Any technological types or Comet/Curry's employees out there?
Just bought a new Samsung LED TV so I thought damn the expense and bought a Panasonic 5.1 home cinema as well. Problem is I'm absolutely crap at setting this kind of thing up and totally green when it comes to stuff like HDMI and optical leads etc.
All I want to connect together is my new TV, home cinema, freeview box and Xbox 360 in the most effective way (how many HDMI leads etc). Models and types shown below if it helps.
I have bought an optical thingy lead (£30?!?) upon the salesman's advice to connect the home cinema to the TV, but exactly what other leads do I need and to link what to what?

Obviously I could just read the manuals and try and work it out for myself but a)I'm a bloke and don't do handbooks & b)I can't be arsed!

Please assume I'm a complete dumbass when it comes to this, so please list where everything would have to go including the aerial lead!!

TV: Samsung UE37C5800QFX which has 4x HDMI outlets and 1x optical amongst others!?!
Home cinema: SCPT480EBK which has 1x HDMI outlet and 1x optical and 1x scart.
Freeview recorder: Humax 9150T – no idea about sockets other than scart

Any advice and help greatly received.

Thanks, FJ.

Freeview to TV with SCART, to amp with Optical.

Aeriel > freeview > TV.

360 > HDMI to amp > HDMI to TV.

Getting a Freeview box with HDMI out would make life a lot easier.

Don't buy expensive HDMI leads!

You can get HDMI leads in a poundsaver shop.

I think all sound has to go direct to the 5.1 home cinema if you want it to be in surround sound. The TV will only pass-thru stereo, not 5.1.

hdmi leads off ebay for a £5er max, I got a 10 meter one for my hd projector for £10! and its perfect.

I use a hdmi switch to auto detect source between 360 and pc that was £20

Why do you even need the freeview box? The tv will hve freeview built in so just remove that from the equation!

The tv will hve freeview built in so just remove that from the equation!

But the Freeview box is a recorder too so he will want to keep it.

The problem will be how many audio inputs your 'Panasonic home cinema' can connect up,from memory its usually only the one (AUX), do you need to connect your freeview box? most recent tvs will have freeview built in….so really it'll just be the Xbox 360, the best sound from which will be via a digital (optical or coaxial) connection,maybe reading the manuals will be a good thing, but a dedicated Home cinema amp (so I thought damn the expense ) would be more flexible,albeit you'd need a separate DVD as well.
Here is some more info.

Don't open the optical cable and get a refund £30 is a HUGE rip off! (sorry if that's to late), likewise any HDMI cables return them and buy all off amazon or simular for £1. There's no such thing as a high quality digital cable… well there' is but there's no difference in signal quality.

Your TV will pass out 5.1 audio to the surround sound system so basically you want all devices plugged into your tv and the optical cable from tv to surround sound system. Have all devices plugged into the tv via hdmi if you can, newer xbox's will have this as will hopefully your freeview recorder.

Thank the lord there isn't an STW staffed home cinema/hifi shop!!!

xc-steve, you're an idiot. "There's no such thing as a high quality digital cable… well there' is but there's no difference in signal quality." … OK then. Digital signal doesn't travel at a higher frequency and require greater bandwidth with increases in screen resolution, shielding and screening doesn't need to be perfect to protect signal interference the further the distance and should you have other such things as wire location near power points.

Too many hours spent in training classes with HDMI.

flapjack. where in the world are you?

@jontawn sure…. I'm just working from experience but if your training classes have convinced you that your in need of expensive cables to carry a digital signal then that's fine by me!

Something like HDMI is very different to say, the digital signal used by a CD to DAC or even for 5.1 audio.

Have a read at this http://www.dansdata.com/rcables.htm for an explanation. It's a very different application (hard drive cables) but it explains some of the issues.

My view is that a cable needs to meet the specification set out. A carlos fandango one will make naff all difference, but one that's not up to spec will.

xc-steve – Member

@jontawn sure…. I'm just working from experience but if your training classes have convinced you that your in need of expensive cables to carry a digital signal then that's fine by me!

would imagine it is all to do with resistance but to the untrained/amatuer eyes we may not notice.

screening might not be a big issue in home systems but from experience at work(industrial use)it does.

you know that film stuff used for cable screening/insulation, we make that at my work

xc-steve. perhaps my lambasting and name calling was a little (lot!) uncalled for!

Hope you can accept some humble apologies!

But yes, HDMI is a wholly different issue to something like Cat5, RS285/232. The information that is 'wrapped' around the signal to (try and) ensure material doesn't get copied and the display and source equipment talk to each other, all along with (up to) 9.2 audio, full HD (1080p) red/green/blue horiz and vert synch and a few other bits I have forgot.

A boring subject I know a bit about…

I'll get my coat