• 06-22-2008, 07:08 AM
    soconfused
    Help with HDTV Comcast Cable Phillips DVD Surround
    I am having a problem figuring out how to connect a Toshiba 42HP83 HDTV with Comcast HDTV Dolby Digital and Philips DVD Home Theater HT3544. Please help:crazy:
  • 06-22-2008, 08:05 AM
    markw
    Doesn't anything come with instructions anymore?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by soconfused
    I am having a problem figuring out how to connect a Toshiba 42HP83 HDTV with Comcast HDTV Dolby Digital and Philips DVD Home Theater HT3544. Please help:crazy:

    Off the top of my head I'd say connect the cable box directly to the TV (composite or HDMI cables, whatever it takes) and run the cable box's audio output directly to the home theatre.

    But, for how to configure and operate them, check your manual. They can tell you more than we can.
  • 06-22-2008, 08:49 AM
    soconfused
    Things were going well until the cable guy showed up. Now when the TV is turned off the sound is still on and we have to turn off the Cable box seperately. Also when playing the DVD I get sound and no picture. It is really screwed up and there are about 30 different wires and plugs.
  • 06-22-2008, 09:41 AM
    markw
    you got the best help you can get with what you gave me/us.
    If, as you say, the cable guy f'ed it up. call 'em and complain and have them make it right.

    Aside from hyperbole and whining about nothing working, you've offered no insight to how it's hooked up.

    Read your manuals and follow them. They still come with diagrams, don't they?
  • 06-22-2008, 09:53 AM
    soconfused
    Aren't you the Nice guy..thought this was a place to look for help without people treating you like you were a total idiot. I didn't think I was "whining" and wasn't sure how to explain where all 30 wires are connected . I thought (my error) that I could get simple audio & video out and in instructions from surround to cable to TV as this seemed like a nice friendly forum. I did read the manuals no help. I called phillips all it was was video yellow cable needed to go to video 2 instead of video one. Thanks TW for all your help.
  • 06-22-2008, 11:44 AM
    Mr Peabody
    If sound was still on after turning off the TV you must have left your receiver on. How to hook up depends on what your surround receiver is capable of. It's usually better to do audio and video to the TV for regular watching and go digital to the receiver for surround sound. It's also best to go digital to the receiver from the DVD player. I feel it's best to use HDMI where possible and if that's not an option component video is the next best or some eeven feel as good. But with component you will need to run separate audio. If the cable company hooked up your system you are definitely better off finding out the best way and making sure it's set up that way. In my experience the cable company is lucky to be able to get you a picture.

    In order to get you pointed in the right direction we would need more info like is your receiver HDMI capable, how HDMI does you TV have etc.
  • 06-22-2008, 01:07 PM
    markw
    Hey Newbie! Listen up!
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by soconfused
    Aren't you the Nice guy..thought this was a place to look for help without people treating you like you were a total idiot.

    We are, and I try not to treat people that way, but some of you one-post-wonders seem to expect me/us to be mind readers. You barge in here, arms waving in the air, running in circles, blurt out some general, non-specific complaint ("It doesn't work! Why?") and then give absolutely no pertenint info as to what the options might be, and then have the audacity to get all haughty when you don't get the magic bullet you hoped for.

    That's like posting on a medical site. "My head hurts. Why?" and expecting a coherent response.

    You've got to take some initiative and spit out some background info on what you've got going on there before you can get any more specific answers.

    We might be able to make some logical assumptions about what your stuff has for inputs and such, but wouldn't it be in your benefit to tell us what it has? You've got the manual. Or do you expect us to know that stuff by heart or to scour the internet for info you could easily provide.

    Likewise, Comcast has many different cable boxes, even several HD boxes as well. Again, what options do we have here? You expect us to know this guy's inputs and outputs as well? You can simply look right at it and tell us instead he expecting us to guess!

    And, considering that when I DID google your home theatre (both"Philips DVD Home Theater HT3544". or simply "Philips HT3544") to find some info on it, NOTHING shows up, you got the best advice possible. So, how the F do you expect us to tell you anything at all about hooking this up, particularly since most HTIB*'s (and my spidey sense tells me this is one) lacks most of the goodies needed to allow it play well with other equipment!

    Ya can't give advice on something about which you have no info.

    But, looking back on my original post I did find a typo, for which I humbly apologize. Where I sad "composite", I should have said "component", a group of three interconnects, one red, one blue, and one green. Ya can't get HD with a composite video (yellow jack) connection.

    Oh, and find someway to connect the DVD player to the TV while you're at it.

    Along with my (and Mr P's ) initial post, that's about all I can say and, if you think about it a little and read the diagrams in the manuals, it should suffice.

    ...hope that helps.

    * Home Theatre In a Box", generally a low cost, one box solution that generally lacks the input and output flexibility needed to interface witrh a "real" home theatre system..
  • 06-22-2008, 05:57 PM
    soconfused
    Mr Peabody and MarkW thanks so much for taking the time to try and assist me. Apparently I have barged in and wasted your time and mine. I seem to be out of my element in this forum. I am a girly girl and seem to have got in over my head. Thanks
  • 06-23-2008, 05:21 AM
    markw
    "I am a girly girl and seem to have got in over my head."
    Oh, puh-leeeze! Well, since this is your defense, perhaps you should have had some male acquaintence hook it up for you in the first place.

    Sorry, females have posted here and received help, although their gender never became an issue. Common sense knows no gender limits. But, I gotta say, all your posts did serve to reinforce some not-so-complimentary stereotypes. Are you a blonde, too?

    And, I'm sure all you offered the help line was exactly what you told us. Riiiiight. I can just imagine the conversation between you and them while they tried to drag the needed information out of you. Oh, wait... they MADE that HTIB, didn't they?

    ...Thirty wires? Cheese and crackers, gimme a break!
  • 06-23-2008, 11:33 PM
    pixelthis
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by soconfused
    Mr Peabody and MarkW thanks so much for taking the time to try and assist me. Apparently I have barged in and wasted your time and mine. I seem to be out of my element in this forum. I am a girly girl and seem to have got in over my head. Thanks

    the thing about women is they claim to be the "great communicators " and they never
    say anything.
    heres the facts real simple.
    If you have HDMI, use that.
    Componet (three wires ) is next
    Then something called SVHS
    then composit.
    And never let your cable guy near your stuff.
    BELEIVE IT OR NOT, HE PROBABLY KNOWS LESS than you do.
    As for sound, there is a coax and a optical connection, doesnt matter which you use,
    plug the dvd in one and the cable box into another, there are plugs on the back
    of each device , they are labeled, the coax is also orange.
    Set you DVD player to bitstream, your cable box, if its an motorola, has an audio in the setup menu.
    Your receiver, if like most of the others made in the last decade will automatically
    choose what connection has a signal.
    And most importantly... READ THE MANUEL
    And dont mind mark, he gets cranky sometimes.
    Well... all the time:1: