Home Theatre Question

[E-Day]

I look to be getting a plasma TV soon. And eventually I want to add an HD home theatre sound system. However, I am a tad confused about how it is all hooked up. With the old school stuff, audio and video were carried on separate cables. With HDMI, it's all in one. So If I connect an Xbox 360 or PS3 via HDMI to the plasma TV, how do I get the surround sound to the home theatre receiver? Is it a matter of an HDMI output on the TV going to an input on the home theatre?

I know a digital optical cable is an option for most things, but HDMI is best for carrying full HD 7.1 surround. So without using that, how is it done?

[Count_Zero]

I look to be getting a plasma TV soon. And eventually I want to add an HD home theatre sound system. However, I am a tad confused about how it is all hooked up. With the old school stuff, audio and video were carried on separate cables. With HDMI, it's all in one. So If I connect an Xbox 360 or PS3 via HDMI to the plasma TV, how do I get the surround sound to the home theatre receiver? Is it a matter of an HDMI output on the TV going to an input on the home theatre?

I know a digital optical cable is an option for most things, but HDMI is best for carrying full HD 7.1 surround. So without using that, how is it done?

In short - the HDMI cable going from the Home Theater reciever to the TV will carry the video over, while still sending the 7.1 sound signal out to the speakers.

[meppi]

Hmm, I've been wondering about this as well.

So would everything that's been connected to the TV through HDMI cables send a HD sound signal to the surround receiver if you have an optic cable going from the tv (optical audio out) to the surround sounds system's (optical audio in)?

[E-Day]

In short - the HDMI cable going from the Home Theater reciever to the TV will carry the video over, while still sending the 7.1 sound signal out to the speakers.

So all the devices would plug into the receiver, and then an HDMI cable would go from the receiver to the TV for video? I was thinking that maybe everything would plug into the TV, and then an HDMI output would go from the TV to the reciever. So I should make sure I eventually get a receiver with lots of HDMI inputs? The TV I am looking at has 4 itself

[Jarlaxle]

My Sony Full HD TV has four HDMI slots as well; but in the end I only needed one of them anyway. Basically if you are able to shell out for such a TV, you should be able to get a HD receiver as well (as in an audio receiver with HDMI slots.) In my case, my setup is like this:

Receiver: (Input slots)

HDMI Slot 1: DVD Upscaler (regular DVDs to 1080P)

HDMI Slot 2: Xbox 360

HDMI Slot 3: PS3 (came free with the TV)

HDMI Slot 4: HD Foxtel

Output slot: HDMI --> TV

So that one HDMI cable in the output slot simply plugs into the TV; hence the days of a million cables coming from everywhere to be plugged into your TV are history; now they just all crowd the receiver. >_> (Albeit one simple, sexy cable.) My 5.1 surround sound system naturally hooks into this receiver, and one click of the remote changes between my DVD player to the PS3 in full surround sound. So much easier than the crazy setups I had to rig up in the past.

Failing that, in most cases you can get high quality audio via a digital/optical cable; depending on what your sound system is like. If you can afford it though, Full HD all the way via a receiver is top stuff.

[E-Day]

So as I am browsing HDTVs and wondering how much money to spend on it (i.e. whether to spend all the money I have saved up for it on the TV, or to not spend it all on the TV), I also started looking at receivers. Does anyone have any recommendations as to which HD receivers are good? Like, best perfromance for the best price? I'm not looking for an audiophile $3000 receiver; nothing crazy like that. Just something that has lots of inputs (HDMI, and other various video and audio inputs), which spits out some good hd 7.1 /5.1 surround sound.

[Jarlaxle]

You should be able to easily snag what you are after for under $1,000; and that's about what I paid for mine almost a year ago; and I'm talking Australian dollars, which are worth less than yours. Basically, you'll be sweet-as with something around that relative price-range from Onkyo or Yamaha; or Sony of course. I have the most former, with four HDMI slots as outlined above, which is perfect for just about anyone. You'll have four input slots, and one output slot going back to the TV; simple enough. Full HD surround sound with everything you have plugged into it, with a click of a button to change between them. An extra click from your TV's remote if it's something like an Xbox/PS2 plugged in with component cables; which is like switching between the TV and 'AV' back in the day.

I have a 5.1 speaker setup, but they support 7.1 as well. The latter of which is highly unnecessary if you are in a small room like mine. Big open space? Definitely go for 7.1, if you have the space.

As for the TV, anything above $3K is going overboard, but again I'm talking in Aussie dollars, and that was about a year ago. I paid about that as my Sony Full HD came with a 'free' PS3 and five-year warranty. You should be able to pick up a top 116cm (46-inch) for less than $3,000 by now, and I'm talking Sony-goodness; even less for a cheapy-brand. Hope these figures are of some use to you.

[Hidinger]

So as I am browsing HDTVs and wondering how much money to spend on it (i.e. whether to spend all the money I have saved up for it on the TV, or to not spend it all on the TV), I also started looking at receivers. Does anyone have any recommendations as to which HD receivers are good? Like, best perfromance for the best price? I'm not looking for an audiophile $3000 receiver; nothing crazy like that. Just something that has lots of inputs (HDMI, and other various video and audio inputs), which spits out some good hd 7.1 /5.1 surround sound.

I got a HDTV 42 inch and it has 4 HDMI, 2 Component (Great for the Wii) and 2 regular AV inputs. I haven't even been forced to use a reciever yet. The TV works great if you are going to go that small. The best place I have found is Newegg as they have great pictures of the items from all sides. If you find something you like just get a review from Cnet.com.

[E-Day]

I've pretty much decided on a 50" Panasonic plasma and a Yamaha 7.1 receiver which has more inputs than Nina Hartley.

[Hidinger]

I've pretty much decided on a 50" Panasonic plasma and a Yamaha 7.1 receiver which has more inputs than Nina Hartley.

Which Panasonic Plasma?

[E-Day]

That I haven't really decided on. Either the TC-P50S1 of the TC-P50G10.

[meppi]

Can't comment on the first one since I have no experience with that model, but I can still fully recommend the G10. After enjoying it for almost 2 months I still haven't been able to find a single flaw or nitpick I'm not happy about.

Well besides 1 stuck pixel which is impossible to see from anywhere but right in front of the TV when you're putting a new game or bluray on.

Freaked me out at first, but from even one step away it becomes invisible.

[E-Day]

I've read that the S1 and G10 are pretty similar. The G10 is supposed to use a slightly better image processoror womething, and has that VieraCast thing. But you can get a similarily fantastic picture on the S1 by breaking it in.

[E-Day]

Ayone have a Samsung PN50B50 plasma or similar model? I am thinking about getting that instead the Panasonic TC-P50S1 I was planning since it's $500 cheaper. But from user reviews and other reviews I have been reading, the Panasonic seems to be the better TV. I just have to figure out if it's $500 better, or if the Samsung is good enough. Anyone with experience with the Samsung?

[meppi]

The one thing everyone always told me, be it on AVforums, NeoGaf or NTSC-uk is when you buy plasma, go with Pioneer or Panasonic.

I did, and you know the rest.

[E-Day]

Yeah, the lack of posts on AVSforum about the Samsung that aren't talking about the buzzing some of the sets make leads me to believe that I should stick with the Panasonic even though it is $500 more. Though users on Amazon give the B55 (almost identical to the 530), a good rating overall, though users on Futureshop's site give the S1 a much better rating. If they were closer in price I would get the S1 without hesitation, but $50 is a lot of money, especially when I still need to buy surround sound speakers.