Installing a Home Theatre

HDTV with a Home Theater Unit (HTU) (with included DVD player) with optional VCR  

An HDTV in a Home Theater arrangement offers the highest quality of audio/visual experience and may include the installation of visual and acoustic treatments to the room to enhance the environment. A large HD display of high-quality is used. An HTU decodes the 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio and drives the loudspeakers, while serving also as a switch for NTSC signals.

In essence, the set-up includes: 

·           Large screen television (illustrated) or monitor connected to an STB for terrestrial reception;

·           Home Theater Unit (HTU) including DVD player (sometimes referred to as AV receiver);

·           6 external loudspeakers, including a sub-woofer for low-frequency effects;

·           Satellite or cable STB, if desired;

·           VCR, if desired;

·           Antenna, set-top, internal or roof-top, appropriately selected for reception at your location. 

Two possible connections of the HD signals from a cable or satellite STB (if used) are shown. That in (1) connects the analog HD components Y, P_R, P_B to the TV/monitor. That in (2) connects the digital components R, G, B using the or HDMI/DVI connection, if available, resulting in improved quality. In either case, analog audio may be connected directly, for recording purposes on the VCR. The Dolby Digital signal for the HTU may come either from the TV or the STB. Note that the HDMI connection includes both digital HD video and digital audio, thus simplifying interconnection. 

Many HTU’s include a DVD player and its output may be in progressive component form (best quality) or in interlaced composite form (S-Video – best quality or NTSC). The connections for the video and audio shown below assume an internal DVD player. If an external DVD player is used, it may be connected similarly, in either progressive component form or in interlaced composite form (S-Video- best quality, or NTSC). If you have purchased a progressive DVD player ensure that  it is programmed on "progressive" when connected to an HDTV.  

Additional audio sources may also be included, but their connection to the HTU is not addressed here.

Note: These installation notes are for an HD television which includes an integrated tuner(s) and signal processing. If an installation uses an HD monitor (such as a plasma panel) and a separate terrestrial STB, then most connections will be made to the rear of the STB. 

·           Connect the cable (F coaxial) coming from the terrestrial antenna to the Antenna port of the VCR (if used) or directly to the Antenna port of the HD television.

·           If a VCR is used, connect a cable (F coaxial) from the TV port on the VCR to the Antenna port of the HD television

·           Connect any analog TV cable feed (F coaxial) to the Cable Input of the TV (from where?). Connect the Output of a digital cable STB to the HDTV connection (DVI or HDMI) on the TV using the appropriate multi-pin cable as shown in (2) on the diagram.

·           Some cable STB’s may not include DVI or HDMI and then connect Y, P_R, P_B to the Component Input 1 of the TV as in (1), using RCA video cables. Connect the analog audio L/R to Input 1, L/R of the TV using RCA audio cables.

·           Connect the Dolby Digital output of the cable STB to Dolby Digital Input of the Home Theater Unit (HTU) using either an optical cable or a short RCA cable, as appropriate.

·           Connect the 6 loudspeakers of the HTU, Center, LF, RF, LR, RR, LFE/Subwoofer to the marked terminals on the HTU using speaker cable (2 conductor). Be sure to connect the marked wire to the red terminal at both ends and the unmarked wire to the black terminal. Place the speakers as shown, so the viewer is roughly in the center of the reproduced sound.

·           Connect the component output Y, P_R, P_{B of} the HTU to the TV component Input using RCA video cables.

·           Connect the Composite Output of the HTU to Composite Input 2 of the TV, S, L, R using an S-Video cable and RCA audio cables. If S-Video connections are not available, connect the composite Y connectors, resulting in lower quality.

·           Connect the Dolby Digital Output of the TV to the Dolby Digital Input of the HTU using an optical fiber cable. 

If your installation includes a VCR, connect it as follows:

• Connect the S, L, R analog Composite Output of the VCR to the Composite Input of the HTU using an S-Video cable and RCA audio cables. If an S-Video connection is not provided, connect the Video Out of the VCR to the Video In  of the HTU using an RCA video cable.
• Connect the S, L, R Composite Input of the VCR to the Composite Output of the TV using an S-Video cable and RCA audio cables. If an S-Video connection is not provided, connect the Video Out of the TV to the Video In of the VCR using an RCA video cable.
• Other devices may be connected to the TV on the unused inputs as needed.

Programming for the Home Theater 

Some coordination of the selections in the HDTV and HTU is needed to ensure simple operation and may require the setting up of menus in the TV and/or HTU for maximum convenience.  Reference should be made to the “Initial Set Up” section of the respective manuals for the procedures to be followed. 

Note that the DVD player must also be programmed correctly to output either Progressive or Interlaced video, matching the mode selected in the HD television.

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