1" or use a digital cable and assign that digital input to "VCR1" as well.

don't worry, it's just a new way of doing things. once it "clicks" for you it will become easy