# Clueless in Toccoa - requesting help with setting up my system



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Believe it or not, I have a Ph.D., but I cannot figure out how to set up my system correctly and I've given up on searching for a diagram on the internet that fits my situation.

Here's the situation - in an extra bedroom, we have an older analog TV, with DirecTV, a DVD recorder, a VCR, and an Onkyo receiver. It seems like it should be fairly simple - I want to watch TV, DVDs and old videos, as well as record on my DVD burner. And I would like to hear the sound through my Onkyo receiver. 

I just don't know where to begin. I've tried to find a diagram that fits my situation but I searched in vain. Is there anyone out there who can assist me with this situation? 

Thanks in advance for any advice you have!:T

gelkins


----------



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Hey Gelkins, any chance you can post the model numbers from each device?


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Oh, I suppose I should say a couple of things about my TV and other units.

The TV has a composite cable input option and a S-video option.

The DVD recorder has composite, S-video, and component options.

The VCR has composite in and out options

The satellite box has composite options and S-Video.

The Onkyo has Video 1, 2, and 3 and DVD in.

Hope this helps,

gelkins


----------



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

There should be a model number on the front of the Onkyo. I could really use that information to pull up and image of the back of the unit.


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi Dale,

Thanks for your response.

The DVD recorder is a Panasonic DMR-EZ28.

The VCR is a Panasonic PV- 53OS

The Onkyo is a TX-SR500

The TV is a 32' Sanyo MTS

Hope this helps,

gelkins


----------



## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

The connection diagrams for the various components are here:

http://www.onkyo.ca/hookup.cfm?new=y&m=TX-SR500

For each device select the proper audio and video connections that match your components.


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your response. Actually, the Onkyo site is one that I've visited already. Some of it is helpful, but it doesn't provide step by step direction, only a piecemeal approach. My questions are more about setting up the whole system so that I can view everything on the TV, record/play on the DVD and VCR, and hear the sound through the AV receiver or the TV speakers.

In my previous attempts to set everything up, here is what I've been able to accomplish:
*currently I have just the TV set up and I can watch/hear all the channels through the TV, but not hear through the AV receiver
*yesterday, I was able to hear the DVD player sound through the TV, but not see the picture or hear the sound through the AV receiver. I switched some things around and I could hear and see the VCR, but not hear it through the AV receiver. I could then see the TV picture, but not hear the sound through the AV receiver. At another point, I could hear some things through the AV receiver, but not see the picture.

In other words, I am having problems fitting everything together into a coherent whole. The Onkyo site doesn't really show me how to do that. Is there another link that will help me put all the components together into a functioning system? That's essentially my issue.

Thanks,

gelkins


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Hi gelkins,

Unfortunately your equipment is incompatible with your expectations. If you want to be able to record and playback on both the VCR and the DVD recorder, it will require an AVR with two video inputs with both in and out connections. Your Onkyo has only one, labeled “Video 1.” “Video 2” and “Video 3” are input-only, not in-and-out.

The second problem is you have more video sources than your Onkyo has rear-panel inputs. You’re going to have to use the front-panel Video 3 input full-time.

The third problem is incompatible video formats. Most of your components have both S-video and composite video connections. (A couple have component video as well, but obviously they can’t be used with a TV with no component video inputs.) S-video is the better of the two. However, the best way to get a cohesive system is to use a single video protocol. Since composite video (the yellow jack) is the only thing that _all_ your components share, that’s the one you should use.

In order for you to use the equipment you have, you’ll have to either give up recording on the VCR or the DVD recorder. You can’t easily record on both without swapping around cables all the time.

Assuming you’d prefer to use the DVD recorder, so try these connections:

*DVD recorder:*
video/audio out -> Onkyo Video 1 in
video/audio in -> Onkyo Video 1 out
digital audio out -> Onkyo digital audio in

*DirecTV:*
video/audio out -> Onkyo Video 2 in

*VCR:*
video/audio out -> Onkyo Video 3 in

*Monitor video:*
Onkyo monitor out -> TV video in

As noted, use composite video connections only. This set up will allow you to record DirecTV and VCR to the DVD recorder. However, you probably can’t view anything else during recording.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

