question about Panny E-85 hookup

I have my E85 set up as the tuner for the TV. I do run the coax to the TV for times when the DVR is recording something that I want to watch later and I want to watch the TV. Mainly the TV for me is just a output device, everything that I watch runs though the component cables that come from the DVR.


As long as you can select the component input on you TV, you can use the E85 as your tuner. In my case the E85 is my "Hub" acting as tuner, input for the front door security cam, a second DVD player, Gamecube, etc... I just have the TV set to the input that is fed from the E85 and use it as a video switcher.


One thing though, as with most systems like this you can't mix and match the input and output type. If you feed into the E85 DVR with component cables from your assorted sources, you must feed out to the TV with component cables. If you mix S-video and component you will get scrambled crap for a picture. If all you sources have S-video out and you TV has a S-video in you can go that route, but if one source has only component then that source is will not work with the S-video to the TV.


Long story short, no you don't need coax from the DVR to the TV or from the wall to the TV to watch live signal from the DVR's tuner. All you need is you component, S-video, etc...


Hope this helps.

The E-85 does not have component inputs, only composite and S-video in. It has 1 set of component outputs for connection to a TV. There are no problems having S-video in and component out - the component out will allow you to output at 480p. If your TV does not display progressive scan, you won't see much, if any, difference between S-video and component out.


The E-85 tuner is analog NTSC not digital ATSC. If you have it connected to an HDTV and use the E-85 tuner as your channel switcher, you will not be viewing any HD programming.


I have noticed a visible TV picture degradation when feeding the coax to the TV through the E-85. I have the coax from my antenna feeding into a multiport amplifier. I run separate coax from the amp outputs to the TV, E-85 and VCR. The E-85 outputs S-video to the TV and the VCR outputs composite to the E-85 (for transferring tape recordings). If need be, I can play the VCR through the E-85.