How do you connect more than one HDMI Cable to your tv if you only have one input for it?

I've got a PS3, Upconverting DVD Player, and an HD DVR all with HDMI, what can I do to get everything connected for best performance?


With that much high end equipment, there's a few options for you. 1 - you can purchase HDMI switching devices from your local electronics store for $100 +, which will give you 3 or more inputs and one output for the signal to the television. 2 - look into a surround sound receiver with HDMI switching - in your case because you want to use HDMI on all three devices is going to be expensive. Most receivers now have 2 HDMI inputs for under $1000. If you are looking for more, you're going to be in the $2000 + range. This will allow you to connect your devices through the receiver and have one HDMI cable go out to the Television. The other benefit to many of these is that you can run all of your components into the receiver and it will upconvert analog signals through HDMI. Say for instance you bought the Denon AVR 2307 ($800) it has upconversion. You could run your PS3 and DVD player with HDMI and your DVR with Component, then have the receiver upconvert the Component video to HDMI and you will have all of your signal coming through the TV with HDMI, and use the receiver as a switching device. 3- Use HDMI for the PS3, and Component for the DVD player and DVR. The picture quality of the DVR won't be that different from what you have now, but the upconverting DVD player will go back to progressive.The best possible outcome for you is to look into a receiver with HDMI switching - this will give you the most flexibility along with the best performance.I hope this helped.

Can I convert Component Video and Analog audio up to HDMI?

As far as upconverting your component video to HDMI the only real way to do it is through a Audio/Video receiver that has HDMI inputs on it that also does upconverting. There's quite a few products on the market that do it, but you're going to be looking between $700 - $1000 to get a receiver that offers this capability. However if you keep an eye on the promotions, you can catch a good deal on a few products. Check out Circuit City for the Denon AVR887 ($700), and the AVR 987 ($1100). Both units have multiple HDMI inputs, and also will upconvert Composite, S-Video and Component Video up to HDMI. (You can also go higher up the latter with Denon and a few other brands to get more features, but you may not need them). However, there isn't a single product on the market that will allow audio and video to go from analog to HDMI. So if you want to get sound into your Television as well you would run an audio cable from the recevier too.Looking at your system now if you're using the component video jacks, it more than likely for your source (sat/cable), and probably your DVD player. Figure out what is more important to you, between the sources and if you're not getting an HD source from your satellite or cable, switch it to S-Video, and use the component for your XBOX if you don't do something with a receiver, because the XBOX 360 (if that's what you've got) offers HD Gaming through component.I am a national trainer for Denon and Monster Cable, along with numerous other Home Theater related companies, so I get a lot of questions like this on a regular basis.

How do I get good quality sound from my Computer to my TV and Sound System?

You've got a few options, but this depends on your computer and its capabilities as well.Depending your computer's sound card you may have an optical output for surround sound. This is on many newer computers with media capabilities. If not this is something that you can purchase for $30 - $300, depending on how much sound control you would like. What a new sound card will offer you will be sound controls, and higher quality outputs than a standard sound card (typically just a speaker output which is a headphone jack connection).If you don't want to mess with installing anything inside your computer there are numerous USB soundcards that you can get. These will connect to your computer VIA a USB connection and will give you many options for connecting to your home theater as well.Go to one of your local computer super stores, or check out amazon.com for sound cards.

Look at both USB and internal cards. The only drawback to internal is that you will have to install it inside the machine - which you may or may not be able to do. One of those stores can install it for a nominal fee as well.If you don't want to mess with anything mentioned above you can just simply connect a high quality RCA to Mini cable from your computer to your stereo. Its a cable with a headphone jack at one end and, left and right audio cables at the other.

I hope this helped.

Complicated HDMI connection question??

I have the LHT9654S HTS connected to a plasma via an HDMI connection. I have to leave the TV turned on to listen to a CD. LG support indicated that I don't need to have the TV turned on, but if I turn the TV off the song stops. They also indicated that an Ipod will not work with the unit because an Ipod requires software to run. Does anyone know why I have to keep my TV on and is it accurate that an Ipod will not operate on this system?

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HDMI has an additional feature built into it that allows for control, but most people are not familiar with it. HDMI transmits Digital Video, Digital Audio, Control, and Auto Formatting when compliant products are connected. Here's basically what it means. LG, Panasonic, Pioneer, and Samsung at this point are the main brands that support this. If you put a DVD/CD into a compliant player and have the HDMI connected to the TV then the control feature takes over - Meaning when you hit play on the DVD the TV is activated as well. There may be a menu option in your DVD player to Deactivate this, but I'm not 100% sure on being able to deactivate it.The HDMI cable is currently ahead of its time, but manufacturers haven't come up with a standard yet that all follow. I do training Nationally for Monster Cable and this has been a concern with some people. Some brands are doing one thing, and others do something else. With HDMI connected between your devices, you will more than likely have to have the TV on at all times when using a DVD or CD.Hope this helped.

What are NTSC, ATSC, and QUAM tuners?

