Re: Making my own cables?

"Mack McKinnon" wrote in news:lzMld.20087$ snipped-for-privacy@fe1.texas.rr.com:

I just bought a Kenwood VR509 on eBay. It has two sets of component inputs (one called Video3 and another called DVD) and one component output. The audio from my satellite box is connected via an optical cable which provides audio for ALL channels on the box. The audio from my DVD player is digital but coax, not optical and goes in the DVD coax jack. Everything plays just fine (though I have to adjust the picture when switching from DVD to Satellite). OTA is just about useless here. I'm too far up the valley from Vancouver to get a really usable signal.

"N" wrote

As far as I can tell from reading about it, I don't believe that Sony's S-Link feature goes this far in coordinating various Sony components. In any case, they have recently upgraded (?) that feature, so it appears as one thing with some products, another with others, is barely mentioned -- and never explained -- in the Sony manuals and they don't even supply -- or offer -- a cable for it. Anyway, I think that would only turn on the linked components together. I would not affect the main problem I had with the Sony receiver, which was that the promised default to audio when on digtal signal was present did not work.

mack austin

None of these Japanese makers really does much to publicize these sort of linking features, which seems odd to men, given that pushing these features would encourage consumers to buy within one brand.

I used to have some JVC Compu Link gear and really liked the linking feature, but never tried anything as complex as what you need.

I think with most linked one-brand systems, the gear will not only power up, it will automatically go to the correct (or at least those that will work) inputs and outputs. However, although I had JVC receiver, DVD player, and VCR, I never got around to buying a JVC TV with the linked feature. But it's my impression that with Compu Link'd JVC gear you could, for example, when put a DVD into the DVD player, and all the JVC receiver and TV would power up and go to the correct settings. But I don't know if that would work with needs as extensive as yours.

(I never got to the point of buying the JVC TV because I need to do some remodeling and other pricey things, so I sold all the rest of the JVC gear. Eventually, I may get more JVC gear or another brand such as Sony that offers linking features and try again.)

BTW, if you search web and newsgroups via Google.com, you'll probably find more info on S-Link. I know I've seen it discussed at least once previously.

Well, I don't know either, and the only way to find out would be to try the Sony gear while it's all connected to S-Link, which I can't do.

If you've got a decent dealer nearby and want to try the S-Link feature, maybe they can help you.

I have a Panasonic E80 with 80gig HD and no TV Guide. Have been using it daily for time-shifting TV programs, for over a year. No problems; love it. I use the XP setting (10mbps) to record TV shows to the HDD and the result -- on a 48" diagonal 4:3 TV screen -- looks just like the original off-the-cable signal. Actually, SP setting -- half the speed, twice the recording space -- looks just about as good. DVD playback excellent.

mack austin

I'm waiting on delivery of a STR DE 997. While doing research, I found that it does not have an optical input for DVD. It does have a coax (which my DVD player does not have). According to the owner's manual, I will be able to assign an optical input and the component video to VIDEO 2. OK if it works. My question is why there is no optical input for the DVD when there are optical inputs for an SACD player and 2 (in/out) for an MD tape player? I would say that most users would use an optical for DVD more than any of those other inputs. Doesn't make sense to me.

Also, my manual says this about the AUTO 2 CH input: "Gives priority to digital signals when there are both digital and aalog connections. If there are no digital signals, analog is selected." Maybe your model's manual says the same, but doesn't work.

"Mack McKinnon" wrote in message news:lzMld.20087$ snipped-for-privacy@fe1.texas.rr.com...

Thanks for the advise!

wolvie

"Mack McKinnon" wrote in message news:tZKmd.1750$ snipped-for-privacy@fe1.texas.rr.com...

A majority of DVD players support just a coaxial digital audio connection rather than optical. Sony just designed their receivers to tailor to the greatest number of consumers. An insignificant number of other audio devices use coaxial and a large number use optical (CD, DSS, game consoles, PC sound cards, MD) so Sony keeps those optical inputs free for other devices. If I recall correctly the STR-DE997 can be forced to look on one of the optical inputs for the DVD setting. My personal preference is to get a DVD player that supports both connection types but if you already own one that is unnecessary.

Hopefully this thread doesn't spark a debate about optical vs. coaxial quality. They're both digital anyway.

- Jeremy

May I assume your STR DE 997 is a Sony? If so, you will probably find that you can use the optical inputs for your DVD with no problems.

My Sony receiver is older than yours but I use the various inputs mostly for whatever I want and change the front display label to show whatever is actually connected.

