TV Wiring and Connections
Posted On February 1, 2008, 8:23 pm By Konstantin DivinskyAlright so here's your super bowl party list:
Place - Check
Brand New HDTV - Check
HD Service from your provider - Check
Beer - Check
So you're all ready and prepared! Except you need to hook this thing up! Here's how it's done.
Here's a list of cables that you need next to the source
HD Source (Cable/Satellite Box) - HDMI if Available, if not use Component
DVD Player - HDMI if Upconverting, if not use Component
VCR (if you still have one) - Composite
Blu-Ray disk or HD-DVD Player - HDMI
The HDMI Cable looks like a really long funny looking USB cable. Always use this cable if it is available. This cable transmits High Definition and High Quality Audio Digitally over one cable.
The Component cable is an RCA Colored Green, Blue, Red, White, Red. This cable offers your video to be separated through 3 cables using an analog transmission and the traditional audio transmission using the White and Red stereo RCA cables. If you ever end up with the loss of a single color as in loss of all Red or Blue you have a bad cable or a bad jack. Also if your TV makes a funny sound and you don't see any red. Your red cables are crossed. Just switch them and you'll be good.
The Composite cable is the good ol' fashioned Yellow White and Red cable you grew up using.
You will not be using S-Video unless you are trying to connect a standard definition source. So unless you have a standard definition cable box, you won't need an S-Video cable.
So how do you hook it up? Match up the cables to the jacks on the equipment to the TV.
Here's an example:
HDMI1 on TV - HD Box
HDMI2 on TV - Blu-Ray
Component1 on TV - DVD Player
Composite1 on TV - VCR
Just remember one rule. If it doesn't fit in the jack. Rotate it. If it still doesn't fit. It does not belong there.
What cables should I buy?
In the class of most 42" TV's priced under $2,000 the "house brand" Cables will suffice for Component and Composite. Now when you use HDMI I highly recommend going with an upgraded cable since most upgraded brands offer a bandwidth rating which becomes important when you plan on transmitting loss-less audio, 1080p broadcasts, and new standards like X.V. Color.
From all of us at TVSimplified.com have a happy installation and a safe football weekend!
Subscribe to RSS
Blog Headlines
- Sony officialy gets offical with XBR6,7,8- Sony sets June 1st launch for Z series??
- Sony Launches its W4000 LCD line up
- The Word on Mitsubishis Laser DLP
- Circuit City to Allow HD DVD owners to go BLU
- Sony announces BDP-S350, BDP-S550: First Players Since Blu-ray Win
- Sharp and Sony Confirmed to be Production Partners
- Pioneer Kuro PDP-5080HD tops Home Theater Mags HDTV shoot out
Latest Guides
- TV Wiring and Connections- Preparing your home entertainment system for the big game.
- February 17 2009 - I.E. Digital Switch - SIMPLIFIED!
- Cables Cables EVERYWHERE!
- Resolution Simplified!
- Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) vs. Plasma
Latest Answers
- I am trying to program my Direct TV remote control to my 24" Dynex TV. Dynex does not appear on the TV listings which I am given. I've tried using other TV Manufacturer's but it gives me a message stating that my TV is not programmed. What can I do to resolve this problem. Thanks. Mike- None of the TVs I've looked at have a video out jack. How can I record stuff onto my VCR if there's no video output capability? The salesmen, as expected, have no clue.
- Just bought and set up a 42in.JVC 1080p LCD TV. The salesman tried to sell me an HDMI cable for $80.00 claiming that this set required it to maximize picture quality. I didn't buy it and just went ahead and used the component cables from my previous Sony 720p projection TV setup. It looks good to me but I've since seen HDMI cables on eBay for $10.00 or less. Question: is there any justification in performance or quality to account for a $70.00 spread between what appear to be identical cables? Whatever the performance benefit, my main interest in HDMI is to eliminate some of the "cable clutter" at back of the set.
- Do you know the specific specs and prices of the new 2008 LG LCD models? Especially the LG70 and LG71 series? I'm looking for things like contrast ratio, if it has 120hz, processing power( 14-bit), what bit-panel it has, things like that. Or just whatever you can find. Thanks
- Have a Toshiba 56 in projection that after 20-30 min the Connivance is shifting to a point that you see 3 images (red, blue, white). After about a 45-60 min of the entire shift it stops and than you have to and realign the colors. Questions 1 Is this repairable? 2 If so what should I expect to spend? 3 Or should I just say good bye and get a new HDTV? Thanks
Text Advertisements
Fuse MediaADVERTISE HERE!