Many game systems --> one sound system?

[SoulBlazer]

I thought maybe if I did this as a new post, it might get some attention. I'm pulling my hair out here trying to figure this out.

As some of you know, I just made a large investment today in a theratre sound system for my TV and game consoles. The receiver is a Yamaha HTR 5640 and the speakers are Cerwin-Vega 5.1.

Before I bought the sound system, I had five consoles -- a GC, PS2, Sega CD, 3DO, and N64. Each one of them is plugged into a Interact System Selector through Red-Yellow-White AV cables. Then another AV cable set goes from the selector (the Output plugs) into AV plugs on the back of my TV (an older 27 inch Panasonic). Normal cable TV goes into the TV through the RF switch. S-Video was not being used at all.

When I want to play a system, I put the TV on Aux mode (2 in this case, since I have two choices) and hit the button on the selector for the desired system, then turn it on and play.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to route all those systems into my receiver. The instruction book is not really clear on this, but I thought I could connect one set of AV cables from the TV into the D-TV/CBL ports on the back of the receiver (both audio and video), leaving the S-Video alone.

According to a note in the manual, there are two audio and a video plug in the front of the receiver that is designed for a 'portable external source, such as a game console'. So I plugged one set of AV cables in there and the other into the Output plugs on the selector. Then, also following the insturction manual, I put the receiver on V-AUX mode.

Well, no dice. If I turn on a game system, I can hear the music from it just fine, but no picture. Does'nt matter what mode or channel I try on either the TV or the receiver. To get the music, I have to have the receiver on V-AUX mode, as indicated.

For that matter, I can't figure out how to watch normal TV with using the speakers either. x_x

I've tried connecting the S-Video on the TV to the S-Video that's in the Output part of the Selector with the same result. There's no S-Video input on the receiver.

What the heck am I missing here? Can anyone help me get this setup working? I'm feeling I just threw 800 dollars out the window if I can't even get basic TV to work with this, much less my game consoles!

[chadtower]

$800! There goes your $300 limit, eh? LOL

Setting these things up initially can be a giant PIA. I feel your pain. I would work on getting one system to work properly without the selector in line, then gradually add things one by one, making sure they work properly each time. Trying to debug a complex system with 100 variables is just going to make you cry. I've been there.

[leonk]

Setting up A/V equiptment is very very easy if you stop thinking of indipendant components, and start thinking of everything as functional components.

Hence, there are only a few components at your home:

- Input components (video games, VCR, DVD, satellite receiver, etc)
- Video output component - TV
- Audio output component - Stereo

Next, the most important component you have is the TV. So make it the center of your setup. Hence, the TV will be the thing that routes the "data" around, and connects everything together.

So.. have all your video games connect to a selector (or TV if you can) And have the stereo connect to the TV! This way, if you want to play video games in 5.1, all you do is turn on the stereo.. otherwise, you'll just hear it through the stereo speakers on the TV!!! All you need is 1 cable.. that connects the audio out from the TV to the audio in on the stereo!

Most stereos have many different inputs, but most of them are redundant if you have a good TV or you want independant configurations in audio settings between DVD player and video games.

If independant settings is your cup of tea, then use multiple hookups. i.e. RCA to TV and optical conenction to stereo (in the case where you hook up DVD player or satellite TV). But things like most video games use standard RCA connections, so routing them to TV is good enough..

The only problem of doing it this way?? No audio while TV off.. but then again how many people play video games when tv is off!?!

hope this helps.

P.S. I also suggest going to radio shack and picking up a GOOD A/V switcher. They have a special one that converts RCA -> S-Video and vice versa.. so my NES for example, is connected to my TV over S-Video!! (quality is RCA quality, but hookup is cleaner). Also be careful, some TV's (like my older JVC) allow only RCA video or Svideo, but not the both of them at the same time on the same AUX channel. (video in).

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, I know, chad -- more money then I was going to spend, but it's a good system and I see it as a investment for a long time. I took out a Best Buy card to put it on and I can pay half now and easily pay the other half within a year.

