Help me set up my new 5.1 surround sound speakers!

June 14, 2008 3:23 AM

I just bought a 5.1 home theatre system. The speakers are Klipsch; the receiver is a Yamaha RX-V363. I'm having some (read; a lot) setup problems that I'm hoping the hive mind could help me out with. Specifically, I'm having trouble getting sound out of my PS3 and a picture and sound out of my Wii. Hope me!

OK, so this is the first time I've ever tussled with a 5.1 surround system so this is a bit new for me. Normally I'm pretty good setting things up like this with a bit of trial and error but I've been at this for a few hours now and I'm at my wits end.

I'm doing some things right though. I have my iPod dock hooked up to the receiver (via the portable connection at the front of the receiver) and sound is running from my ipod through my speakers beautifully. So it's safe to assume the speakers are connected properly.

The first problem is that my PS3 isn't giving me any sound. I'm running an HDMI cable from the PS3 to the HDMI port marked 'DVD' on the receiver (see this picture of the back of my receiver for a clearer picture of what I'm talking about). From there of course I run another HDMI cable from the HDMI out port on the back of the receiver to the HDMI In (1) port on the back of my TV, which is a Sony Bravia 40" LCD. I am getting a picture from the PS3 just fine. No sound though, which is a major bummer.

I have a theory about what may be needed to fix this. As you'll see from here's this diagram of the back of my TV, there are two HDMI In ports; HDMI In (2) has audio ports next to it. I'm assuming if I had an audio cable I could run a cable from my receiver to these ports on the back of my TV. I'm just a little confused as I've always managed to run sound and video through the single HDMI cable into the HDMI In (1) port on my TV. I'd test this out but it's night where I am and no shops are open (I need to buy this cable). In the meantime I just want to ask if I'm on the right track here?

As for my Wii, it usually runs through to the TV via component cables. With the arrival of the home theater system, it had been my hope to run the component cables into one of the component cable connections at the back of the receiver. No such luck. Switching to the DTV/CBL channel on my receiver (where I had plugged the Wii cables into), I got both no sound and no picture. I have no theories how to fix this at this stage.

I've also run the auto audio setup thing the receiver has, and I've fooled around with the 'scene' settings like the manual says. No luck.

And I've told the PS3 via it's menu to run sound through the HDMI port. As you can guess, still no luck.

To help you help me (and just in case you missed the earlier links), here's some pictures of the front and back of the receiver. Also here's something of a diagram of the back of my TV. With these pictures I'm hoping it makes it easier for any tech experts out there to tell me exactly what needs to be plugged where.

Please help me!!!

posted by Effigy2000 to technology (11 comments total)

Oh, one extra bit of info I forgot about. Where I said this;

"I've also run the auto audio setup thing the receiver has, and I've fooled around with the 'scene' settings like the manual says."

There were some errors when it finished the auto audio setup. They were 'Level Error' and 'Phase Reverse.' But given that my speakers are working fine when I play my iPod through them, I didn't pay it much mind. But I am a novice at setting things like this up so someone more well versed than me in these matters might find them very important, so I added this for the sake of full disclosure.
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:49 AM on June 14

Can you maybe make a list of all the compontents you're trying to plug in and a picture/diagram of the back of your receiver?
posted by k8t at 3:57 AM on June 14

k8t: "Can you maybe make a list of all the compontents you're trying to plug in and a picture/diagram of the back of your receiver?"

Sure k8t.

List of Components.

1) Playstation 3 via HDMI (currently getting picture but no sound)
2) Wii via component cables (no picture or sound at present)
3) iPod (getting perfect sound; works fine).

Picture of the back of my receiver.
posted by Effigy2000 at 4:07 AM on June 14

This is a horrible slap in the face to learn after you've bought it, but that receiver doesn't seem to support audio over HDMI:

RX-V363 product bulletin.

1080p-Compatible HDMI Switching*
(2 In/1 Out)
This receiver features dual HDMI inputs and
one output that can handle all HD format
including 720p, 1080i and 1080p so
users can connect two HDMI
sources, such as a DVD player
and a high definition set-top
box, and enjoy the highest
possible quality with HD
display (* not support audio
signal).

RX-V363

This is typical bullshit leveraged by every manufacturer on the lower end models to make sure something isn't as good as it is on the higher end models. The V463 and V563 of course support it.

You can connect a digital optical cable between the PS3 and the receiver to get the sound over to the receiver.

As for the Wii, I can't say. It currently runs over component to the receiver, but then sending the signal to the TV is only HDMI at the moment? I'd try running component out of the receiver as well to the TV for the Wii, just to see if that works.
posted by poppo at 4:43 AM on June 14

How are you connecting your TV, DVD, etc?
posted by k8t at 5:03 AM on June 14

poppo: "As for the Wii, I can't say. It currently runs over component to the receiver, but then sending the signal to the TV is only HDMI at the moment? I'd try running component out of the receiver as well to the TV for the Wii, just to see if that works."

Running a second set of component cables from the 'Monitor Out' plugs on the back of the receiver did give me a picture for the Wii, so thanks for that suggestion! But again, much like the PS3 the issue is that there is no sound. Hmmmm... I wonder if plugging some audio cables into the DTV/CBL plugs under 'Audio' would fix that...
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:12 AM on June 14

Effigy2000: "Hmmmm... I wonder if plugging some audio cables into the DTV/CBL plugs under 'Audio' would fix that..."

Indeed it would, me! Super Mario Galaxy sounds fucking awesome in surround sound!

I suspect that I can solve the no-sound-on-the-PS3 issue in much the same way, but I'll need to buy a AV Multi connector to do it. That'll be something for tomorrow. Christ, who would have thought setting up a 5.1 surround sound system would have been so much freaking work?
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:51 AM on June 14

Why not run all sound into the tv first? Send the PS3 into the tv via HDMI. Send the wii into the tv via component for video and RCA for audio. Then run an optical audio cable out from the tv into the receiver. You'll get the 5.1 audio with the added benefit of easier source switching: the receiver can stay set to one input (for example, "video"), and it'll play whatever is coming out of your TV.
posted by redshifter at 8:12 AM on June 14

Are you trying to route the Wii -> AV Receiver (via component) and going out to the TV via HDMI? Most inexpensive receivers will not convert the Component signal into HDMI out. Which means you'll need another set of component cables going from the Receiver to the TV.
posted by wongcorgi at 12:10 PM on June 14

redshifter: "Why not run all sound into the tv first? Send the PS3 into the tv via HDMI. Send the wii into the tv via component for video and RCA for audio. Then run an optical audio cable out from the tv into the receiver. You'll get the 5.1 audio with the added benefit of easier source switching: the receiver can stay set to one input (for example, "video"), and it'll play whatever is coming out of your TV."

Your suggestion intrigues me. What port would I run this cable out of on the back of my TV?
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:03 PM on June 14

All problems solved. Here's how, just in case anyone else ever buys a 363 Yamaha receiver and finds themselves in the same boat.

PS3 is now connected straight to the TV via HDMI. For some reason I couldn't get sound that way either anymore, but an optical cable from the PS3 into the optical in port on the receiver fixed that.

The Wii is still connected via component cables to the receiver. This is as a result of me being too lazy to change the cords around.

Digital TV runs through the speakers via a digital optical cable into the second digital optical in port on the back of the receiver.

iPod runs through the portable connection at the front of the receiver.

All in all this was a massive pain in the arse to set up but well worth it in the end.
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:39 AM on June 15