Quote:
Originally Posted by fmrflippin
I am trying to connect the following components together.
Hitachi big screen tv, Cable DVR, Onkyo stereo AM/FM receiver,
Zenith DVD/VCR, Sony CD player, JVC dual tape player, and an
Optimus phonograph player.
I will be hooking up 4 tall speakers also. I am hoping to be able to run the tv and everything else through the stereo receiver and the four speakers. Please help me. I have no clue how to hook it all up properly.  |
Oh yeah. Sounds like the lite version of what I have. How you hook it up depends on what you want to use together. This is the simple version, assuming you have more than the cheapie Onkyos that Walmart sells for $1.98:
Before getting started, buy a top of the line surge suppressor like a Tripplite Isobar or Isotel, and a surge suppressor for the incoming co-ax cable. Plug the co-ax surge suppressor into the Tripplite. RUn the co-ax to it and from it to the cable box. You'll then need some plain outlet strips to end up with at least eight free sockets for your equipment. Plan for a dozen in case you need to add on. Let me be perfectly clear on this -
ONLY the Tripplite gets plugged into a wall socket. EVERYTHING ELSE plugs only into the Tripplite, or an outlet strip connected to the Tripplite. There can be NO exceptions if you want to protect your equipment. If there is a phone line coming to any of the equipment, you have to use an Isotel and run the phone line through the phone surge protector in the Isotel.
At his point, the back of your system will start to look like a rat's nest, and people will start to b & moan that it is a fire hazard having that many plugs going into one outlet. Ignore them or shoot them. The total wattage will be less than that of a coffeemaker or modern toaster most of the time, and never more than the wattage of a small electric room heater. Do try to keep the wiring as neat as possible and use cable ties if appropriate. As you add components, keep your AC wires way from the audio wires if you can.
Start with the cable DVR. If you have kids or a wife, trust me, you'll want this to simply go to Video One on the Hitachi. The benefit from going through the Onkyo will incur the hassles of turning it on and selecting the right input before using the tv. They'll get it wrong, fuss at you, and troubleshooting will become your calling.
The DVD/VCR goes into the Onkyo DVD input, with outputs to Video Two on the Hitachi. If you want to record to it from the cable box, you'll need a switchbox or splitter to go in line after the cable box, with outputs to the DVD/VCR inputs in addition to the Hitachi inputs. This will also allow you to go through the DVD/VCR with the input for the cable, and use the Onkyo for the full surround sound from the cable box, providing the signal goes through the DVD/VCR properly.
The CD player would normally go to the CD input on the Onkyo, but you'll want it to go into the A input of an A-B-C audio switchbox instead.
The phono will need to connect to a preamp, and that then will go to the B input of the switchbox, allowing you to switch from CD to phono.
Likewise the dual tape player output will go to the C input of ABC switchbox, allowing you to switch to it instead.
Needless to say the four speakers and any subwoofer connect to the back of the Onkyo. The Hitachi may have optional speaker outputs as well, you'll need more speakers if you plan to use them.
If you want to record to the tape player, stuff starts to get more complicated. The inputs of most tape players have to be isolated from the output end or in my experience they don't work. My guess is that you won't want this capability.
Add a graphic equalizer, a tivo, a second cable box, a DVD burner, a reel to reel tape recorder, a 3D signal generator, a second VCR, and a few other goodies, and you'll have close to the headache I have. When things go wrong, I stand in the space behind the equipment and weep.
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