HDMI from TV to Receiver

Mike, there're a few details missing from your question, but I think I know where you're headed.

It sounds like you're trying to hear broadcast TV (like CBS or Fox) through the speakers connected to your receiver. For this, there's a couple possibilities.

Traditionally, you should think of the TV as a source, and wire in audio from it to the receiver, the same as you would a CD player - with either stereo cables (the basic red/white pair) or with a digital/optical (toslink) cable (this would be prefered).

However, if you have a TV and a receiver which BOTH support ARC - audio return channel - you can use the HDMI cable you normally run video signals into the TV with, to return audio to the receiver, saving you the expense and mess of the extra cable. Notice again, this only works when both peices of equipment support ARC, and you're using the TV to receive the over-the-air broadcast signal. I haven't checked your models to know if they support ARC, but if they do, there will be settings to adjust to make it work - you'll needf to read the owner's manuals carefully.

Is that where you're trying to get, or have I misread?

Fred

The TV will have one HDMI input which is labelled for "ARC". That's the one that would need to be connected to the AVR's HDMI-out.

HDMI-CEC must be enabled on both devices. TV's have different names for this but it's usually included with the TV's proprietary connection/internet protocol. Panasonic calls it one thing, Samsung has a different name. It's the function that's supposed to link devices of the same brand so that when you turn on one device, the TV turns on and switches to that input. Yamaha calls it "HDMI Control". ARC must also be enabled in the AVR.

Now, enabling this stuff can and will have other ramifications. The TV and AVR will start switching inputs, turning on and off and an assortment of other things based on what the other device is doing. Some people have troubles due to all this and it's not very predictable. These functions are not standardized, and tend to only really work right when all devices are of the same brand.

The path of least resistance and fewer issues is to connect the optical output on the TV to a separate optical input on the AVR. With the Yamaha, that input can then be tied to one of the SCENE buttons and/or assigned to any video input.

Lastly, start ignoring anything that comes out of the mouths of BestBuy employees.