I got a DVD player a while back and I was unable to correctly hook it up to my reciever. The DVD player is supposedly 5.1 or whatever but the audio hookup is just one digital out. My reciever is 5.1 but it has separate connections for each speaker. How can I get it to work? Most of the recievers I have seen have the separate connectors also. The ones that have the single digital connection cost a fortune. This makes no sense since the DVD player was only $100. How can it hook it up right? Please help!
Hooking up my DVD player to my Reciever.
- Thread starter shawnmos
- Start date
Your receiver is probably digital READY in which case you need the DVD player to have the decoding in it. Digital receivers can be found for under $300.
Someone told me that I could get a converter for around $100 so I wouldn't need to get a new reciever. Is this true? If it is what are they called and where could I get one?
You DVD player likely has a couple of types of digital outputs:
1. Fiberoptic, or toslink cable. These connectors cost more, about $25 for 3 foot, $35 for 6 foot at Radio Shack.
2. Just a single standard RCA plug for digital output.
You connect the digital output (number 1 or 2 above) from you DVD player to the appropriate input on your receiver (You probably have a DVD input on your receiver if it is capable of 5.1.)
You connect the speaker outputs on your receiver to your speakers, two front, one center channel, two rear speaker, and a subwoofer.
1. Fiberoptic, or toslink cable. These connectors cost more, about $25 for 3 foot, $35 for 6 foot at Radio Shack.
2. Just a single standard RCA plug for digital output.
You connect the digital output (number 1 or 2 above) from you DVD player to the appropriate input on your receiver (You probably have a DVD input on your receiver if it is capable of 5.1.)
You connect the speaker outputs on your receiver to your speakers, two front, one center channel, two rear speaker, and a subwoofer.
#2. The problem is there is not the appropriate input on my reciever. There is an RCA connection on the back of my reciever for each speaker(two front, one center channel, two rear speaker, and a subwoofer). I'm not talking about the connection from the reciever to the speakers.
The seperate digital decoder usually runs at least $200. Check crutchfield. If they carry your receiver you can find out if it has the decoding or if it is digital ready.
My Reciever is a Sony "FM Stereo/FM-AM Reciever STR-DE515". On it is says Dolby Surround and Pro-Logic. The reciever is about 3 years old but it is designed for 5.1 and DVD. My DVD player is an Oritron. On it is says dts Digital Out and Dolby Digital if that helps any.
Without knowing your specific models, it sounds like your problem is that neither of your components has Dolby Digital decoding capabilities. Your DVD player has a plain digital output, expecting that you have either an external decoder or a receiver that can decode. Your receiver has the inputs, expecting that you have either an external decoder or a DVD player that has decoding capabilites. Either way you are gonna have to pay the cash and get SOMETHING that has DD decoding.
EDIT: Yup, neither one of your components has DD decoding.
EDIT: Yup, neither one of your components has DD decoding.
A receiver that old is probably digital ready...if you are lucky. The DVD that says Dolby Digital doesn't mean it has the decoding. DVD's with the decoding cost $300. I bought a digital ready receiver and it sounds like what yours is. I've been checking for DVD's with decoding but found it would have been cheaper to spend the xtra $50 for the decoding in the receiver and get the DVD without. Plus, digital ready receivers don't usually have the DTS.
That sucks! My DVD player is currently hooked up to my reciever with the left and right rca connections (which it can with for hooking it up directly to the tv) under "Tape" (since everything else is taken up) and the video rca connection under Video 2 on my tv. I had it hooked up through my VCR but it thought I was trying to copy the stupid DVDs so the picture was messed up and so was the sound. This stupid setup sucks!! Since it thinks its a tape it only comes out of the left and right speaker and when I put surround on it all comes out of the center speaker. I could hook it up to Video on my reciever but then I would have to disconnect my VCR and my satelite dish is hooked up through the VCR. Aghh! This is driving me crazy! I want to watch Terminator 2 in SURROUND SOUND!
I don't think you can run your DVD through the VCR. I've never done it though. I think the picture will be screwed up.
Holy misinformation, Batman.
