Hello, I'm severely disabled, single father of an Autistic adult son and must sit in my lift chair for most of my life, and have dreamed about watching, listening and controlling my media on a HdTv. I am trapped in my chair, so dream I do. I have gone and purchased a Samsung 32 Lcd HdTv to get the hi-def channels, bought the Shaw Motorola 160 g HdV-rec and for wonderful sound I purchased a Yamaha Htr 6030 5.1 - Av receiver, with only two(2) Energy C200 Speakers for a purist type of stereo sound.
I purchased an XBox 360, an Ipod 80g with its composite, component cables, a Zune 120g and its dock with its composite, component cables and a Western Digital USB Hd Tv Media player (so I can play whatever is on any of its 2 Usb openings for devices like ipods, Zunes, flash drives, portable drives, etc.

But, I am at nothing but nerves right now because I bought the Hdtv so my son and I could watch movies clearly, so I had to buy the motorola Hd video recorder to watch stuff since plain cable sucks. I had gotten the XBox360 free with the Tv, I also bought a Yamaha 5.1 Home Theatre Stereo Receiver for nice sound on my new Energy C200 Speakers. The sound from the Tv & XBox360 is on the TV speakers, fine? Although I wish it was going through the receivers speakers instead. The upsetting problems started when I purchased my son the iPod so in the day he would listen through his headphones and at night when he was asleep I would use his iPod to rest to the music through the receivers speakers, but the composite, nor the component nor the Yamaha Docks would display on my TV, so you can't see it on the Tv to choose what to play, no matter what the input source shows you selected. I decided to purchase a Zune for myself and same dock/cables wouldn't show up on the TV, I was so angry and exhausted because I am alone with no one to physically help me and I am severely hunch over and only by great effort I switch cables. I decided to purchase a Western Digital USB Hi-def media player that states it could connect 2 portable flash or hard drives to your HdTV or two ipods to your TV or your Zune and an harddrive(external) and play on your TV at the same time while your sound goes through your receivers speakers, you think I could figure it out, so I could listen to my mp3's, video's and pics by remote from the comfort of my wheelchair. Ya right!
Most of my items are connected TV to receiver by hdmi cable, and the Hi-def digital recorder to the receiver by hdmi cable and the XBox360 just by composite cable to Tv and the Western Digital Hd Medta Player to the receivers hdmi out by hdmi cable, and also this has the only toslink cable from the media player to one of the receivers toslink slots because it is sound from the media player I want the most, my portable usb 400g western dig hard drive where all my mp3, video and pic files are now connected to this media player.
I am getting the interface from this on the TV, but only TV speaker sound and I want receiver speakers sound. When I switch the receiver remote to sat Dtv/cbl I get sound, but no interface to see what your picking as the TV screen is blank, but when switching through the different source screens on the TV, nothing. I am spent trying because the TV plays mp3's, video, pics on the TV, but only when you push the Dvd button, but no sound to the receivers speakers. I bought the iPod, the Zune and the western digital usb hd media player for nothing and I have tried all I can figure, still no picture of the iPod library on the TV playing a song through the receivers speakers, nor the Zune, nor the western dig media player, when you push the Dtv/cbl button you get sound no picture and when you push the Dvd button you get picture, but no sound.
I have braodband internet and Belkin N router if this will help.
I could just smash it all and just settle for basic cable and that's it, besides why would I want to use a remote and have my favorite songs playing on two speakers and click from my wheelchair, to think I wanted it on a bedroom lcd TV on day or even switching to my son's room whatever we want or even my surfing shared from my laptop to my TV so my son could watch instead of crowding around on this laptop. I mean the western Dig usb hd media player was the last straw. I'm just in tears over this and I can't take it back, not to each store by cab, that's it, I can't afford it. Who wants this stuff? Should I unplug everything and just start over even if it takes days because everything is set into a large, heavy wall unit about 7' tall and very wide, dangerous for me to get in behind? Or just give up because tech is just not that far as we think it is> I must be doing some great error somewhere. If anyone can coach us step by step I would be forever in your debt.

Someone please help, you people are so smart here, there just has to be a way to do it proper and have all sound right at least the digital music come through the receivers speakers and maybe the TV, hd video recorder, Xbox360, vcr and this usb hd TV media player all going through my Av receivers speakers.

I have four 6' hdmi cables, one 6' toslink, one 16' hdmi to dvi cable. Many composit and component cables.

