[mikeinsthelens]

Ok. I'm quite new to this home cinema equipment and would appreciate some help.

I currently have a LG423000 TV (Soon to be replaced with a LG 471w540u) a Sony BDV=E370, Sky HD and an X BOX (new one).

The question is how to set all this up to give he best performance.

For example, currently, if I want to watch a movie from Sky in surround sound I have to change the input to the Blu-ray player navigate through the menus to get the right input for the sound and then flick back to the Sky input to see the pictures. If then there is a problem with the sound levels on one or more of the speakers I have to repeat the procedure BUT whilst i'm adjusting the settings I can't hear the sound from the channel i'm on so it's trial and error by flicking back and forth.

Have I got the set-up right? Am I able to adjust the speaker settings whilst I can still hear what's on the TV.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[chrisjr]

It might help if you tell us how you have it set up at the moment. ie what is connected to what.

For surround sound from the Sky box the digital audio out must be used. This should go to the digital audio input of the Sony system. With a HDMI lead to the TV. You select the appropriate HDMI on the TV and the digital audio in on the Sony Make sure the TV speakers are muted and use the Sony remote to control the noise level. I don't really understand why you are diving through menus to do this all the time.

And similarly you need a connection from the audio out of the TV to an audio in on the Sony to get audio from the TV's built in tuner if you ever use that. And another from the xbox.

The Sony seems to have two digital and one analogue input so it is possible you can connect them all up one way or another.

[Chasing Shadows]

As Chris (above) says - learn which buttons to press on your home cinema to adjust the source input and the volume - then you don't need to mess about selecting the home cinema as input on the TV screen and scrolling through menus.

[Chris Frost]

The Sony BDV-E370 is an all-in-one home cinema kit. These do tend to be harder work to operate than a separate AV amp and speaker system. The surround sound performance does seem to vary quite a bit with the source content. However, once set up and balanced correctly then the only real adjustment needed should be swapping between the various surround sound decoding modes.

[mikeinsthelens]

Hi

Thanks for the replies. It would've helped if I had told you the set up beforehand, apologies for that.

The TV is connected via HDMI to Sky HD and Blu-Ray player and X BOX.

Blu-Ray is then connected via optical to Sky HD.

The sound comes through the speakers when I switch the Blu-Ray on (I get some echo if the TV speakers aren't muted - I presume this is a time delay issue?)

If I need to adjust the speaker settings whilst watching something, I have to press the home key and flick through the menus which then cuts the sound. This is my main problem, obviously because I don't know they are adjusted correctly until I go back to the input screen and the sound comes back.

[Chasing Shadows]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeinsthelens

If I need to adjust the speaker settings whilst watching something, I have to press the home key and flick through the menus which then cuts the sound.

Why? Can't you just turn the volume up/down without messing about going in to menus to adjust it?

[mikeinsthelens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasing Shadows

Why? Can't you just turn the volume up/down without messing about going in to menus to adjust it?

I can turn the volume down but can't adjust (for example) the rear speakers if they are too loud etc. The volume of the whole system isn't the problem, it would be nice if I could adjust each speaker whilst still hearing the sound.

[Chasing Shadows]

But why would you adjust individual speakers once you've got the system balanced correctly? Once all six speakers are in perfect balance with the other five, based on your seating position, why would you adjust individual speakers?

Do you have different preferences at different times of day, or when listening to different sources, so that sometimes you prefer the speakers balanced, and at other times you prefer the rear speakers to be louder (or quieter) than when they are balanced with the fronts and centre?

[mikeinsthelens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasing Shadows

But why would you adjust individual speakers once you've got the system balanced correctly? Once all six speakers are in perfect balance with the other five, based on your seating position, why would you adjust individual speakers?

Do you have different preferences at different times of day, or when listening to different sources, so that sometimes you prefer the speakers balanced, and at other times you prefer the rear speakers to be louder (or quieter) than when they are balanced with the fronts and centre?

THIS. That's exactly why, if I can't find a way round it I will look at memorising the settings for each depending on what i'm watching or where i'm sat.