Your DVD player will have a set of L/R AUDIO OUTPUTS on it. Connect THESE AUDIO OUTPUTS to your RECEIVER'S L/R INPUTS. There should be a set of TWO RCA plugs, one L, one R, that have been designated for DVD. If not, use another one set.
YOU CANNOT USE THE OPTICAL OUT. You don't have Dolby Digital capability in that receiver, therefore you cannot use the optical out. THEREFORE, you don't have Dolby Digital capability.
Your DVD player will have a set of L/R AUDIO OUTPUTS on it. Connect THESE AUDIO OUTPUTS to your RECEIVER'S L/R INPUTS. There should be a set of TWO RCA plugs, one L, one R, that have been designated for DVD. If not, use another one set.
YOU CANNOT USE THE OPTICAL OUT. You don't have Dolby Digital capability in that receiver, therefore you cannot use the optical out. THEREFORE, you don't have Dolby Digital capability.
I'd look at buying a new receiver which would simplify your life considerably. 
I just bought the Pioneer VX409S (I think that's it) for $200 at Costco, and it works great. Connections for all sorts of things and Dolby/DTS decoding built-in. Optical and Coax digital inputs (plus inputs for DVD/LD, Tape, VCR, and about five others!). The remote sucks, but the receiver is great. I'm awaiting the arrival of my new Infinity surround speakers so I haven't tried that yet. However, it may not be monetarily feasible for you to run out and buy a new one.
Since your receiver is a few years old, it was likely not built with DVD in mind which might be limiting your enjoyment of DVD in terms of picture and sound quality (not to mention the cabling hassles!). I'm still somewhat of a neophyte at this stuff, but it is quite a pain sometimes to figure out. Though I guess it's about the same for newbies to computer hardware who have no clue how to hook things up. That would be me and audio equipment.
BTW, those optical digital audio cables only run about $20 at Walmart.
I just bought the Pioneer VX409S (I think that's it) for $200 at Costco, and it works great. Connections for all sorts of things and Dolby/DTS decoding built-in. Optical and Coax digital inputs (plus inputs for DVD/LD, Tape, VCR, and about five others!). The remote sucks, but the receiver is great. I'm awaiting the arrival of my new Infinity surround speakers so I haven't tried that yet. However, it may not be monetarily feasible for you to run out and buy a new one.Since your receiver is a few years old, it was likely not built with DVD in mind which might be limiting your enjoyment of DVD in terms of picture and sound quality (not to mention the cabling hassles!). I'm still somewhat of a neophyte at this stuff, but it is quite a pain sometimes to figure out. Though I guess it's about the same for newbies to computer hardware who have no clue how to hook things up. That would be me and audio equipment.
BTW, those optical digital audio cables only run about $20 at Walmart.
Only $200? Thats still more then I could afford to pay. I could afford to get a converter for $100 or less though. So what would you call it? Because I want to buy one.
Err... I don't think there is any "converters" for $100.... You NEED something to decode the dolby digital sound, not just convert the signal to 6 inputs.... You need an external dolby digital decoder, which would run around $200... with that kind of cash you would be better off getting a new receiver with dolby digital decoding built-in...
BCYL is correct. There aren't any standalone Dolby Digital decoders that I have seen that cost less than 200 bucks. Just finding standalone decoders in itself is somewhat of a chore, as most people prefer to just buy a receiver or DVD player with the decoding capability built in. As AndrewR said, you can get a DD capable receiver for 200 dollars (or probably even less if you shop around). Use DealTime to do some price shopping if you decide to buy a new one.
Check out some of the deals online (800.com, MSN Passport, etc) for some ways to save money, and you might have decent luck monitoring Hot Deals as well as TechBargains for some after Christmas sales. Consider putting your current receiver up for sale which could net $50 or so to offset a new one. My guess is you could probably find a low-end decoding receiver for about $150 which would be around $100 if you sold your current one.
It might take some effort, but I think you're better off trying that route.
It might take some effort, but I think you're better off trying that route.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 23K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 18K
-
-
-
Facebook
Twitter