What`s best way to set up (best performance) with hdmi TV and reciever/amp??

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › What`s best way to set up (best performance) with hdmi TV and reciever/amp??

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#38831 4-Aug-2009 22:59

I have jst brought LG tv with hdmi port. I also have hdmi port on my reciever/amp, no brainer there.
I want to be able to watch movies etc...stored on my laptop on my new lg (without having to burn dvds).

Is it better to go hdmi between tv and amp and then go from laptop headphone out into the aux port (video a 2x audio)??

Or go rgb cable from laptop strait to tv??

Am i on the right track here or is there a better setup?

Oh I have a 7.1 speaker set with it.

Any help be appreciated as I`m a bit green in this area!

bazzer

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#242767 5-Aug-2009 00:10

What kind of amp do you have? I think you'll be best off going HDMI from laptop to amp to TV. If you use the headphone out you will definitely be getting subpar sound, and your 7.1 speakrs will not be of much use.

I don't use my computers in this way, but I have my DVD player, PS3 and Freeview hooked up via HDMI to my receiver, and then HDMI to the TV.

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#242771 5-Aug-2009 00:28

Thanks bazzer!
I have a onkyo ht-s5100 amp/reciever.
My laptop doesn`t have a hdmi port :(

Nety

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#242795 5-Aug-2009 06:27

I am guessing that the only audio output your laptop has is the headphone jack? Also does it have DVI video out or only VGA? If it only has VGA do you have a docking station for it that has a DVI port?

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bazzer

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#242868 5-Aug-2009 09:58

The answer is really whichever output gives best quality from your laptop. I've used the headphone out of my laptop before and composite video, but quality is not that good. If it's all you've got it's better than nothing though.

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#242949 5-Aug-2009 12:16

You guessed right only headphone jack. Laptop has vga port. Reciever has 16pin port to take ds-a1 ipod dock.Pitty I dont have ipod, I do have creative mp4 player! I used to load movies on this and watch them pluging strait into tv from headphone jack. Is this still my best option and then just run tv through reciever for better sound?

Jaxson

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#242970 5-Aug-2009 12:46

Laptop:
Best video output is VGA output socket.
Next best, if it has it, is the yellow RCA Composite video output.
Only sound output is likely to be the headphone output.

Receiver:
Receiver will accept the headphone output sound.
Receiver will accept a yellow RCA composite video input.
Receiver will NOT accept the VGA output video.

TV:
TV will accept the headphone output sound.
TV will accept a yellow RCA composite video input (if the laptop has it)

Does the TV have a computer VGA input option/socket on the back?
- If yes, then you can plug the laptop video straight into the TV.

Also consider:
Do the videos you have on the laptop have surround sound?
If you connect video straight to TV and sound through receiver you'll probably have a delay between the sound and picture.
Some laptops require the TV to be turned on before you start up the laptop to detect the TV.
The yellow RCA composite out (if your laptop has it) might take a bit of setup under display properties on the laptop to output properly.

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#243928 7-Aug-2009 13:17

Hey thank you all for the input. Ended up going vga to tv and headphone jack through reciever. You were right about the tv being turned on before the laptop!
Think I might splash out and buy a media box I can plug my hard drive into and connect hdmi cable to tv and hdmi cable to reciever. Will this give me surround sound or will it still depend on the quality of the videos on my hard drive?

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bazzer

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#243947 7-Aug-2009 14:35

It will still depend on the files, which may or may not have a surround sound track. Of course your receiver can probably perform some trickery and put something out the 7 speakers but not necessarily discrete channels.

Jaxson

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#243958 7-Aug-2009 15:22

Yeah most often if you have downloaded those movie files you'll find them heavily compressed to fit in smaller file sizes. Very often this involves reducing to stereo sound only.

When you feed a stereo signal into your amplifier it will either output as stereo (2 channels only) or it will apply some guess work to try and put some sounds out all the speakers. Some people can't handle having all those speaker sitting there not doing anything, but personally 9/10 attempts to simulate surround sound, sound horrible. You might find one you like.

Going analogue (headphone out) to receiver probably means you won't have too big a delay between sound and picture because the receiver doesn't have to do much work. Glad you got something you like setup though.

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#244099 8-Aug-2009 00:12

Ha yeah I have been looking at all those "spare" speakers wondering what the might sound like all chirpin like they`re ment to! And also maybe wondering a little bit if I really needed them:/ Anyways I got them now and I`m at least a bit more chilled about it all since I been getting a pretty good sound out of the sub and 2 main speakers.
So apart from being more user friendly and freeing up my laptop from the 2 metre cord hanging out of the reciever, there`s not going to be an advantage hooking up with a media box and hdmi cables unless I start sourcing some better quality files like a couple of 6 and 7 gig ones that I have??

Jaxson

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#244609 10-Aug-2009 09:23

Each to their own, as long as you're happy with your gear, that's all that matters.

For me personally, once I got some decent speakers/projector etc I've passed on downloaded movies altogether, -not much point having great gear and watching sub par source material. Still good for TV shows etc which we don't have here in NZ, or not early enough.

It's cool now too that DVD stores rent out Blurays at the same price and a bluray/DVD will make proper use of all those speakers you have!

daskip

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#244646 10-Aug-2009 11:19

I would double check that your laptop doesn't support digital coax on that headphone jack, some do and that would be your best option sound quality wise for your receiver.