Advice on new setup

garetheves

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Hey, noobie here, be gentle ;)

Looking into getting a new 5.1 setup after christmas and was after some advice. Initially i was going to go for a Blueray 5.1 surround unit but after looking around a bit i fancy a seperate amplifier. I currently have a PS3, Wii, Sky HD box and DVD surround unit all connected to my TV. I run BR disks through the PS3 but would love the 5.1 sound from it.

I was thinking of ditching the DVD completely and just running the PS3, Wii and HD box through the amplifier and onto the TV. Is this a recommended setup? 2 Units ive seen so far (very quick searches as im at work) are these:

Sony STR-DH510 AV RECEIVER - BLACK review cheap prices STR-DH510 AV RECEIVER - BLACK Sony best buy discount online uk shop

ONKYO HT-S3305B 3D-READY 5.1CH AV RECEIVER WITH SPEAKERS - BLACK review cheap prices HT-S3305B 3D-READY 5.1CH AV RECEIVER WITH SPEAKERS - BLACK ONKYO best buy discount online uk shop

and was looking for some opinons. Both seem to have enough HDMI inputs and also a component input for the Wii but are they good enough. Budget is somewhat limited as moving house in January so not got too much free cash lying around. I know the Sony one doesnt have speakers but i can recycle my current ones if needed. The room isnt massive and no it doesnt need to have massive amounts of power.
 
Looking into getting a new 5.1 setup after christmas

Remember the imminent VAT rise so don't hold off buying too long! I don't know what retailers intend doing re. the VAT rise. Some will have sales and might absorb it into their pricing but I wouldn't bank on it.

I was thinking of ditching the DVD completely and just running the PS3, Wii and HD box through the amplifier and onto the TV. Is this a recommended setup?

As you have a PS3, I wouldn't bother with another player. It's an excellent bluray player and upscaling DVD player too. Obviously the optional remote or a universal remote with bluray adapter are recommended.

The Onkyo HTS-5305 (£300 from exceptional AV) is probably a better option as it has an active subwoofer compared to the passive one shipped with the lesser spec'd 3305 system.

Both seem to have enough HDMI inputs and also a component input for the Wii but are they good enough. Budget is somewhat limited as moving house in January so not got too much free cash lying around. I know the Sony one doesnt have speakers but i can recycle my current ones if needed. The room isnt massive and no it doesnt need to have massive amounts of power.

You wouldn't connect the wii via video connection to these systems as they don't have video conversion. You would need to increase the budget for that. Video conversion allows you to connect analogue sources up to the receiver and it will convert them to HDMI resulting in one single HDMI cable going to the display. In your case, you would connect the video side to the TV direct and then separately to the amp/receiver via the analogue audio cable or run an audio connection from the TV to the amp/receiver to cover it. If you routed the video through the receiver, you would need an identical cable going from the receiver to the TV. As you probably only have one device using that connection, you would gain nothing. As an aside, I would recommend buying a component video cable for the wii as it's vastly superior to the standard composite connection it ships with.

Be wary of re-using speakers from other systems. If they're low impedance (ohms) rated, you could end up damaging both amp and speakers. The subwoofer that comes with the majority of all-in-one home cinema systems also isn't any use as separate AV receivers/amps need a powered (active) subwoofer.
 
Excellent, cheers for the reply bud :) Yeah the plan was to ditch the player altogether and just use the PS3 for both BR and DVD.

I didnt realise about the Wii connection to converting but makes sense i guess. Are the convertors something that can be bought seperately or are they just part of the more expensive amplifiers? Can you link an example me please?

Ideally id like as few cables going to the TV (less to hide), 1 HDMI would be perfect but if i need to route the Wii cables as well then so be it. If the wii could be connected to the amp and the cost wasnt too great then this would be preferred.
 
You can buy converters but I would personally spend the additional £ on a better receiver. None of the packages inc. the Onkyos inc. the HTS-6305 offer this feature, so your only option would be separates.

Receivers offering upconversion of analogue to HDMI include the Denon AVR1611, Yamaha RX-V567, Onkyo SR-TX608, Sony STRDN1000 (2400ES is a better bet if you can find it) are about the cheapest ones with this feature. Those are current models but if you seek out previous models e.g. AVR1610, RX-V765, SR-TX607 etc. etc. you should be able to pick them up cheaper. They will lack the latest HDMI v1.4 features so if 3D compatibility is important, stick with the newer models.

I'm afraid your budget will need to be increased.
 
£250 for the Sony isnt out of my price range at all

Sony STRDN1000 Black | AV Receiver With HDMI Interface | Richer Sounds

seen the dennon for a similar price as well. Obviously these exclude speakers but still not an excessive price and id be tempted to see if my current speakers would be compatable with it. If not ill have to invest in some new ones, any excuse ;)

Thanks again for the help and any other input you have is much appreciated :)
 

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