I bought a Sony STR DE-897, almost the same as the one you have ordered, tried it out and returned it. I did not find that the AUTO 2 CH feature worked very well. I also had some other problems getting it set up with my system. Whether I just never found the right buttons to push or there was some other reason, I can't be sure but, overall, I was dissatisfied with it.

Since then, I have purchased a Panasonic SA-XR50 receiver, hooked it up and like it. It also has that auto-input feature but this one seems to work well with my TV, with one exception. I have both analog and optical cables into the receiver's "TV" input. When I change channels on the TV, the receiver takes digital if there is digital, otherwise takes analog. (The TV sends both analog and digital signals if there is digital, only analog if there is not.) The one exception when the auto-input feature does not work, is when I use the "Favorites" menu on my TV (Sony KDF-60XS955) to go from a digital to an analog channel. In that case, the receiver does not make the change. It stays on "digital input" -- silent. I can fix this by using "Jump" to go back to the digital channel, then to the analog channel again. The analog sound comes in instantly. Or I can use channel select to go to a channel with a digital input and back to the analog channel.

I think this is probably a bug in the TV rather than the receiver. Probably, the TV continues to send some kind of low signal via the optical digital output when the channel is changed via "Favorites" rather than by some other method. I think I can test this by using "Favorites" to go from a digital to an analog channel, then unplugging the optical cable at the TV. If the analog sound comes in immediately, that will indicate that there was, in fact, some kind of signal coming down the line. But I have not tried this yet. If that does not happen, well, then, I don't know. In any case, this is a minor bug that I can live with if I have to.

But I see, using Froogle, that I can buy an optical to coax converter. Maybe I will try that -- run the TV's optical out into the converter, then run it into XR-50's coax input, re-assigned to "TV". I already have a spare digital coax cable. Would be worth a try. You could perhaps use one of those converters for your DVD to receiver connection.

As for your re-routing your optical cable, I also have a DVD/DVR that only has optical out, no COAX. With the Sony receiver, I had to use the CDR component input for the DVD player, because the receiver would not allow me to assign an optical input to "DVD", only coax. I don't know why the receiver-makers think all DVD players use coax digital outputs. Also, with my Panasonic receiver, the factory-assigned digital input for DVD is coax. But I could assign an optical input to it if I wanted to.

mack austin

If your runs are in the wall, 16 ga. should be good enough, 14 for longer runs. Depending on where your placement is, you may want shielded wire.

Technically the copper is the same, but the power cable is not listed for speaker use. For NEC compliance you should be using CL2 or CL3 cables. Besides, 12 gauge copper may be too stiff for tight spaces.

I suggest that you save the electrical cable for that vanity light your spouse will want to install couple years from now ;-)

Don't worry about the shield: the speaker current is too strong for the cable shield to have any effect at all.

Yea, if its for the kids sake learn how to be a parent first and get involved. If your personally offended by profanity grow a pair of balls. Either way, skip the profanity filter and censorship of ANY kind is for sheep and opens the door wide open to wolves.

By the PISS, SHIT, FUCK, CUNT, COCKSUCKER, MOTHERFUCKER, and TITS, ROFL

message news:...

Many of the wives and some of the children will do better if the receiver selects/switches the audio source with the videa source together as a unit. With this type of set up you probably (at least in the future) only need two wires going to your tv. A power cable, and one set (perhaps component cables) of wires to take the video from your receiver to the tv. This minimizes wires running to your tv. Many like it this way. The Yamaha 750 I plan to buy apparently converts automatically all video input signals regardless of the type of signal (through some internal mechanism) for the best output signal, for a single component cable to run to the HD tv.

Try this web site.

Rich M.

screens are reflective, designed to return more light to your eyes. not only that, if you're using a white wall and your room isn't completely pitch black, all the blacks in your video will be the color of your wall. there are darker colored screens designed to help remedy this (sony apparently has some new screen that's actually black that they claim to be releasing in 2005). basically no, a wall wont replace a screen as you'll lose much of the light return.

How about speaker for the cars. Even some of the famous Hi-Fi brand speakers designed for cars are sold at a comparatively cheaper price. Or you may try disassemble computer speakers and put them into the ceiling -- cause nowadays the computer speakers sounds OK.

"meterman" ??? news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com ???...

A screen is a screen right? Why do the price ranges vary so much? I have no idea how to go about shopping for a screen. I will only be using it for video games if that matters. I've decided on the BenQ PB6100 projector. Can someone help get me in the direction of where to start?

Thanks, Brad