Can anyone offer any suggestions;

The challenge is that I want the capability of using
a plasma displays own speakers for the client to use without having to watch the news in surround sound!

I will install a Denon AVR985 for component video switching and 5.1 surround.
The video sources will be
1- Denon 2200 DVD
2-Comcast Digital Cable box(scientific atlanta 3250hd).

I have run 1 set of component cable, 1 set of s-video
1 extra 75ohm coax and a pair for analog audio to the
monitor location 35' away.
The walls are now sheetrocked.

Off this system I am also feeding distributed audio via A-bus from the pre-amp zone 2 outs on the AVR985.

I cannot get hold of Denon phone tech help and my distributor tech and I have not come up with solution.

I am told that if I feed the TV monitor(maybe Panasonic th50ph25u) with the pre amp out, that this would mute along with the zone 1 line level mute thus muting both....N/G.

I wonder if I could at least run the analog audio out of the cable box with rca y connections thus feeding both the avr985 and the monitor and then coose to mute the monitor or avr985.

Thanks

Not sure I understand your dilemma. How about feeding the plasma with the analog audio from the converter and feed the receiver with the digital audio. It has worked for me. Is that what your after???

Thanks for the reply oex.....sorry i was not clear..basically what i need is a way for the client to just use his monitor's speakers and not the surrounds....for news and basic tv programs.....don't need or want surround for hdtv....

i suppose i could try your suggestion....run the analog audio i have pre-wired from the monitor to the cable box...but also from the cable box run digital audio to the avr 985 receiver and from there to surrounds..that way i could mute the surrounds while still passing component video thru avr985 to monitor
and be passing audio from cable box to monitor's speakers.

thankx

Um... What Plasma? Did I miss that????????

A Lot of the Plasmas I use thathave built in speakers also have built in Cable Tuners (Viewsonic, Sony).

If the speaker use is just for basic cable stuff, why not just use the internal cable tuner andyour done.........

That is another thing.....yes we may be leaning toward the panasonic th50px25u is does have the cable tuner and the CableCard slot....but i still have to go thru the avr985 for surround sound of cable source if they want it.
I am ignorant of the CableCard.....have not had practical exerience with it yet...by the way was'nt it this week that the fed said cable companies had to make the cable cars avaiable to all askers??
thanks for reply

Leave the Cable box in the Rack with the Equipment. When they want to watch Cable through the speakers, all they grab is the Panny remote and flip to Cable Input.

When using Surround, they grab the Universal and use the Cable box through the 985, with the TV on Componet (or DVI if your CB supports it) input

Why bother not using the surround system...

Your system should be so easy to use that it's harder to use the factory remote, and use the internal speakers. Even if the news is in Mono, the comercials are usually pretty good.

I always use the surround system for EVERYTHING!

also. then only one thing to learn, not 2 ways to do it!!

dependson your remote control realities. If you have a remote such as a Pronto you can create a macro that switches audio modes from surround to stereo ( I would not imagine that hewould object to the two front speakers that are no doubt placedleft and right of the plasma display). additionaly, most recievers have a "7 channel surround" mode that would probably be even more desireable to the client.

I'm not at the job site, but it seems thatyou want to have the av receiver doing the source selecting. You want the cable box to be a source. You want to have the tv speakers play left right audio on occasion. Analog out from the cable box to the television seems like the straightest path. Second choice, tape out from receiver. Either way, increased confusion. How about setting up a macro on the remote for just stereo listening (label it tv only, for example) and switch the surround off?

I just finished a job in a very large room with high ceilings. I ran the tv sound in 7 channel stereo and it worked great. Wasnt annoying at all. I never use the receiver to do video switching unless I am VERY DESPERATE. Sell them a decent remote like the mx-800 and they can have whatever they want. TV and news without any receiver on, just the cable box and plasma. Then when they want more give it to em. I have done jobs where there is a watch the news maco and a watch movies on tv button. It seems that your bound up on the video switching of the receiver

explain to them that that's what they bought a reiever capable of video switching for. it's a good thing

unfortunately - even some cheap stereo receivers now do video switching - but they inject noise and/or degrade signal quality. I ALWAY prefer to take my video signal directly to the moniter. Only my opinion

Impaqt had the idea - just run channel 3 or 4 out of the cable box if the client INSISTS on no surround. For me, all channel stereo with the news is a whole bunch nicer than any tv speakers...

By the way, analog audio to the TV and digital audio to the receiver probably WILL NOT WORK when you want cable music channels to go to your A-bus system. I think you will require an analog in to have an A-bus feed out (also analog).

If I am not mistaken,

I think the cable box - 3250HD - has two sets of analog audio outs along with digital coax.you could send both analog and digital to the receiver and let the unit auto sense the incoming siginal and send it to the A-bus zone.