Can some clever peep please explain to me what an AV amp is, and what it can do that our Arcam amp can't do. We are trying to get a decent system working in a room my brother and I use quite a lot. We only have an old Sony 4x3 TV in there, which is OK for us. We have a Dsat system driving the TV through a scart, and a JVC S-VHS/DVD combo with its own Freeview box with timer. The TV is stereo but it doesn't have any audio out, so we take the audio from the Dsat or the video, to the amp, and we manually switch the input on the amp when we change from Dsat to video/Freeview/CD, etc.

So, would an AV amp help?Would it autoswitch the audio in some way? Does the video go through it too? I mean, what is it?

We can use the Arcam amp elewhwre, so no problem upgrading. I know we need a new TV in that room really, but that will have to wait.

An AV amp is basically a multichannel amp (the old-fashioned stereo amps are 2-channel). AV amps do up to 5 or more channels, for the various surround sound formats (prologic, prologic 2, 5.1, 6.1 dolby digital/dts etc etc). You plug in all your kit into the various aux sockets (AV amps having a scary array of sockets round the back) and plug in all your speakers (left, right, center, 2 rear and a sub) and then you hear movies, tv shows, videogames etc as they were meant to be. Don't know about autoswitching (remote control is a given tho), what you get in terms of features, sound formats, video switching etc depends on the amp. Surround sound TVs and home-cinema-in-a-box alternatives also do the same job, but separates are best if you can go that way. Don't know exactly what your arcam is doing but for movies 5.1 is definitely the way to go. Read some mags, get some demos, fill your room with little boxes. You know it makes sense...

Thank you.

I was always under the impression that AV amps also switch video as well as sound source.

If so, then I need to know.

Help!!

They do switch video, but remember many AV amps can only cope with component or composite video through phono sockets or S Video through a mini DIN lead.

SCART sockets for RGB are not all that common - especially on "Home Cinema" kits, which include the DVD player.

So if you want RGB by SCART from an AV amp, have a look at the back before you buy it.

I have to admit that although I have an AV amp I don't use it for switching video components. I have a seperate switchbox that does RGB for that reason and also because it allows better options for connection and viewing/videoing.

Please upgrade to a home cinema kit (ie an amp with 5 speakers), it will bring your dvds to life, believe me. It will also provide prologic sound from your vcr and digibox.

Hello folks

I've been browsing these forums for a while and you seem like a helpful bunch so I'm hoping somebody can clear this up for me.

I have a Sony 28" widescreen tv, Mustek dvd player (with every output imaginable ), Sony nicam vcr and I will soon have a ntl cable digibox (probably Pace, but I'm not sure what they'll give me).

As the tv only has one RGB scart socket, I'm thinking of buying one of those nifty remote controlled 5 scart switcher boxes, connect all the devices to that, and then that to my tv's RGB scart socket. This, I am presuming, will give me as good a picture as I can get from all the devices as well as the flexibility to input a couple more devices if I buy them. If I'm off the mark with this rationale, please put me on the right track.

Now, assuming that the above set up gives me optimum picture quality, I still have to sort out the sound end of things.
I'm in the market for a home cinema receiver. There's a keenly priced Sony (there's also a Yamaha but I've never had any problems with Sony stuff, so I'll probably stay loyal to them for now!) that I've looked at with 3 optical & 1 co-axial input as well as plenty of phono ones.

Am I right in assuming that I use the digital output on my dvd player and send it straight into the receiver via an optical/co-axial lead to get 5.1 sound from 5.1 dvds?

I intend connecting the vcr to the receiver with regular phono leads. Is there a better way of doing this to get optimum sound quality? If there is, would I need to change the scart set-up as mentioned above?

Finally, when I get my cable digibox, what kind of sound outputs can I get expect it to have? I don't have a make/model yet, but general info on the most popular models would suffice - e.g. do cable digiboxes contain an optical or co-axial output that I can connect to my receiver? Or will there be phono outputs? Or none of the above? And will any of these outputs give me Pro-Logic sound in a 5 speaker set-up?

That's enough questions for one post, I think! Anyways, I would greatly appreciate any help with this.

Best regards,

Hagi

hagi_complex I'm assuming you mean the Quintro. If so then yse this will do what you say. Also good options if you have two videos or need to feed to different outputs to two TV's. Not cheap but OK considering what it does.

As for AV amps, I wouldn't say there's much difference between Yamaha and Sony. I've had both (currently Sony) although I think the Yam was slightly better "tuned" for British ears.

The DVD player should give you 5.1 surround by digital connection to a suitable amp and speakers. If you are buying an amp make sure it has DTS capability (most do now) it's better than dolby to most ears in the know.

Phono audio connections for sound to /from the VCR is the best way. I only use my AV amp for sound switching and leave the Quintro for video (RGB etc.)

Don't have a cable box so I don't know about them.

hey I dont know how to do the fancy long quote reply, so you will just get it on one block

yep you should get just as good a picture with a high quality scart switching box. Mine did, but i dealt with it quite roughly over the years and now I do have faint interference. Also, make sure they are all RGB enabled.

yep use the digital out for DVD, that way you will get the benefits of 5.1/6.1/ etc. if you have the speakers and a capable amp. I would strongly suggest having a look at marantz, the 5300 is a lovely amp, i have the 5200 which is a cracker

nope, phono leads will be your best shot for sound quality from the VCR. if your amp has dolby pro logic 2 then that will give you pseudo 5.1 sound from your VCR. but after hearing true 5.1 from your DVD, it will sound poor in comparison, but it is great for TV shows etc.

cable boxes only come with basic phono out (if your lucky, NTL have some with and some with no audio out). None have digital out, so your stuck with standard stereo from your cable, although as i say DPL2 will give you pseudo 5.1

My scart switching box also has audio out phono sockets as well, so I have that hooked into the amp and it takes whatever sound is going though the switching box, so no need to have the VCR+ cable box connected. Which is handy.

Many thanks both comicsansserif and monkey75 for those prompt and informative replies. I'm a bit more comfortable about about shelling out for the kit now.