Advice on connecting up!

m33ufo

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Hi All

Picked up a few Tag McLaren items earlier today, it was almost a 550 mile round trip so am rather shattered (but happy :D )!

I'm sure this has been asked many times but I'm hoping I can have your suggestions on what cables to use when connecting this lot up. Being more used to integrated amps and making the most of HDMI and (for example) Denon Link, this is a little different. If I tell you what I have perhaps I can have your thoughts or indeed details of what each of you use?

This is what I want to connect:

Sony 40inch LCD (HDMI)
TAG McLaren DVD32FLR
TAG McLaren AV32R-DP
TAG McLaren 700:7R
Velodyne DD-15
XBox 360
SKY Receiver (not HD)

I currently have a collection of the following cables but I appreciate that I may need others for best results and perhaps of different lengths to those I currently have:

2x Digital Coaxial cables (Profigold and IXOS)
1xTAGtronic cable
Numerous analogue interconnects (Atlas and Chord) - around 10 sets in total.
HD-3phono connector for the Xbox
HDMI-HDMI cable (Currently from a Denon 3910 to the TV - and probably useless now)
Scart-Scart cable (currently from the Sky box to the TV)

If possible I would like everything to be routed via the processor. I assume I shall need an S-video cable to be able to view the on-screen display of the processor?

Oh..almost forgot, there is a DVI output on the back of the DVD player. Would I be better using this to the LCD directly (DVI to HDMI)??

Thanks...
 
Well I guess (logically) to keep the processor as the centre of the system, it's going to have to be a component lead from processor to LCD for video, the TAG link type cable from the DVD to processor (does this send audio and video??), s-video from the processor to the LCD for the on-screen display and analogue interconnects from amp to processor.....sound right?

Cheers.
 
Re the TAG link it does not send video or audio signals. Its a standard Cat 5 connection that allows the Processor to start up/shut down the amp/s and DVD and select the required amp channels - 2 for direct to 5 or 7 for 5.1 or 7.1 surround. You need to have this as an open chain i.e. do not connect the last component in the chain back to the initial units "TAG bus in".

If you want to pass video via the DP then you have the composite (not recommented for best picture) or S-Video connections for this with a corresponding composite output and S-Video output to go back to your display. The DP does not handle HDMI.

Personally I decided to miss out the DP for Video and only ran all audio via that unit - but did not have an x box on the same system.

I've now got the video sent to a Lumagen processor from the DVD and Telewest box while the DP handles all the audio out to the projwector or the LCD TV.
 
Hi All

Oh..almost forgot, there is a DVI output on the back of the DVD player. Would I be better using this to the LCD directly (DVI to HDMI)??

Thanks...

It has been a while but I believe that a DVI output exist ONLY on units with the PSM module. Assuming this to be correct, which I believe is the case, then I would send all video signals into the DVD player allow the PSM to do the de-interlacing and then connect the DVD player and plasma with two cables:

-- 1 DVI for DVD, Cable boxes, etc.
-- 1 composite for setup (this will require a composite run from the AV32R composite OSD output to the DVD player).

Two caveats to the above:

-- One can tell whether the PSM is fitted to the DVD player by scrolling through the DVD players menu.
-- One should test whether the PSM module or the displays internal de-interlacer does a better job...

Hope this is of assistance.

Joel
 
Both replies have helped me out a great deal, thank you.

For me at least, connecting these things up and deciding what is the most appropriate cable to use is the biggest problem...hate it!!! Too much choice :)

I need to give some more thought to the video options.

Cheers
 
Just a thought, but how about owners putting together a list of what cables they use and how happy they are with the results etc???

For example, how and with what cables have you connected the various parts of your system???

How have you connected your DVD32 to your AV32 etc and how have you connected your other system components to best effect??

I don't envisage a huge response but a few would be interesting (to me at least :D ). Especially interested in what people with the PSM module have done?
 
It has been a while but I believe that a DVI output exist ONLY on units with the PSM module. Assuming this to be correct, which I believe is the case, then I would send all video signals into the DVD player allow the PSM to do the de-interlacing and then connect the DVD player and plasma with two cables:

-- 1 DVI for DVD, Cable boxes, etc.
-- 1 composite for setup (this will require a composite run from the AV32R composite OSD output to the DVD player).

Two caveats to the above:

-- One can tell whether the PSM is fitted to the DVD player by scrolling through the DVD players menu.
-- One should test whether the PSM module or the displays internal de-interlacer does a better job...

Hope this is of assistance.

Joel



Any idea what might be wrong if I do have a PSM (and thus a DVI output) but the DVD menu does not show the DVI output option???
I use a 5m DVI to HDMI cable but the LCD gets no signal. When I use composite cable, it works fine but I want to use the composite output for the OSD function.
It's often mentioned that a Component connections gives the best result (better than HDMI). Is this true? If so, anyone can recommend a brand/model?
Thanks for all your support.
 

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