I posted over on GameFAQ's for help and someone pointed me in the right direction -- I had to plug in my AV cables into the Output plugs of my selector switch, and take the VIDEO and plug that into the TV and the AUDIO into the front of the receiver. Of course! I should have known that. :roll:

Problem is, I STILL can't get normal TV to work with the speakers. I tried plugging in Audio cables from the TV into the TV ports on the back of the receiver, and nothing. I'm going to call Yamaha for tech support today.

Also, the subwoofer did'nt work with the 'special' cable the salesperson suggested -- works fine with the included one, so I'm going to return that today, and aslo buy a Optical cable -- I forgot I needed one! And I can't take advantage of the Dolby 5.1 in Metal Gear Solid II with out one. I forgot there was a Optical plug in the back of the PS2! :)

I'm still fiddling around trying to discover what's the 'best' sound setting to leave the receiver in when playing games -- there's a LOT of choices. Normal six channel stero seems to use all the speakers but does'nt use the sub all that much. The game setting and the Pro Logic II and DBS settings don't use the back speakers much but make full use of the sub.

Last night my roomie and I played Xenosaga for a few hours after getting it hooked up and I was really impressed by how much better it sounds.

Thanks again.

[chadtower]

Nothing uses the back speakers much - not even 5.1. Get used to that. They're best used, anyway, when you don't know they're there and your brain just interprets that sound as part of what's in front of you.

Check your TV's settings. On many TVs (mine included) you have to disable the TV speakers in the configuration menu in order for the rca outputs to be enabled. You can't have both on many TVs. Try that and see what happens. Usually the options will be something like "line output constant - speakers disabled", "line output variable, speakers disabled" and "speakers enabled".

[SoulBlazer]

Nice suggestion about the TV set, but I don't have a manual for it and can't find anything here that works. Under the Audio setting of the main menu there IS a option for the TV speakers, but the options are On, Off and FAO, and Off and VAO. Whatever those mean. Neither work -- the TV speakers are disabled, but no sound from the speakers.

So I guess for most games I can get the best sound quality just leaving it on either Pro Logic II or DTS?

[chadtower]

Dude, those options are exactly what I said they would be:

FAO - fixed audio output
VAO - variable audio output

What is the manuf and model # of the tv set? You can probably get the manual from the manufacturer's website. What you're going to want to do is set it to FAO and try it that way... and have the audio out from the tv connected to one of the analog ins on the receiver (there is likely a TV input specifically).

[SoulBlazer]

Well, like I said, I had it on both, and no dice. I'm sure I've got the plug ins correct also -- Audio cables coming from the TV into the TV inputs on the back of the receiver. I'm stumped.

It's a Panasonic CT-32G23W TV.

My folks are coming up for a vist tommorow -- maybe I'll just ask them. :) Not that I'm not gratefull for anything else you may suggest. :)

[chadtower]

Go to Panasonic.com... it took me 15 seconds to find the manual for that TV in PDF format. That TV is very similar to mine... same size, brand, I think mine is newer since mine has component and yours does not... but other than that, mostly the same.

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, this TV is old. I think made in 97. When I moved into this apartment about 18 months ago it was my roommates. When he moved out about six months later I bought it cheap from him (hence no manual).

I'm cleaning the apartment right now for the inspection I know is coming ( :D ) but I'll check the manual out later.

Still, it sounds like you SHOULD be right.....I don't know why anything is'nt working.

What do you normal leave your receiver on to play most games? Either Pro Logic II and/or DTS?

[chadtower]

I don't have any systems for the most part on my home theatre setup. There's just too much traffic in that room for them. I do have an N64 that is set up using the front inputs on the tv, which then sends the signal up to the amp and I believe it's Pro Logic 1 from there. My receiver doesn't do Pro Logic 2, it's not quite new enough for that.

[SoulBlazer]

One of the joys of being a collector, huh? :D

I've thought about moving some older systems into my bedroom where my 19 inch is -- but it's so HARD to pass up using a bigger TV if you know you have one. :)

[chadtower]

Nah, not really... I don't care nearly as much about screen size as I do about actually being able to play at some point. Nearly all of my gaming stuff is in my basement where there is little traffic.