Here's a breakdown and how you can use them.NTSC - This is your analog TV tuner that is built into every VCR and Television in America. Basically its purpose is to bring in ANALOG broadcasts. Will receive Cable or Antenna Broadcasts. It will be in every TV that you buy.ATSC - This is the Hight Definition Tuner that by this time next year is required to be in every new television 20" and larger. Its purpose is to receive OVER THE AIR (OTA) broadcasts from local channels via an Antenna, not cable. To utilize this you will need to connect an Antenna, whether a roof top or attic mount and depending on your situation even a table top antenna will work to receive the local HD broadcasts. So when you see the icon in the bottom of your screen now that says available in HD/5.1 this is where you would need an ATSC tuner with an Antenna to receive them that way (or through HD Cable, or Satellite in some cases).QAM - is a High Definition Cable tuner. Used to receive HD Cable broadcasts without a box, just connect your coax directly to the Television. You will need to pay for the programming from your cable provider. However, maybe 2% of the cable companies in the US have this as an option currently (they want you to rent their boxes instead).There's also Cable Card - which works with the QAM tuner to receive HD Cable without a Box. Basically you pay your cable company for the card (rent monthly like a box), but instead of having a box on top of your TV and wires to mess with, you put it into the back of your Television like a disc (similar to a PC slot on a laptop if you are familiar). This works like a box, and the QAM tuner on your TV does the tuning.It all comes down to your source. If you're going to do HD Satellite, then it really doesn't matter what connections your TV offers, because it will connect via Component Video or HDMI and will bypass the tuner inside the TV. For local HD Channels most are available in big cities through DirecTV HD and their new equipment, but if you don't want to mess with the upgrades, all you need is an Antenna for all your local broadcasts (through the ATSC tuner) and use standard DirecTV for everything else.If you're doing Cable, the same thing applies as listed with Satellite, unless you are going to use the Cable Card, then you must have a QAM tuner in your set, and Cable Card Capability.The most important thing to know is what your source is going to be, once you know this, then it will help in determining what is right for you.

What is the best Surround Receiver for around $1000?

If you want the best bet, and highest reviewed product of the year take a look at the Denon AVR 2807. Its MSRP is $1100, but you can catch it for under $1000 any given day of the week. It was awarded best of show for audio at CES this year, also CNET gave it their audio receiver of the year award.Its a 7.1 receiver, with HDMI connectivity and passthrough (meaning if you connect an HDMI device it is compliant with HDCP and will pass the signal through - not all brands do this), has tons of inputs for any device that you may throw at it, and has a feature called Audyssey EQ which allows you to make every seat in the room a great position for surround. You will not find a bad review on the product and if you go into any store that sells it they will 9 times out of 10 recommend it over any other product in the price range. I own one, as do many of my friends and its hard to beat.
Plus if you listen to a lot of 2 channel music it has a feature called Pure Direct, which cuts off everything inside the receiver except for the amplifiers for the left and right channels and gives you amazing 2 channel sound.If you don't use the full 7.1 and only use the 5.1, you can reassign the power from the additional two channels to go to speakers elsewhere in the house, or to send more power to another set of speakers in the system through bi-amping (if your speakers have two speaker terminals on them and can handle 200 watts, then you can give them 200 watts).
Also has an 8 Channel input for when the HD DVD and Blu-Ray sound formats really take off as well.I hope this helped.
Check out http://usa.denon.com/ and right there on the front page you will see the 2807 and its awards.

Can I use a New Upconverting DVD Player with my older Home Theater System?

The easiest way to answer this is that: yes you will need a new sound system if you want to take full advantage of the HDMI connectivity. However, if your receiver has an additional optical input on it you will be OK. The HDMI connection is most important for Video at this stage of its life anyway. Most receivers now that accept HDMI are having issues with the digital audio, so the HDMI will go directly to the TV, and then an audio or fiber optic/coaxial cable is then run to the stereo system. If you're in the market for just an upconverting DVD player and not a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player then take a look at the Sony HT-7000DH for $500 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?... It's an HTIB system with an upconverting DVD player and receiver with HDMI capabilities. Great buy for what you get.

I hope this helps.

I've got my cable box connected to my TV with HDMI, but I'm not getting a picture?

This is a huge problem in the industy. I am a National Trainer for Monster Cable and as a whole 98% of the time is has to do with where the signal is coming from. First thing to check is to ensure that the HDMI output is active on the device (DVD or HD BOX). To do this connect a video cable to the TV first and go through the settings on the box. After you've gone through and activated the HDMI output you should be good. This is the problem most of the time with products form Samsung, Philips, Pioneer, LG, and DirecTV. For some reason they are shipped with HDMI turned off and the Component Video output (Red, Green, Blue) set as the default. If this doesn't fix the problem, then the most other common problem has to do with the pass-through. HDMI has a copy protection built into it called HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection), which causes a lot of problems as well. If you have your source (DVD or HD Box) running through a surround receiver, try connecting it directly to the Television and bypass the receiver, if that works then you know its the fault of the receiver for not sending what is called a repeat signal (basically to send the signal along to the TV). If that's the problem I recommend Denon receivers ending in an 07 in the model number because all of them pass through HDMI with no problems.I know this was a lot, but I hope it helped.