flexy633_1's profile

Teacher

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12 Messages

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 11:40 PM

Help Installing VCR, stereo receiver, and DVD

Hello everyone!  We had the AT&T tech out here on April 26 to install our U-Verse system.  However, none of our components (i.e. VCR, DVD player, stereo receiver, or stereo speakers) were hooked up yet (they weren't unpacked).  He just installed the AT&T receiver to our HDTV.  We have a brand new Phillips 42" HDTV.  The VCR is a late 90's Sony SLV-N71.  The DVD player is a 2005 Sony DVPN5V57P.  I have these hooked up to a Technics SA-EX300 receiver from the mid-90's powering some 901 Bose speakers which have their own equalizer.

 

As you can guess, there are many wires everywhere.  On top of that we have an early 90's Fisher cassette player/recorder.  They all worked fine when we had Comcast basic service (no set up box). 

 

My boyfriend is losing his mind and I'm losing my patience because he cannot get this setup.  He bought one HDMI calbe and tried to connect it from the TV to the AT&T receiver and he put the source for the TV to HDMI1 and the TV flashes the picture for a split second and then, shows what souce it's on.  He tried it on HDMI 2, then 3 and it does the same thing. 

 

He cannot get the VCR and DVD connected either.  Can someone provide a step by step connection guide since AT&T is worthless and they want to send someone out here for $300 to hook it all up.  I would really appreciate your help.  Oh, and the book provided by AT&T doesn't help.  Obviously, otherwise we wouldn't have a bunch of people coming on this message board asking for assistance.

 

Thanks!

 

Joanne

Expert

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9.4K Messages

12 years ago


@spd2demun wrote:

Yay, SJ!  How you can do all that in your head with no equipment in front of you, just amazes me!!!


 

User manuals downloadable in PDF format.  Greatest thing since sliced bread. Smiley Wink Smiley Very Happy

 

 

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

Still...you make it sound easier than it is. Smiley Wink

Teacher

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20 Messages

12 years ago

I'm utterly amazed at how you can do this as well.  I know you are looking at the manuals, but how to make sense of some of it?  Are you an audio guru? 

 

My boyfriend read your instructions and said, "Ahhhh, now it makes sense."  The only question he had was about his equalizer for the Bose speakers.  He said that they have to have the equalizer.  But, he'll try your connections and see what happens.

Expert

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9.4K Messages

12 years ago

The Bose 901s (like any speakers) have a non-linear frequency and phase response.  The equalizer that they come with is designed to compensate for the non-linearities so that the speakers end up producing a nice flat frequency response.  The equalizer also adds some punch to the low end.

In your setup, the Onkyo's Audyssey 2EQ will perform the same function by compensating for the speaker non-linearities and will compensate for the room acoustics as well.  After that if you want to add some low end, you can do that with the audio adjustments on the Onkyo or through one of the listening modes.

 

These newer receivers that have this calibrated microphone automatic equalization are incredible.  My Pioneer VSX-1018 has this same feature (they call it something different but it does the same thing).  The equalization is so good that it has literally devalued speakers as an item category.  With the computer-perfect equalization, you don't need $3000 speakers any more for audiophile quality, you can make a $400 set sound identical.

 

Audio guru?  I dunno.  Audio snob?  Probably. Smiley Very Happy  I've spoiled myself by having a finely-tuned 5.1 system in my house for years as well as an ISF-calibrated HD TV, etc.  So I'm probably also a video snob, computer snob, coffee snob, ... the list goes on.  Just kinda snobby all the way around. Smiley Wink Smiley Very Happy

 

Teacher

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20 Messages

12 years ago

Well, he was able to get everything connected.  VCR does not display anything on the screen, but we get sound.  Same with the DVD player.  Also, the DVD player doesn't have a progressive/normal slide switch on it.  He had to put it on the other tv and go to the menu in order to change it to Progressive.  We only get sound, no picture.  He's messing with the connections now.

 

He's a little disappointed in this receiver because it seems to only work well with "newer" components like the CD player.  The tape deck works, but you have to crank the volume higher than normal in order to hear the tape.  I guess when you get an HDTV and want to connect everything to the receiver, you also have to buy all new components too!

 

My phonograph won't connect unless we purchase some kind of additional module to plug into it.  I'm sure they don't make HDMI tape decks or phonographs, do they?  Smiley LOL

 

Here's another problem.  We setup the TV according to the instructions from SomeJoe and the picture isn't being displayed full screen.  We have to go to Zoom and put it on Stretch.  But, then the words at the bottom (i.e. show description, time) are getting cut off.  What do we need to change?  Thank you!

Expert

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9.4K Messages

12 years ago

I don't think you've gone through all of my settings yet. Please completely go through all of the settings I noted above on all of the components (especially the Onkyo and the U-Verse receiver).

Teacher

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20 Messages

12 years ago

He reset the entire receiver and is going to start again from the beginning.  We ordered a Blu Ray DVD player and HDMI cable for it. 

 

Right now we have another problem and he's dealing with that.  Then, he will go back to the TV and go through your steps again.  Thanks again!

Teacher

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20 Messages

12 years ago

We received the Blu Ray DVD player yesterday.  Boyfriend has everything hooked up, but cannot get the Blu Ray player to work.  SomeJoe, I'm not sure if there are other settings on the receiver that he has to do?  He's not getting a picture in order to do the setup screen that the Blu Ray player says should automatically come up when you turn on the tv. 

 

Also, it seems like the volume has to be turned up so high in order to hear the tv program.  Are there adjustments we can do on the A/V receiver to fix this issue?  It wasn't like this before when he inititially hooked everything up.

 

Here's another issue I have.  You said to turn off the speakers to the TV.  Is there any way that we can still have the TV speakers on?  During the setup and following your instructions, he turned off the tv speakers.  But, if you try to turn them on now, you can't.  I'd like to have the option of watching TV without the receiver on and also having the TV speakers on with the stereo speakers.

 

Thanks for all of your help!  I'm sorry that my boyfriend is so audio/video challenged.  Sometimes I wonder if I should have just did all of the work on hooking this stuff up!  I'm more technologically inclined, I'm discovering, than he is.

Expert

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9.4K Messages

12 years ago

Unfortunately, I only have the user manuals of the equipment that you posted that you have to go by. At this point, because you're still having problems configuring things, it's not really possible for me to do anything else without putting hands on the equipment, which is impractical.

The best bet for you at this point is to have someone who is local to you who specializes in A/V setups to come to your home and get everything hooked up and working. I hesitate to recommend any of the consumer services like Geek Squad from Best Buy, because they sometimes have people who really don't know what they're doing.

I would recommend you ask at the location where you bought the Onkyo Receiver for a recommendation as to who to go to.

Expert

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23.3K Messages

12 years ago

To add to what SJ said, try a high end stereo store for help. 

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