[rarrcore]

Hi Guys

I've been a discreet browser on these forums for over a year now and thought it was about time i actually signed up!

Ok here is my plan:

I have:

Samsung 42" 1080p LCD TV
Virgin+ HD
Playstation 3 (Which will not always be in the set up)
Nintendo Wii

The TV brackets have been fitted for the TV to be mounted but we have not yet finished decoration so this is the perfect time for me to channel wires and cables into the wall

I'm interested in buying a Home Cinema System for around the £160 mark. I need to know whats the best one for me to buy and all the correct leads i need to be able to hook all of this up.

I have a pal at work who said connect it all up to the home cinema system (through HDMI except the wii which will have to be scart) and then from the cinema system straight to the TV via HDMI. I didn't like the idea of this as i like to have different settings on my TV for PS3 then Virgin+, for example i like to use the preset 'game mode' for playing games but i like to use the movie 'mode' when watching Virgin+.

I appreciate any help i can get!

Thanks
Rob

[davepuma]

An AV receiver or amp with multiple HDMI inputs can be considered to be the hub of an AV setup enabling you to route both audio and video cables utilising the receiver/amp as a switch between multiple sources and also in some cases offering video processing such as conversion (analogue to HDMI resulting in a single HDMI cable to the TV) and upscaling. Video conversion could take all your sources i.e. 2 x HDMI and 1 x component video (wii) and pass them over a single HDMI cable to the TV. If you haven't purchased the component cable for the wii, I would recommend you do as the picture quality is vastly improved. The wii does not use SCART unless you use an adapter from the low quality composite video (yellow RCA) output.

I'm afraid your budget is considered to be quite low. £160 will limit you to an all-in-one setup consisting of a home cinema in a box solution with a built-in DVD player and 2.1/5.1 speakers. All-in-one solutions are simply not designed for multiple sources as they lack inputs. A separates based setup will always offer more features, functionality, flexibility and overall sound quality. I am not that clued up with all-in-one solutions, so I would always recommend popping to the relevant all-in-ones forum for suggestions.

You could simply connect the V+ and PS3 direct to the TV and utilise the amp/home cinema for audio only. However, with an all-in-one solution, you will be lucky to find one with 2 x optical inputs especially for £160. You would more than likely need to add a switch to share a single optical input. The optical input would enable you to hear dolby digital 5.1 from the V+ and PS3 (plus DTS). You will also need an analogue audio input for the wii (or you could route the audio via the TV and back to the audio setup). Check what your TV's audio output capabilities are and what connections it uses to pass audio to an external amp.

Using an AV Receiver/home cinema with HDMI inputs to switch sources does result in a compromise as you will have one setting for all on the TV but this can be altered by changing the mode on the TV from game to movie.

Bluray is capable of HD audio formats. These can only be passed in digital form over HDMI. However, please note that not all HDMI equipped audio systems can process audio over HDMI and some, particularly at the budget end, simply passthrough the signal untouched to the TV and require a separate digital audio (optical) cable.

Before chasing cables in the wall, I would consider your current and future needs. A lot of people have been caught out by installing cables for the equipment they have now and then when they buy a games console or sky etc., they have nowhere to connect the cables to. To this end, I would always recommend running at least 2 x HDMI, audio cables from the TV, coax, RF aerial cable and obviously power cable. Keep the power cable separate from the audio/video cables, use conduit, leave room for slack and terminate the entry and exit holes with brush faceplates (markgrantcables.co.uk sell them). Some people would also recommend running cat5e/cat6 network cables for future use. Always test cables before installing them and certainly before finalising any installation. By using conduit and brush faceplates, you should be able to replace and pull cables through with ease should any problems be experienced.

[rarrcore]

Thanks davepuma! That is very helpful, I think I might go for the optical switch option, do you have a link to where I can purchase one from? My TV also has a PC input which would be great to hook my laptop up to, will I be able to purchase a lead for this about 6 metres long so I can route under the floorboards to out by the side of my sofa?

Thanks
Rob

[davepuma]

Audiovisualonline sell optical switches. Yes, you should be able to connect your PC up using a suitable VGA or DVI/HDMI cable as appropriate.