There are several ways to hook this system up. The following is probably the simplest and should give you acceptible performance with a small tv:
What you'll need-
3 RF Coaxial cabels, one should be the shortest that you can find, the second should be long enough to reacg from the Direct TV box to the DVDR, and the 3rd should be long enough to reach from the Direct TV box to the VCR.
1 RF Cable splitter
3 pairs of composite audio cabels
4 s-video cabels

-Attach the short RF coaxial cable to the direct TV box.
-Attach the splitter to the RF cabel.
-Attach an RF cabel to one leg of the splitter and attach the other end to the RF IN of theVCR.
-Attach the RF cabel to the second leg of the splitter and attach the other end to the DF in of the DVDR.
-Attach one pair of composite audio cables to the audio out of the DVDR and the other end to the composite audio inputs associated with "video 3" on the Onkyo.
-Attach one s-video cable from the s-video out of the DVDR and the other end to the S-video input associated with "video 3 on the Onkyo.

- Attach the second pair of composit audio cables to the audio out ports of the VCR and the other ends to the "audio in composite ports associated with "video 2" on the onkyo.
-Attach the second s-video cable to the s-video out of the VCR and the other end of the cable to the s-video in port associated with "video 2" on the Onkyo.
-Attach the 3rd pair of composite audio cables to the composite out ports of the Direct TV box and the other end to the composite audio ports associated with "video 1" on the Onkyo.
-Attach the 3rd S-video bable to the s-video out port of the Direct TV box and attach the other end to the s-video port associated with "video 1" on the Onkyo.
-Attach one end of the remaining s-video cable to the s-video port of the Onkyo marked "video out"( it could be labled "monitor out"). Attach the other end of the S-video cable to the "s-videi in" port of the TV.

That should take care of the wiring.

You may have to play around with the input selection( cound be labled "source" of TV/VCR") on the VCR,DVDR, and TV to make sur that the proper inputs are selected.
You select between the devices by switching the sourcr select of the Onkyo.
All sound should come frome the onkyo ans video only should show on the TV.

Hope this is of some help.
Good Luck, let us know how it turns out !
PS: This setup would allow you to record on either the VCR or DVDR without changing wires.


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for your response. I tried your setup and _almost_ everything worked. But when I use the Sanyo TV remote to toggle from TV to Video, I get a blank screen when I hit Video, that is, unless I am actually playing a DVD. But otherwise, there is a blank screen when I toggle to video which means that I cannot record what is on TV to my DVD recorder. But everything else seemed to work (e.g., watching TV, DVDs, and VCR cassettes through the AV receiver). 

Maybe I did something wrong. I'll try Koyaan's approach and see if that will fix my problem.

Thanks again,

gelkins


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi Koyaan,

I have a quick question. You state that I should "Attach the short RF coaxial cable to the direct TV box"
There are three ports on the DirecTV box for coaxial cables. Which one do you have in mind?

Thanks for your detailed response by the way.

gelkins

Read more: Clueless in Toccoa - requesting help with setting up my system - Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Koyaan, there is one other thing I should mention. The VCR does not have an S-video port. So I assume that I should use the yellow cable instead. Will that work?

Thanks,

gelkins


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Koyaan and Wayne,

Here is the latest - I connected everything according to Koyaan. When I use the Sanyo TV remote to toggle between TV and Video, I'm receiving sound through the AVR, but when I toggle to "Video," I get the sound of the program but a blue screen. When I switch to TV, again, I get the sound of the program, but the screen is just "fuzzy" with no picture. So somehow I'm getting the satellite signal because I can hear the program. Now it is matter of finding out how to receive the picture. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

gelkins


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

gelkins said:


> Hi Wayne,
> 
> Thanks for your response. I tried your setup and _almost_ everything worked. But when I use the Sanyo TV remote to toggle from TV to Video, I get a blank screen when I hit Video, that is, unless I am actually playing a DVD. But otherwise, there is a blank screen when I toggle to video which means that I cannot record what is on TV to my DVD recorder. But everything else seemed to work (e.g., watching TV, DVDs, and VCR cassettes through the AV receiver).
> 
> ...


With the TV set for “Video,” you should get a picture from whatever source you’ve selected on the Onkyo. If not, you’ve misconnected something.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

gelkins said:


> Koyaan and Wayne,
> 
> Here is the latest - I connected everything according to Koyaan. When I use the Sanyo TV remote to toggle between TV and Video, I'm receiving sound through the AVR, but when I toggle to "Video," I get the sound of the program but a blue screen. When I switch to TV, again, I get the sound of the program, but the screen is just "fuzzy" with no picture. So somehow I'm getting the satellite signal because I can hear the program. Now it is matter of finding out how to receive the picture.
> 
> Any thoughts?


 Disconnect any antenna cables for now. I’d say concentrate first on getting my connection scheme working, its basic and straightforward. Koyaan’s connections mainly give you more options for recording DirecTV to the VCR or DVD recorder. You can always add those connections later. 

As I noted, with the TV in “Video,” you should get a picture from any source you’ve selected on the Onkyo – DVD, VCR, DirecTV. And you should be able to record the VCR or DirecTV to the DVD recorder.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Wayne, when I tried it your way, I was able to get a picture from the various Onkyo options - the DVD, the VCR and Direct TV. However, I could "view" a DVD, but when I stopped the DVD, the screen was blank (dark). I thought that maybe I just needed to enter the satellite channels into the DVD. But when I tried that option, the screen said that no channels were found. 

But you're right - I probably need to keep it simple and I've probably made a mistake somewhere in the connections.

Unfortunately, my wife is about to drag me to a wedding  so I will have to come back to this project when I return.

Thank you,

gelkins

Read more: Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com - Reply to Topic


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

> Wayne, when I tried it your way, I was able to get a picture from the various Onkyo options - the DVD, the VCR and Direct TV. However, I could "view" a DVD, but when I stopped the DVD, the screen was blank (dark). I thought that maybe I just needed to enter the satellite channels into the DVD. But when I tried that option, the screen said that no channels were found.


Yes, that is correct. A blank screen after the DVD stops playing is what you should be seeing, unless you have a _*TV antenna*_ or perhaps cable TV service connected to the DVD recorder’s antenna input. You can't get any satellite channels from the DVD recorder. If you could you would not need the DirecTV receiver. 

Have you read the recorder’s manual? 

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Wayne, it is actually the blank screen that is puzzling me. I'm thinking that in order to record a program on my DVD, I have to see the picture on the TV. Are you saying that that's not necessarily the case, that I can record on the DVD even if the TV screen is blank? Again, there is probably just a fundamental misunderstanding on my part as to how all of this works. I did read the recorder manual by the way but it does not include all the possibilities, or at least my unique situation. But in the past when I had a simpler setup, I could record programs on DVD, and all the menu options would show up on the screen of the program I was recording. Now, I do not see the menu options.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

gelkins


----------



## gelkins (Dec 17, 2010)

Hi Wayne and Koyaan,

After many hours of thinking through the situation, I have decided to disconnect the VCR from the mix and simply stick with the TV, satellite, DVDR, and Onkyo. Without the VCR to worry about, everything works fine now. I can view satellite TV, watch and record DVDs, and the sound is coming out of the Onkyo.

The VCR is antiquated and made everything too complicated. I don't watch cassettes that much any more, so it really isn't essential to connect it for now.

So I should be good to go. 

I want to say thank you again to you for your patient assistance! You guys are great!:wave:

gelkins


----------



## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

I'm glad you found a solution that your happy with. 
Good Luck and happy viewing.
By the way, you'll need to select your source with the Onkyo remote, not the TV remote.


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Glad you got it all worked out. :T

A couple of tips, with the VCR out of the picture you can now use S-video connections instead of the lower-grade composite video connections.



gelkins said:


> But in the past when I had a simpler setup, I could record programs on DVD, and all the menu options would show up on the screen of the program I was recording. Now, I do not see the menu options.


You still might be able to get that feature. Most DirecTV receivers have two sets of video outputs. You already have one set going to the Onkyo. You could send the second set to the DVD recorder’s inputs. This way, when you are setting up the DVD for recording, you can see both the picture and the menu on the screen. Naturally, this presumes that DirecTV is the only thing you’d be recording to DVD. So, the connection scheme would go like this:

*DirecTV:*
video/audio out #1 -> Onkyo Video 2 in
video/audio out #2 -> DVD Video in

Regards,
Wayne


----------

