My sig is a placeholder...

[Beansprout]

....For new toys which will be arriving soon!

(I'm ill so need to concentrate on something to keep me happy hehe)

I'll soon have....

Xbox 360
Onyko 605
5.1 speakers
Samsung HD TV

To connect the lot up, I think it goes as follows....

360 Component lead: video to Onkyo via component leads, audio input via toslink cable

Onkyo outputs: sub preout to sub, wires to each speaker; video via HDMI out to TV.

But could I make things simpler by doing the following instead?

360 component lead: component video to TV, toslink to Onkyo for audio

Onkyo outputs: sub preout to sub, wires to each speaker

I'm confused as to why the Onkyo has video inputs/outputs - is it just to make wiring easier for people who have their rack of AV kit away from the TV?

The second option would also save money due to needing no HDMI cable :)

Gracias for any wisdom!

[Matblack]

You're pretty much spot on. I don't know the amp you are looking at but the reason video is routed through the amp is to allow one unit to deal with the audio and video switching and make things simpler. I use my amp for video switching because the run to the projector is 8m and its almost impossible to run new cables so the less runs the better.

The if your happy to switch things over separately for audio and video then you can do direct runs although if your amp does video upscaling you'll bypass that (less important for HD sources though)

MB

[Beansprout]

Nice one, thanks :)

The reason I thought of the separate AV kit was from seeing your own photos of your very nice setup the other day! All I need now is a projector....

[Mark]

I'm sure you're making enough money for that. :p ;)

If you're using HDMI out of the amp, does the amp not have HDMI in (I thought newer XBoxen had HDMI, but could be wrong)? A purely digital path would surely be best. Also watch out for stuff that won't convert between connections (though that generally tends to be older kit).

[Beansprout]

No HDMI on 360 :( It might have component out though I suppose - good point.

Kinda blew the budget on the speakers & sub, but at some point an HD DVD player will come along, and I think I can 'borrow' a projector from a friend....

[Del Lardo]

I have run the video inputs through the amp in my setup

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=163046&l=58f16&id=665555652


It makes a lot of sense as it meant that I only had to route one HDMI cable to the TV and allows me to switch inputs with one remote.

If you are planning on adding extra inputs in the future then I would stick with the one input to TV option.

[Beansprout]

Now that's very slick - poor rejected remotes! What rack are you using there? That's next on my list :)

[Del Lardo]

I'm not too sure tbh. It's a slightly complicated setup. The rack, speakers and TV belong to my friend who I rent the house off though I am now subletting my spare room to him and we swopped TVs so he didn't need to take his off the wall.

I can find out the make/model of the rack if you want.

[Beansprout]

Sssh should've said it was all yours! If you could find the make/model without too much effort, that'd be great, thanks :)

[Del Lardo]

http://www.creative-audio.co.uk/OPTIMUM.htm
Optimum Prelude (5500 I think)


I went for the 10mm shelf option, think I paid in the region of about £450
for it.

[Beansprout]

Nice, thanks - that's a little over budget but there are some other nice ones there as well. Anything must be nicer than the big box I'm using at the moment....picked everything up earlier and decided the amp's box is good enough for now B)

[Matblack]

Have a look on AVForums.com secondhand section, I got a good one from there for about £100

MB

[Beansprout]

Nice one - had been looking through there for general advice - will keep an eye on the for sale sections.

May get some photos up soon, it looks like the NASA control room in here at the moment though....but this home cinema thing is fun!

[Beansprout]

Here we go, it had its first film outing today...watched Casino Royale...AWESOME :D
http://87.237.60.19/~vidahost/h/DSC00122.JPG
The TV is precariously positioned on top of a book to be taller than the centre speaker, and the whole lot just about fits on the thing :eek:

Equipment is...

Onkyo 605
B&W 685s (fronts)
B&W HTM-62 (centre)
B&W M1s (rears)
Rel Quake (hiding in the corner...it's tiny but damn good!)
26" HDTV
Macbook
Xbox 360 (DVD played from there, seemed alright to me)
Chest of drawers, I wonder what the landlord will say when he visits

Great success :D