Okay, so RCA doesn’t have an analogous system a tick up that has the built-in DVD (which we’d really like, because that removes a component from the stack).
But, reading the manual, I’m wondering if I was hasty. (Yeah, just what I didn’t want to hear.)
See, I was working on the assumption that everything — TV, CD changer, Cable Box, VCR, Speakers — plugs into the Receiver. Then you simply patch things around properly so that the sound is routed Out to the speakers, the picture is routed Out to the TV, and all’s right with the world.
The RCA receiver has the following ports (p.9 of the manual):
Audio : VCR : In : L/R jacks
Audio : VCR : Out : L/R jacks
Audio : Sat : In : L/R jacks
Digital Audio : Sat : In coax [for Dolby Digital or PCM input]
Digital Audio : Sat : In optical [ditto]
Digital Audio : Sat : Out optical [e.g., to CD recorder]
Video : VCR : In jack
Video : VCR : Out jack
Video : Sat : In jack
Video : Sat : In S-jack
Video : Mon : Out jack [regular video to the TV]
Video : Mon : Out S-jack [S-jack video to the TV]
When we were at Best Buy on Sunday, I noticed once again a lack of input on a Receiver for a coax coming from the Cable box, so I asked the blue-shirted guy who kept bugging me (“Can I help you? I don’t work on commission! Ask me a question!”) where I would plug in the Cable? After all, there was a Satellite input, but …
Well, he informed me that Cable would still be hooked up inline to the TV via coax, and that the TV audio would jack out to the Receiver. The Satellite is special, since it’s (ooooooh) digital.
So, that reduces one set of inputs.
So … would the VCR be set up the same way? It can be, I suppose, which would simplify matters (except that VCR audio would only go out to the TV — would it pass through the TV audio to the Receiver? Heck, do I have a stereo VCR? I’m not sure.)
The manual (p.9) also notes VCR audio/video out will have output signal in SAT, DVD/CD and TUNER modes. When VCR (source) is selected, there will be no audio/video signal from VCR audio/video out. I’m not quite sure what that means yet …
But let’s remember that the main hang-up was getting the CD Changer plugged in there, because there was no Aux audio input jacks. But …
p.9: Alternatively, if you have no VCR or SAT, you can connect any other compatible components like TAPE player, TV to your DVD receiver via the VCR/SAT input.
p.10: If you have a SAT receiver DVD player or CD player with a digital output, you can make use of an optical digital connecting cord (not supplied) or coaxial digital connecting cord (not supplied) to carry the audio portion of the signal and enjoy Dolby Digital or digital stereo sound quality.
Huh? You can use the SAT ports for something other than a Satellite box? You can use it for a CD player?
So (assuming analog audio streams from the CD Changer, and nothing fancy about the TV audio output) I could do something like this?
Audio : VCR : In : L/R jacks <- TV audio in
Audio : VCR : Out : L/R jacks
Audio : Sat : In : L/R jacks <- CD Changer audio in
Digital Audio : Sat : In coax
Digital Audio : Sat : In optical
Digital Audio : Sat : Out optical
Video : VCR : In jack
Video : VCR : Out jack
Video : Sat : In jack
Video : Sat : In S-jack
Video : Mon : Out jack
Video : Mon : Out S-jack <- TV S-jack video out
And, assuming I have to specify an input source, if I want to listen to the CD Changer, I just choose “SAT”?
So … maybe I didn’t need to take that box back to CostCo (hassle-free, btw, even lacking the receipt) after all?
Well, hell.
Does your CD Changer have optical output capability? If it’s relatively new, it might. Otherwise, it may not work.
Though my father does not have a surround sound system, he does have cable, a sat dish, a vcr, and a dvd player all of which he wanted to hear through his receiver. Because of the age of one of his components (the TV), my only choice to get the DVD and VCR sound through the receiver was to have the DVD player hooked up through the front jacks on the VCR. It works fine although only my dad and I know how to set it up from his fancy “I run all electronic equipment” remote control.
I see no reason why the above should not work (although I gave my CD player away when I got my DVD player, which has room for 5 disks).
I would like to know what are the standard levels for the audio outputs (line level) of TV sets (various make and models). I’m interested in getting also the information about maximum and minimum levels(where applicable) for the variable audio output and the output impedance.
Thanks in advance, looking forward for a reply from you
Regards,
Ivan Ternav jr.
Hardware R&D engineer
AGB Lab
Slovenia
Huh. To be honest, I really have no idea. Though I suspect the answer is out there on the Internet, somewhere.