So I've just inherited a 15 year old (approximately) brand new Sony STR-K785 "Digital audio/video control centre" which has no HDMI inputs or outputs. Conveniently it also come with no other cables.
Is there a way to hook this up to my PS3 and other HDMI devices as well as my tv such as cheap adaptors or have I got a rather antiquated paperweight?
Images are as follows
Front of unit: https://whybuynew.2dimg.com/10/1445340628_6502.jpg
I didn't know about the optical inputs before so I ordered a few off of eBay and I'll see if I can get it all working
IMHO only good for use as an AMP. You can get video to/from HDMI converters, but they will cost you. IMHO you are better buying a cheap AV receiver like the following:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/pioneer-vsx-531-5-1-channel-blue…
If you have an outdoor area get some speakers (gumtree etc) and set it up for outdoor music.
You're probably right. I'll give it a try and if not I'll relegate the system to a spare bedroom or some other menial task
This would probably still be OK for a rec room, but it will probably give you unnecessary headaches and expense as a main system.
The unit predominantly uses standard composite video (also known as CVBS) and stereo audio as its inputs and outputs. This is about as basic as it gets, and the quality is pretty ordinary these days. The best the unit has is component video out and 2 component video in, along with optical audio. Component was the very best analogue system before we went to HDMI, and most people would be hard pressed to see the difference. It is also known as YPbPr.
I'd start with your TV, and check if it has component inputs (there will be three red/green/blue RCA sockets grouped together). If the TV is a few years old there is a good chance it has them, otherwise you may need to do some conversion, at some expense.
To hook up a PS3,you will need a cable similar to https://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/playstation-2-3-compone… Then it is just a software change in the PS3 menu. For better audio you can hook up a fibre optic cable (TOSLINK) https://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/2m-mini-toslink-35mm-op… instead of the stereo RCA pair.
What other devices do you intend to hook up to the unit?
For HDMI to component/composite converters, there are some cheap ones on eBay that do an OK job, e.g. component or composite. Be aware that they run one-way, i.e. converts HDMI to a composite signal, they can't be used in reverse. If you want to run the other way you need to search for a different adaptor that does composite to HDMI. I was pretty sure they made a component version of the second one, but I can't find it. Be aware you might need to mess around with power supplies (the second one runs off USB) and you will probably require some extra RCA cables.
Ok I've ordered the cable for the PS3 you recommended and I've ordered some optical cables.
I'll also experiment with getting the HDMI cable you recommended after I receive these ones
The devices I'll be hooking up will be the PS3, a Foxtel box and an older VHS player from time to time in addition to the tv.
This is my first home entertainment system so it's all a bit new to me
The VHS player and I assume the Foxtel box will have a yellow composite video output as a bare minimum, which you can feed to the amp for switching and playing audio through the speakers. The challenge is to use the best connection system available. The yellow terminals will work to carry a video signal, but will be very soft and blurry compared to anything modern like HDMI. It is 99% likely that the VHS only has the yellow composite outputs only, in rare cases it might be a S-VHS player, but those were comparatively rare. Really the only thing you have to worry about (aside from what inputs you have on the back of your TV) is getting a signal from the Foxtel box. You might be happy enough with standard composite signals (seeing as the stream is usually highly compressed anyway) but the challenge would be to take the best output it has (I assume HDMI) and convert that into the best input your amp has (1 YPbPr component input left), so you would need a converter box "HDMI to component". To avoid expense, for the sake of a single RCA cable,try living with joining just the yellow connectors initially. If it's not good enough you can get better quality with a component converter later on.
If you have to muck around with feeding a HDMI TV, be aware that you are only up-converting for connector convenience. You will be converting an inferior signal up to HDMI, but it will not give you the quality you expect from HDMI. Again, most TVs will include a yellow composite video input terminal as a minimum. In your case, the best you can hope for is a direct component connection to component inputs on the back of the TV. This will require a red-green-blue RCA triple cable, plus an RCA stereo pair for the audio (or replace that with an optical connection).
My set up is probably older.
I simply use RCA plugs like these ($6.95) and plug from output of TV to input of Amp. I connect the PS3 & Foxtel Box (as well as PC) via HDMI to TV.
You might need to change audio output settings of PS3.
So you're saying you don't run the PS3 and Foxtel box through the amp and connect them directly to the tv?
Yes. The PS3 and Foxtel box connect via HDMI to TV. The audio signal runs to amp via RCA cables. As for VHS player that can be connected via RCA cables to TV. So check your TV for input/output.
I'm wondering how you got on with your set up?
I know it's slow but I ordered a bunch of RCA cables and optical cables and then needed the speaker cables for another project so I need to grab some more of those now (thought I had some laying around but you know how that goes)
FYI I have a very similar setup with an old amp/receiver (also a Sony and approx same age as yours) and speakers connected to an LG CX tv. The way I did it was connecting all the devices like PS4, Apple TV, etc via HDMI directly to the TV, then connect the optical out in the TV to the optical in on the amp. I only have a stereo audio setup with bookshelf speakers, but the sound is way better than what you get just using the TV’s speakers. The only thing that confused me looking at the inputs on your amp is that the optical connections on your amp say it’s for video (not audio), so not sure if it will work the same.
I didn't realise it could be done that way.. I'll have a play around once I get some speaker cables
Looks like it has some optical inputs which most TV's and the PS3 have an output for.
JBHifi even sells reasonably priced cables for that.
So optical from TV into Video 1, PS3 into Video 2 (top left corner on the back of the receiver under Digital) and you should be good to go.