My name is Sal. Thank you
Sincerely, so upset, Sal and Sal(Son)

1. Samsung 32 LCD HDTV
2. Shaw Motorola 160 g HD-DVR
3. Yamaha Htr 6030 5.1 - AV receiver, with two Energy C200 Speakers
4. XBox 360
5. Ipod 80g
6. Zune 120g and dock
7. Western Digital USB HDTV Media player
8. Broadband internet and Belkin N router

Someone please help. There just has to be a way to do it proper and have all sound right at least the digital music come through the receivers speakers and maybe the TV, HD-VDR, Xbox360, VCR and this USB HDTV media player all going through my AV reciever's speakers.

I have four 6' HDMI cables, one 6' Toslink, one 16' HDMI to DVI cable. Many composite and component cables.



Your system is so complicated and your message is so full of information that is irrelevant to getting them to work together that it's almost impossible to read. I distilled it down to the component parts.

I get the idea that something isn't working, but quite honestly I don't know exactly what. You're going to have to give us more information about exactly what's connected to what and how. Tell us what connectors are on the back of each piece of equipment. In other words, something like this:

1. Samsung 32 LCD HDTV - 2 HDMI, 2 composite video, 2 component video, one VGA
2. etc.

Tell us how you have it connected so far and we may be able to suggest some alternatives. I suspect that your system simply doesn't have the right connections for what you want to do. You can't always have everything.

[QUOTE=Perito;1744059]Your system is so complicated and your message is so full of information that is irrelevant to getting them to work together that it's almost impossible to read. I distilled it down to the component parts.

I get the idea that something isn't working, but quite honestly I don't know exactly what. You're going to have to give us more information about exactly what's connected to what and how. Tell us what connectors are on the back of each piece of equipment. In other words, something like this: Sal writes revised...

1. Samsung LN-S3292D/LN - 32" LCD HDTV - 1 HDMI/DVI IN, 2/DVI IN(audio L/R), 1 AV IN, 1 component vid in, one VGA, 1 optical

2. Shaw Motorola DCT341 - 160 g HD-DVR - 1 HDMI, 1 composite video, 2 component video

3. Yamaha HTR 6030 5.1 - AV receiver 3 HDMI,(OUT, DVD, DTV/CBL) component video(DVD, DTV/CBL, DVR, MONITOR OUT), digital input - Ipod dock, optical CD, DTV/CBL. With two Energy C200 Speakers connected via Toslink digital optical to the DTV/CBL jack.

4. GE VG4272 VCR Plus+ VHS TAPE PLAYER - coaxial cable input, output, 1 composite in, 1 out.

5. XBox 360 - 1 component, 1 composite set cables.
6. Ipod 80g - 1 component, 1 composite set cables.
7. Zune 120g - 1 dock, 1 component, 1 composite set cables.

8. Western Digital USB HDTV Media player - 1 HDMI, 1 component, 1 digital optical audio, 2 USB PORTS.

9. Broadband internet and Belkin N router

Everything stands connected now as... coaxial cable from the wall to the DVR's cable in then from the DVR's RF CABLE OUT to the VHS PLAYERS CABLE IN then from the VHS CABLE OUT to the TV'S CABLE IN(2) the rest is as explained below...

1. TV's HDMI/DVI IN to AV Receiver's HDMI OUT using an HDMI CABLE
2. DVR's HDMI TO AV Receiver's DTV/CBL using an HDMI CABLE
3. XBOX 360'S component to TV's component input jacks using COMPONENT CABLE
4. Western Digital USB HDTV Media player's HDMI to the AV Receivers HDMI's DVD jack using an HDMI CABLE and its OPTICAL AUDIO is into the receiver's DTV/CBL jack using an OPTICAL AUDIO CABLE(this unit has a 250 g portable hard drive which houses digital content like my mp3, video, and pics connected via usb).

As it is now, no digital content from the media player can be seen and heard(together/proper)on the TV if I want the sound coming from the AV receiver's speakers. I can see the media players OS and hear my choice selections, but only on the TV's speakers(however, I can hear my choice selection on the receivers speakers only when I click the AV's remote control button DTV/CBL, but when I do this I lose the media players OS on the TV, so you are trying to select content blind(black screen).

All these items where purchased or are gifts in the last 2 years. I thought it would be important to explain my disabilities since moving even one cable might involve my asking a friend, delivery person or painful hours trying to pull and insert a single cable myself. I made it sound complicated and for that I am sorry, if everyone would ignore the previous mess.

