How to Connect a Home Theater System with a Multichannel Audio/Video Receiver
A multichannel audio/video receiver is often the centerpiece of a home theater system. It connects your display with the speakers and both with an audio/video source, bringing your entire system together so that it functions as designed. In order to connect the various components with the receiver, you have to place the correct outputs with the proper inputs to make it all work. If you add game consoles or a PC, you increase the complexity but by working with a single component at a time, you'll simplify the process, ending with a system that works flawlessly.
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Things You'll Need
- Home theater display
- Home theater speakers
- Multichannel audio/video receiver
- Video connector cables
- Audio connector cables
Instructions
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1
Connect the video from your video source, such as a Blu-Ray player or cable box, to the receiver. Use the highest quality video connection available, starting in descending order of quality: HDMI, DVI, Component, S-Video and Composite video. Connect the video by running the video cable from the video-out connector of your video source to the video-in connector of your receiver.
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2
Connect the video of your home theater system to the receiver. Connect the video by running the video cable from the video-out connector of your receiver into the video-in connector of your display, using the highest quality connection available.
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3
Connect the audio from your audio source, such as a Blu-ray player or cable box, to the receiver. Choose the connection that best corresponds to your speaker setup. Your best choice is an HDMI connection that can support all audio choices from stereo to TrueHD and DTS-HD 7.1 for 8 speaker support. If HDMI is unavailable, you can still create a digital connection through a coaxial or optical cable for multichannel speaker support or go with analog cable connections for either stereo or analog multichannel support. The analog connections have less audio fidelity than the digital.
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4
Connect the audio from the receiver to the speakers. Plug the speaker cables into the appropriate connectors on your receiver. Multichannel connections should include a subwoofer, front channel speaker and side speakers at the least for a 3.1 channel audio. You can plug up to 7.1 speakers into most multichannel receivers with speakers for subwoofer, two side speakers, a front-center speaker, two front-side speakers and two rear-side speakers.
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5
Select the inputs used for your home theater system in the receiver. Select both the audio and the video connections used as the primary setting to ensure that the primary system is selected whenever it's started.
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6
Connect any auxiliary input and output electronics to your receiver such as game consoles or computer inputs. Use the receiver's remote to switch to these for use when needed.
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Tips & Warnings
For the best audio and video results when using analog connections, purchase high quality cables.
