Newbie questions about receivers and VGA

[cheetosandmovies]

I'm new to the world of receivers, but I'm looking to get one for a couple of reasons:
1. My TV only has digital audio output and my stereo/speakers only have aux input -- this means that I can plug one device into my stereo and everything else goes through the TV speakers
2. I'm running out of inputs for my devices.

So, onto my questions:
1. I have my computer connected to my TV right now (via VGA). I've read that basically no receivers have VGA input, so I'll have to leave that plugged into the TV itself, but what about the sound? Can I plug that into the receiver? How do I get the audio and the video to play at the same time?

2. Since my stereo/speakers has an aux, I need to have stereo output (single red & white). Do all receivers have this? Or do they only have, hmm...what are they called...terminal connections (wires not cables)?

3. Are there any that have composite, component, and HDMI? Or at least composite and one of the other two?

Please, please go easy on the explanations because, like I said earlier, I'm a newbie.
Thanks in advance for the help!

[MrBoylan]

I'm new to the world of receivers, but I'm looking to get one for a couple of reasons:
1. My TV only has digital audio output and my stereo/speakers only have aux input -- this means that I can plug one device into my stereo and everything else goes through the TV speakers

I'm surprised to hear that. Most TVs do have either a line level output or a headphone output, or both. But I guess you have checked thoroughly for analog line outputs on the TV, yeah? It might be helpful to post the brand/model of the TV.

2. I'm running out of inputs for my devices.

Well that's a good reason to get a receiver or a basic switcher, depending on your needs.

So, onto my questions:
1. I have my computer connected to my TV right now (via VGA). I've read that basically no receivers have VGA input, so I'll have to leave that plugged into the TV itself, but what about the sound? Can I plug that into the receiver? How do I get the audio and the video to play at the same time?

Yes, very few receivers or preamp/processors have VGA inputs, and the ones that do are typically very expensive. You can plug the VGA cord into the TV and the audio output of your PC into the receiver - any available line level input on the receiver will do. To get sound and picture together, simply set the TV to the VGA inputs and set the receiver to whichever input you plugged the PC's sound output into.

2. Since my stereo/speakers has an aux, I need to have stereo output (single red & white). Do all receivers have this? Or do they only have, hmm...what are they called...terminal connections (wires not cables)?

If your speaker system is amplified, and you really want to keep it, then what you would need is either a preamp output (usually only available on the more expensive receivers), a headphone output, or a tape monitor output. Some receivers have all three. Nearly all receivers have a tape monitor output but the problem with a tape monitor output is that it doesn't always get the digital sources that are plugged into the receiver (in some caes, the tape output only gets the analog devices plugged into the receiver). Also, if you plug into the tape monitor output, then your receiver's volume control will do nothing and you'd have to control volume using your existing stereo system.

Now I'm assuming that your "stereo/speakers" are in fact, two channel, yeah? If this is the case, then you need to make sure that you either get a stereo receiver or if you get a multi-channel receiver, you set it to 2-channel mode so that you won't lose any information when the receiver things you have 5.1 channels to play with. But honestly, if you're going to go out and buy a new receiver, I'd really recommend buying a new pair of unpowered speakers, or even a full surround system, if you have the space. Movies and TV shows and games that sound very good on a high quality stereo system typically sound much better on a good surround system as you get a more immersive experience. There are inexpensive but decent 5.1 channel systems starting at under $150, like this Yamaha system on Amazon:

Yamaha 5.1 channel speaker system

Since the receiver will provide the power, you are best served with passive speakers like this that take advantage of that receiver's power. If you use your current powered speakers and a line level output from the receiver, then you're just wasting your receiver's power in favor of the (most likely) inferior amplifier built into your powered speaker system.

3. Are there any that have composite, component, and HDMI? Or at least composite and one of the other two?

Yes, many receivers have all of the above connections. Even some budget receivers have these connections. What you need to be careful of is that many of the really inexpensive receivers do not transcode analog connections to digital. In other words, if you plug a Wii into the receiver using components jacks, you will not get a video signal from the receiver's HDMI output. Mid-range and high-end receivers do transcode, and many even upconvert that analog signal to 1080p over the HDMI output. These are the best choices because they allow you to connect a lot of different source types into the receiver, and only have to plug one HDMI cable from receiver to TV.

Please, please go easy on the explanations because, like I said earlier, I'm a newbie.
Thanks in advance for the help!

Before I make any specific receiver recommendations, it would help to know:

1. Are you considering (or would you consider) upgrading the speakers too?
2. Do you want to get just 2-channel (stereo) sound or full 5.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound?
3. Do you have an approximate price range or budget in mind?

Let me know your TV brand/model number, your powered speakers' brand/model number and please answer the above questions so I can get a better idea of what you're looking for.

Regards,

-Chris

[cheetosandmovies]

Here are my devices:
--Panasonic TC-L32C12 TV and I have, indeed, checked thoroughly for analog line outputs on it. None. The only audio output is the digital. This surprised me as well; I kept looking for at least a headphone output, but no such luck. (I really wish I'd looked into TVs more before I bought it.)
--Teac MC-DX32i Stereo

1. Yes, actually I am considering upgrading my speakers. I think my stereo is dying (I've had it for years and used it a lot) and, well, it was never really meant to be used as a speaker system for a home theater.
2. I have a small room, so I'm not sure I really need surround sound, but if I can get a decent surround system for a good price, I would consider it (that Yamaha system looks good, by the way). Whatever I get, though, I want a subwoofer, not just 2 satellites.
3. $400 for both speakers and a receiver. Is this possible? I know receivers can get really expensive.

(P.S. Your explanations are very understandable for a newbie like me. Thanks!)

[MrBoylan]

Alrighty then! Glad the advice is helping. If you want to support the site, then use any of the links in the posts or in our "Online Shopping" page to buy stuff and the site will make a small percentage of the sale.

You are correct on the TV. Only the digital output (no analog outputs), and this even may not be active for all connected devices (normally the digital output is for the TV's built-in tuner), so really you're best off using a receiver for the audio and the TV for the video only. You can get a decent surround system in that price range. The Yamaha speakers I linked earlier I have not heard personally, but the Amazon reviews are very enthusiastic for the price. You can always start with the 3 speakers across the front (plus subwoofer) and add the rear speakers later, but I would suggest just going for the full surround set-up. Any room, large or small, benefits from surround as it allows sounds to be placed anywhere in the sound field - front, side or back, instead of just across the front of the room.

To stay within the budget, it might be tricky to get a receiver with digital upconversion, so you might need a few cables between receiver and TV (not just the HDMI cable), or you can plug your video devices into the TV directly and just use the receiver for the audio portion.

But there is another option, which is an HTiB (Home Theater in a Box) system. There is a pretty nice and compact Panasonic HTiB system, the SC-BT230, which includes Blu-ray, DVD and CD playback, an FM tuner, an integrated iPod dock, plus Netflix streaming, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora internet radio and Youtube. It comes with 5 small speakers and a subwoofer. I've set one up at a friend's house and she was very pleased with it. It won't quite give you the performance of a separate receiver/component speaker system, but it's simpler to set up *and* it's only around $250!

Panasonic SC-BT230 on Amazon

Now before buying it, you do need to make sure it has enough inputs for you. It really is *NOT* A video switching device. For connecting video sources, you'd still need to use your TV's inputs for that. Of course, this has built-in DVD, CD and Blu-ray playback so it becomes one of your source devices and it will take one of your TV's two HDMI inputs. That means you could use the additional HDMI input on your TV for a cable or satellite set top box, and the component video input for your Wii or game console. The SC-BT230 has three auxilliary audio inputs - two are digital (fiberoptic) which would work with a cable box and also with your TV's fiberoptic output. It also has one analog input. So if you DO have a game console that only has analog outputs (Wii), then you may run out of inputs if you also want to hook your PC sound through this. But if you have an xbox or PS3, then you could use of the digital inputs for that and the analog input for the computer.

So really, depending on how many things you want to connect, an HTiB like that may or may not be a great choice.

If you've got more devices to connect, then you can get an HTiB system that includes more inputs and outputs like the Onkyo HT-S5300. It sells for around $400, has the iPod dock, 4 HDMI inputs, 2 component video inputs, plus some composite video, analog and digital audio inputs. It's actually a 7.1-channel system where you can use the extra speakers as height channels (PLIIz or rear and side surround). It does not include a Blu-ray player or any of the streaming features of the Panasonic, but if you already have one of those - or a DVD player, then it would be a good match.

Onkyo HT-S5300 Home Theater in a Box.

They also offer a less expensive version, the HT-S3300 but it lacks an iPod dock and is only 5.1. If you don't care about the iPod dock (or want to add one later), then this is another good choice:

Onkyo HT-S3300 HTiB

If you would prefer to go with a separate receiver and speakers, then that Yamaha speaker system for $110 seems like a great set. As an upgraded option, consider the Polk Audio RM705 speaker system (list price is $599 but you can get them on Amazon for $249.99):

Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 channel speaker system

The Polk system is going to give you better overall sound. I have a fair amount of experience with the entry-level Polk gear and it always surprises me how good they sound.

My current pick for budget home theater receivers is Denon. There are other brands that are also very good (Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer for example), but they seem to be slightly lacking in either performance, reliability or features to the Denon AV receivers at the entry-level price points. There are two entry level models to consider. The AVR-391 is the most basic, but still has 4 HDMI inputs, plus composite video, and both analog and digital audio inputs. But this one does not convert the analog video to digital so you'd need multiple cables between receiver and TV. (e.g., if you connect a game system via composite video, then you will need a composite video connection between receiver and TV). Or, again, just plug these analog devices directly into the TV for video and connect only the audio through the receiver. This one is $249 (currently $229 on Amazon):

Denon AVR-391 on Amazon.com

The upgraded piece (AVR-591) does do analog to digital video conversion, and it includes both composite and component video inputs, as well as 4 HDMI inputs, one coax digital and one fiberoptic digital. It's $349. If you want to save a little money, then I'd recommend getting one of these at OneCall instead of Amazon:

Denon AVR-591 on OneCall.com

You'll see on the page a link to an "Open Box" version of the item. This is effectively brand new (unused) covered by the full manufacturer's warranty, but $50 below the list price. So it's $299 instead of $349.

OK! That's about it for my "quick" recommendations for a budget home theater system. My first choice would be the Denon AVR-591 plus the Polk RM705 for a total price around $550. But going with one of the HTiB systems is a valid choice too, particularly if you really want an iPod dock (Onkyo docks are available for the Denon receiver. With the Onkyo HTiB system, you could always upgrade the speakers at some point in the future, though the ones it comes with are decent.

Anyway... good luck and don't forget to use our links for purchase if you buy something online.

Regards,

-Chris

[cheetosandmovies]

I think I'd rather go with a separate receiver and speakers. I've been reading other threads and it sounds like I'll get higher quality on both the receiver and speakers for the money.

In order to run only a single HDMI cable between the receiver and my TV, I'll need a receiver that says "video upconversion," right? I was looking at the Yamaha HTR-6240BL and it doesn't look like it does upconversion. Do you have anymore suggestions for receivers?

For speakers, I'll probably go with either the Yamaha 5.1 or Polk RM705, but if you have any other suggestions...

Thanks, again!

[MrBoylan]

The Denon AVR-591 would still be my personal choice in that price range, but I have some additional recommendations in the other thread:

Confused about upconversion in receivers

-CB

[cheetosandmovies]

I'm going to get the Denon AVR-591 and the Yamaha 5.1 speakers; I'm just waiting for Black Friday to buy, in case there are sales on these items.

For the speakers, do I need to buy speaker wire? And what kind? I've heard that the longer the distance, the thicker the wire. For my setup, everything will be in a small room.

[MrBoylan]

These probably won't be any cheaper on Black Friday as they're not the type of product that gets featured in those types of sales. Denon is just not really discounted, and the Yamaha system is already at just about 50% off ($104.82 for speakers that list for $199). Also, "Black Friday" is expected to start around Halloween this year and end around December 24th (at least as far as online sales go).

I'm sure there will be all manner of cool deals between now and Christmas, but if it were me, and I were set on these specific components, I'd get the receiver today from OneCall (save $50, get the "open box" version) and the speakers from Amazon and start enjoying surround sound now:

• Denon AVR-591 on OneCall
  
• Yamaha 5.1 channel speaker system

We just requested a review sample of the AVR-591 and the AVR-3311 and expect to publish full reviews of each in early December.

And in answer to your other question, it's not clear whether the Yamaha system comes with any speaker wire. Yamaha doesn't have the manual online, and the Amazon product listing doesn't mention wire. The upgraded system from Yamaha ($250) does come with some basic wire. You might be best off ordering the speakers and checking inside the box before you buy any wires, but if you do want to order some fairly flat, decent quality cable cheap, then check out this 50-foot length of 16-gauge cable on Amazon for about $5 plus shipping:

50-foot 16 gauge speaker cable

For a system like this, really any speaker wire 16 gauge or below should be fine (wires get thicker as the number gets smaller, so 12-gauge is thicker than 16 which is thicker than 18, etc.).

Regards,

-Chris