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Home theater cables You always want to connect A/V source
components to your receiver with the best possible type and quality of cable, for the highest performance and simplicity of operation.
There are three
basic types of cable connections that must be made to properly
set up and install a home theater receiver as the central hub of
your home theater surround sound system.
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You need to
connect the outputs from each of your A/V source components
to the appropriate inputs on the back of the home theater
receiver.
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You need to
connect one or more video cables (depending on whether your
AV receiver has the capability to upconvert all analog video
sources to HDMI) from the monitor output on the back of the
receiver to the proper video input on the back of your TV or
projector.
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You need to run
speaker wire from the back of your receiver to each surround
speaker (that's 5 to 7 separate runs), plus a subwoofer
cable from the sub pre-out jack on the receiver to the
input on your powered subwoofer.
►Depending on the
level of complexity and automation in your system, there may be
other types of connections and cables required. A great
source for more information is Monster Cable's Home Theater Connection Guide.
►To protect your
entire home theater from power spikes and surges -- and improve its performance at the same time, be sure to plug all component AC power cords into, and loop all incoming outdoor antenna, cable, satellite, and phone lines through, a quality home theater power
surge protector! We feel that for most consumers, the best home theater surge protector to buy are Monster Power Centers. |
Cables to connect AV components to
receiver If your home theater receiver features HDMI switching, you should
usually connect Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD players to your surround
sound receiver with a single HDMI cable. Many upconverting DVD players and HD satellite/cable receivers also have an HDMI output that can be connected to the
receiver with a single HDMI cable.
Home theater components that lack an HDMI output will need to be connected to
the receiver with separate video and audio cables.
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Video cables In decreasing order of quality, HD video cables
include DVI (not commonly used on newer gear) and 3-piece
component video cables. Non-HD video cables include
S-Video and composite video.
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Audio cables Digital audio cables come in two popular types - optical and coaxial (not to be confused with the coaxial
cable used to transmit cable and satellite television signals into your home). Older analog sources such as
VCRs, audio cassette decks, and turntables utilize standard RCA stereo cables.
Cables to connect
receiver to TV/projector If your receiver has the
capability to upconvert all analog video sources to 1080p, you should be able to run just a single HDMI cable from your receiver to your HDTV.
If not, you will also likely need to run component video, S-Video, and/or
composite video cables to separate inputs on your TV, and switch video inputs on your television every time you want to switch
between your video sources.
Speaker wire/subwoofer cable Depending on the size of your
room, you will probably need at least 100 feet of total speaker cables or bulk speaker wire to connect the speakers to the receiver. Don't forget to buy a subwoofer cable! |
