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Help a NEWB with marginal stuff.......

post #1 of 12
1/29/13 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

I thought I knew a little bit about audio but after spending some time reading this site, I now know I do not! eek.gif

I could use some help putting the pieces I own together correctly. Any advice on what connection type to use between the various components would be GREATLY appreciated.

I own:

HK 630 with the firmware upgrade
Panasonic PT-AX200u HD projector (720P, 1080i)
Samsung Blu-Ray BD-C6500
Energy Take Classics 5.1
Wow Ultra TV service STB has HDMI, Optical and Component Outputs

The main problems:

I have ZERO momney to spend as we just bought a new house and the wife is NOT ON BOARD with replacing anything.mad.gif
The HK does not have HDMI.
I know enough to be dangerous.smile.gif


I can make the entire setup produce sound from all the speakers and a decent looking picture on the wall but I am CONVINCED there is a better way to connect everything. Currently I have most of it set up via Component Video and Digital Optical.


Is there a simple step by step that someone here with the requisite knowledge can impart on me? I would be glad to answer any questions (and take some abuse) about the components.

I just need to know I have what I own set up porperly because I am 99% sure I do not.


Again, all help and advice will be appreciated and responded to.

Thanks
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post #2 of 12
1/29/13 at 4:44pm
I have a somewhat similar setup. An old Yamaha receiver that doesn't do HDMI, and newer television and components that do have HDMI. What I've done is route video to the television using HDMI. And then route digital audio to the receiver using optical or coax inputs. The only slight problems are that it involves changing more inputs on different devices any time I change activities, and there's no connection between the receiver and television so I can't do onscreen setup for the receiver. My Harmony takes care of all component switches automatically, and my receiver doesn't have an onscreen gui, so neither end up mattering. If you do need the receiver GUI, you could use whatever output you have available from the receiver to connect to the projector as image quality isn't going to matter much for setup.
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post #3 of 12
1/30/13 at 3:54am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for the fast response. You hit the nail on the head with regard to the symptoms of not having HDMI on my receiver. I had previously set it up exactly as you describe which was fine for me. The problem is, my wife and children had no idea how to set it up when they changed programming and every Time I went to turn it on the settings were all screwed up. It got to the point where I avoided using it altogether.
It sounds to me that a potential easy solution is to buy a high-end remote control that contains the correct sequence of button pushes in memory to set up the system each time somebody turns it on? You specifically mentioned one called Harmony? Do you have a recommendation on which one would be best considering my limited budget?

Another setup question: the Samsung Blu-ray player has optical, HDMI and 7,1 RCA connections. Which one should I use to connect the audio to the HK 630?
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post #4 of 12
1/30/13 at 6:39am
A Harmony remote is just what you need. We have a much more complicated setup and everyone in the family can run it thanks to the remote. A single button push powers up the needed equipment for an activity, does all input switching, and sets the remote buttons from the gear you are using (volume on the receiver, channels on the cable box, etc). You can get one for less than $100.

If your player has multichannel analog outputs, that would give you access to lossless audio from Blu-ray. But, analog involves considerable work to set up and it's doubtful you'd hear much difference from optical.
Edited by BIslander - 1/30/13 at 7:30am
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post #5 of 12
1/30/13 at 9:56am
Yep. Harmony is the way to go, and they're not that expensive. Once you've got it set up (which is generally not difficult) it's dead simple to use.
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post #6 of 12
1/30/13 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
Alright. Can you recommend which Harmony is the way to go? I see they have 3. Only one is affordable (for me) right now at $79. Should I buy that one or try to find a better one used on eBay or amazon? If so, do recommend a model?

Thanks.
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post #7 of 12
1/30/13 at 12:22pm
A Harmony One or the new Touch would be the best way to go. But, those remotes cost $200 and up. I set up a 650 for my in-laws. It controls five devices and works just fine. Five devices isn't much. TV, AVR, Cable Box, and BD Player puts you at four, only leaving room for one more box (such as a game console, Roku, or AppleTV). The number of devices that a remote can control is a primary difference among these models - the more devices, the higher the price.
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post #8 of 12
1/30/13 at 1:34pm
Unless you expect to be adding two additional devices in the near future I'd go for the 650. It's inexpensive and covers your needs.
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post #9 of 12
1/30/13 at 3:49pm
Thread Starter 
To be sure, all I will need to do is program the remote correctly and I will never have to let them touch the gear again? It will turn on and correctly choose the settings for each piece of gear sequentially with different commands for different requests (TV vs movie vs music)?

And the 650 is $79. I can make that work.



Thank you all!!!
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post #10 of 12
1/30/13 at 4:22pm
Yep, that's how it works. We have four disc players, a cable box, AppleTV, Roku, and an HDMI switch. The remotes for all those devices are in a drawer. I only pull them out for arcane functions that get used so rarely that it's not worth programming into the Harmony. No one in the family ever needs more than the one remote. It may be the single best piece of AV gear that we own.
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post #11 of 12
1/30/13 at 5:48pm
Thread Starter 
SOLD!

I am going to order a Harmony 650.



Now, if I only knew the best place to buy one.......rolleyes.gif
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post #12 of 12
1/31/13 at 8:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aloyouis View Post

SOLD!

I am going to order a Harmony 650.



Now, if I only knew the best place to buy one.......rolleyes.gif

Amazon @ $79.99.
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