As i pointing out in the original thread I wanted to know what I was doing was correct and was there any way to make the whole process easier.

[chrisjr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeinsthelens

THIS. That's exactly why, if I can't find a way round it I will look at memorising the settings for each depending on what i'm watching or where i'm sat.

As i pointing out in the original thread I wanted to know what I was doing was correct and was there any way to make the whole process easier.

The temptation is to ask why on earth you are fiddling with the thing all the time...

And with low end kit like the Sony you have a seriously doubt it has any sort of memory for the settings. The Onkyo amp I have has a way to adjust the centre and rear balance if absolutely necessary.

But I hardly ever need to use it if the original sound balance of what I am listening to is correct in the first place. I certainly don't feel the need to change the core balance of the system all the time.

[mikeinsthelens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

The temptation is to ask why on earth you are fiddling with the thing all the time...

And with low end kit like the Sony you have a seriously doubt it has any sort of memory for the settings. The Onkyo amp I have has a way to adjust the centre and rear balance if absolutely necessary.

But I hardly ever need to use it if the original sound balance of what I am listening to is correct in the first place. I certainly don't feel the need to change the core balance of the system all the time.

'cos i'm a fussy bugger! LOL. Oh I meant ME memorise the settings, I didn't think the system would.

As for the set though do I have everything right?

[chrisjr]

Well as far as getting sound from the Blu Ray and Sky is concerned it is OK. But do you use the TV's built in tuner at all? If so then how are you listening to that? And also the xbox.

If there is no audio feed from the TV or the xbox to the Sony system then I can only assume that when watching either of those you just use the TV's speakers?

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

also remember that the rear speakers shouldn't be heard all the time.

[mikeinsthelens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

Well as far as getting sound from the Blu Ray and Sky is concerned it is OK. But do you use the TV's built in tuner at all? If so then how are you listening to that? And also the xbox.

If there is no audio feed from the TV or the xbox to the Sony system then I can only assume that when watching either of those you just use the TV's speakers?

I watch all programmes through the Sky box. I don't often use the XBOX and when I do it's through the TV speakers unless you tell me I can do it differently

[chrisjr]

Depending on which version of the xbox you have it should have a digital audio output socket on it or have digital or analogue audio available via an adapter plug. The digital output may well be optical, same as the Sky box.

The Sony has only one optical input but does have a coaxial input as well. You can get little converter boxes that convert optical to coaxial so that is not a problem. Or you could buy an optical switch to use the single optical input with the Sky box and xbox outputs.

Or you could use the analogue stereo out of the xbox direct to the analogue stereo input on the Sony.

I haven't read the manual for the Sony so don't know if it suffers from something I recall another similar system did on another thread. That system had optical and coaxial digital inputs but you could not use both at the same time very easily. They were on the same source select position on the remote and the unit seemed to default to using the optical input if that was live and ignored the coaxial. The only way to use the coaxial was either unplug the optical or make sure the connected device (eg Sky box) was completely powered off so no signal was being output.

But anyway there should be a way to connect the xbox and Sky box to the Sony system one way or the other.

[mikeinsthelens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

Depending on which version of the xbox you have it should have a digital audio output socket on it or have digital or analogue audio available via an adapter plug. The digital output may well be optical, same as the Sky box.

The Sony has only one optical input but does have a coaxial input as well. You can get little converter boxes that convert optical to coaxial so that is not a problem. Or you could buy an optical switch to use the single optical input with the Sky box and xbox outputs.

Or you could use the analogue stereo out of the xbox direct to the analogue stereo input on the Sony.

I haven't read the manual for the Sony so don't know if it suffers from something I recall another similar system did on another thread. That system had optical and coaxial digital inputs but you could not use both at the same time very easily. They were on the same source select position on the remote and the unit seemed to default to using the optical input if that was live and ignored the coaxial. The only way to use the coaxial was either unplug the optical or make sure the connected device (eg Sky box) was completely powered off so no signal was being output.

But anyway there should be a way to connect the xbox and Sky box to the Sony system one way or the other.

Cheers for the info, I'll check when I get home (after collecting my new 3D set from Richer later)

Thanks again