For about a year I have owned and operated a Panasonic TV and DVD recorder. Recently I bought a Blu-Ray Home Theater Sound System, believing that this would give me quality sound for my existing setup plus Blu-ray functionality and an FM radio. I have made the connections with HDMI cables and an audio digital optical cable. However, I am not having trouble-free operation: even after returning all three units to their factory settings and switching Viera Link Control to Off, I still find that I have to play the DVD recorder through the TV speakers because the Home Cinema doesn't work with that (though it works fine with Blu-ray and radio); furthermore, one remote interferes with a different device (eg several controls on the DVD remote, including the main Power button, also operate the Home Theatre). I suspect that the problem is something really basic about the way I have connected the three units. I would appreciate any comments that may help but in particular I'd value a really clear step-by-step procedure for how to interconnect a DVD Recorder (model DMR-XW380), and a Blu-ray Home Theater Sound System (model SC-BTT190), to a TV (model TH-L32U30Z) - preferably from someone familiar with Panasonic systems and/or someone who operates the same setup. I believe I've followed guidelines in the three manuals closely.
To use this feature the HDMI cable you are using must be compliant to HDMI v1.3 spec or later. Older cables may not work correctly. VIERA Link can work with either the HDMI-ARC feature of a compatible TV. For ARC usage make sure that the systems HDMI ARC port is connected to the TVs ARC port. 1. Press [HOME]. 2. Select "Others" icon and press [OK]. 3. Select "Setup" and press [OK]. 4. Select "Audio" and press [OK]. 5. Select "TV Audio Input" and press [OK]. Then select the "ARC" option. Afterwards the TV's ARC feature will control the home theater system and the sound from the TV will be heard through the systems speakers
On the Home Theater's remote, press the [Radio/EXT-IN] button until [D-IN] is displayed
Like a normal amp, you need to specify the video/audio paths explicitly
If turning the TV on/off also turning everything else on/off was all that happened I'd be more than happy. What happens is that the DVD remote also operates the Home Theatre or vice versa, when I don't want it to. For example, last night the DVD was on (set to record a programme in a few minutes) and I was watching a Blu-ray disc. When I pressed Pause (Home Theatre remote) to pause the Blu-ray, the DVD put itself into 'Live TV Pause' mode - exactly as if I had pressed Pause on the DVD remote. My other big issue (even if I got around that one somehow) is that the DVD recorder is not playing audio through the Home Theatre - the only way I can hear sound is if I turn the TV volume up and use its speakers, thus rendering the Home Theatre unit useless for watching a recorded programme
re your other advice: HDMI cables - possibly the problem (am using 'cheapies' which have worked up to now with my previous system - based on advice I've heard often that you don't need to pay for the expensive ones!). If I knew for sure that WAS all that the problem was, I'd buy recommended ones straight away - but I don't want to make that considerable outlay if it's not going to solve the problem.
Your first alternative (using an optical cable) is what I'm doing now, though I have set the audio input option to Digital In not AUX, as the on-screen graphic for this shows the kind of optical cable I'm using for the former , and RCA audio plugs for the latter.
I've read about the ARC connection but I don't believe this model TV has this feature.
(later) I've just tried connecting the DVD player and Home Theatre using an RCA audio AUX lead instead of the optical cable (and changing the input setting accordingy), and lo and behold, I'm getting DVD recorder sound through the Home Theatre unit! I never had any reason to suspect the optical link, but now I do.
I'm happier now - issues not completely solved, but at least my home theatre is working! I'm sure the other problems will sort themselves with playing with Viera Link settings.
The ultimate issue is you have matched devices. And for ease of use they all use the same control codes. I had similar problem with my new TV interacting with my Panasonic BD player. Press play for playing USB media, and the BD would fire up.
The only way around it for me was tweaking my Logitech Harmony, and programing the keys as I see fit (you can assign the button to a specific device instead) But given you appear to have overlapping codes, the same may not work.
colmack: What happens is that the DVD remote also operates the Home Theatre or vice versa, when I don't want it to. For example, last night the DVD was on (set to record a programme in a few minutes) and I was watching a Blu-ray disc. When I pressed Pause (Home Theatre remote) to pause the Blu-ray, the DVD put itself into 'Live TV Pause' mode - exactly as if I had pressed Pause on the DVD remote.
If you check the Manual (Changing the units settings) you'll find you can change the remote code on Panasonic remotes. I have a Panasonic Blu Ray Recorder and a Panasonic 3d Blu Ray Player. I leave the recorder and remote set to BD 1 (default) and the 3D Player and remote to BD 2. They don't interfere with each other then. Haven't figured out how to on the Harmony remote yet.
B1GGLZ has the best suggestion re: getting everything working together. Create the different remote controls (it's in the manual) and you'll be sorted there. Your TV 'should' have ARC. Try plugging the HDMI cable into HDMI #2 on the TV. This will allow you to use ARC. Then, using the TV remote, press the Viera Link button and change the audio to 'home theatre'. This will mean you can use the TV remote control to change the volume of the home theatre as required. It's odd that optical doesn't work... what audio settings are you running on your DVD recorder?
Thanks for all your help. I'm happy to say my problem is pretty much resolved. Without going into painful detail, the crux of the difficulty did indeed revolve around remotes conflicting - once I'd changed the coding for the Home Theatre unit, most of my difficulties evaporated. PS I was wrong about the optical cable not working... but it does work better when goes from the TV into the Home Theatre unit and not the DVD recorder where I'd inadvertently put it! :-)
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