Home Theater Hookup Question

[jlabsher]

I just got a Sony home theater with DVD and was wondering which is better. Should I run RCA cables from Dish receiver and DVD through amp to the TV or get a switch box and run S-video directly from the DVD & Dish to the TV. The amp has no S-video input.

With the second option I will have to run a couple of more cables to the amp for Dolby sound.

I have heard you lose some PQ running through the amp. I don't have a 57 inch plasma set, am losing my hearing, vision and hair so any minimal loss wouldn't be noticed.

Do they just make S-video "Y" connectors?

[brentp]

S-Video is higher quality than Composite Video (RCA jacks). That said, the 'better' way to hook up the video for PQ would be through an S-Video switch direct to your TV (assuming your set can not handle multiple inputs - if it can, you don't need an external S-Video switch).

Of course, this makes things a little more complicated for setting up the A/V source (you need to set the switch [and/or TV] to the correct video channel and the rcvr to the common audio channel). Assuming you have a A/V rcvr in your Sony HT system, if you do run both video and audio through the rcvr, then you could simply press one button on the rcvr remote to switch both audio and video sources. So, the choice comes down to PQ versus ease of use.

For audio, your comment on running 'extra' cables to the rcvr to handle Dolby implies that you have a rcvr that may be able to process DD5.1. If this is the case, you will want to run the 'extra' cables regardless of what you do for the video. If you use only the RCA cables for audio, you can only get stereo sound and can only process the sound with Pro-Logic or PL II (or similar), . . . you will never get DD5.1 with that set up (you need an optical or co-ax cable for DD5.1). If you do run these 'extra cables', you sould be able to tie the DD input to a video input source on the rcvr and still switch them together. The choice is yours, PQ & SQ versus ease of use.

Just for giggles, I have a HT system with 5 A/V source units (composite, S-video, and component). I have my video sources running direct to the TV, and the audio hooked up to my A/V rcvr. Sometimes, my wife has a tough time getting all the right 'buttons' pushed and in sync to watch what source she wants (even with macros on the universal remote). Occasionally, things get messed up a enough that she gives up and goes to another room to watch her show on a regular TV! However, it is the only way, IMHO, to have our HT hooked up. There is nothing like a good movie from either a DVD or HDTV broadcast displayed via component video and DD5.1 processing for the sound!

Hope this all helps.

[MarkA]

Get an S-Video switchbox for best quality.