I want to play digital content on my HD TV, that is where the Ipod, then the Zune and now the Media player have come to be, but I am unable to figure out why. This is not impossible, it is what many people do, gosh! Its on the box of the Ipod, Zune and the Media player, its on the TV'S manual, the AV'S manual and calling tech numbers is shear hell because I can't just walk up and switch, pull or move a cable without them hanging up. I purchased a Media Center laptop because I thought this would give me my digital media on an AV receivers speakers like a home theater is supposed to, (I could have avoided all this expense if I could have done just that)but that is another time.

If anyone can help with an explanation, I would seriously endeavor the journey.
I appreciate any help regardless of the outcome.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely Sal

I have to distill this down to something I can understand.

The basic problem is that the Media Player, which is connected to the AV Receiver via an HDMI connection, won't play either audio or video on the HDTV, when you have selected the receiver's speakers to receive the sound. Is this correct?

I have to distill this down to something I can understand.

The basic problem is that the Media Player, which is connected to the AV Receiver via an HDMI connection, won't play either audio or video on the HDTV, when you have selected the receiver's speakers to receive the sound. Is this correct?

Not exactly as you say it. I can get video(no sound), pics, + the Media centers operating system (its interface), but the only sound with that is from the HDTV speakers. If the sound came through the AV speakers I would be getting it all. I can however, get the sound from the AV speakers, but to get that I have to switch the AV's remote button labeled DTV/CBL and when I do that the video, pics, + the Media centers operating system (its interface, its visual interaction display on the HDTV), goes blank, it acts like the worlds most expensive shuffle player by Apple (you pick your songs with no screen).

Now, to get the screen back I can click CD, DVD, MD/CD-R to ee any video, pics or scroll thew the mp3 selections on the HDTV, but doing that I have to settle for the HDTV'S speakers.

I don't understand, its all low - medium end newer units, it's a Home theatre receicer, it should easily do this with the Ipod, using its built in dock jack or by composit and/or component cables as should the Zune, and this darn laptops Media Center. So after each one failed to go through the AV's speakers I got the USB HD MEDIA PLAYER which I thought would do what each of the others are supposed to do. I should mention that the AV receivers speakers sound incredible when you use its radio, but I don't care for radio, I just want what I pick. This should be the most basic, simple things you get an HDTV, a home theatre receiver, some speakers and listen to your Ipod or your Zune or your Laptops digital media from the comfort of your living room (note that if I hook the Toslink cable to the HDTV or the HDVRECORDER I get AV receivers speakers sound just great)but not if anything else is hooked up.

Thank you

I can get video(no sound), pics, + the Media centers operating system (its interface), but the only sound with that is from the HDTV speakers. If the sound came through the AV speakers I would be getting it all. I can however, get the sound from the AV speakers, but to get that I have to switch the AV's remote button labeled DTV/CBL and when I do that the video, pics, + the Media centers operating system (its interface, its visual interaction display on the HDTV), goes blank, it acts like the worlds most expensive shuffle player by Apple (you pick your songs with no screen).

Now, to get the screen back I can click CD, DVD, MD/CD-R to ee any video, pics or scroll thew the mp3 selections on the HDTV, but doing that I have to settle for the HDTV'S speakers.


I looked up the Yamaha HTR-6030 5.1. It sounds like it's simply not capable of doing what you want to do. The sound is obviously being routed directly to your HDTV in the mode you mentioned and there appears to be no option to route it differently.

To me (and to you), it seems like it's definitely a design flaw -- either that or your system is malfunctioning. If you can send it back, it's probably the best thing to do.

[QUOTE=Perito;1749980]I looked up the Yamaha HTR-6030 5.1. It sounds like it's simply not capable of doing what you want to do. The sound is obviously being routed directly to your HDTV in the mode you mentioned and there appears to be no option to route it differently.

To me (and to you), it seems like it's definitely a design flaw -- either that or your system is malfunctioning. If you can send it back, it's probably the best thing to do.[/QUOTE


I am not sure sending it back before I know it is broken (since it is a taxi ride there and back), plus expenses of packaging/shipping only to be told there is nothing wrong. This will amount to half the cost of a new one, or new route learned again.

THANK YOU for helping me write these inquiries properly. I have read, reread the manuals and phoned Yamaha tech, rephoned tech agents of every unit I own. The units are designed for the simple 5.1 home theatre layout I am trying to achieve, and the set up I am trying to fix here will be corrected in the right hands because I am only asking for what is written on the box. It is a 5.1 stereo, home theatre system that is Ipod ready, XM radio ready and Media Cntre Win Vista capable

I am certain, now that I have correctly worded a format good enough for these types of forums, someone will see the mistake(s) I have made, and hopefully before I pull it all apart and start over again.

Once again thank you for your help..