My main home theatre is located in my basement, with all the equipment centrally located upstairs, driving two theatre rooms. I just bought an RCA DTC100 to connect to my Mitsubishi WT46805. Obviously, I'd love to connect the Toslink output of the DTC100 to my Marantz receiver upstairs, but I'm at a loss on how to do it. Any suggestions?

The second questions is on how to connect my DTC100 to the Mitsu. The TV has a "Control" input, for use wih the old Mitsubishi HD receiver. Can this be used with the RCA DTC100? Will a standard VGA cable do it? Will the RCA then "take control" of switching the TV channels like the old Mitsu receiver does? Questions, questions, questions. TIA.

How do you get the VGA down there? Seems like that cable would cost A LOT....

Here's my options as I see them:

Option 1- DTC100 upstairs in the equipment rack, connected to the Marantz amp for audio via Toslink. Run a cable to the Mitsubishi dowstairs.

Option 2- DTC100 downstairs with the Mitsubishi, connected directly to the TV via VGA to 5 RCA breakout cable. The problem is how to get the AC3 audio up to the receiver upstairs.

Option 3- Move the Marantz receiver and DVD downstairs as well with the DTC100 and Mitsubishi. The problem is that I'd have to re-run speaker wires through the walls again for the main theatre, and it defeats the whole idea of centrally located equipment.

Option 4- (In a perfect world)Find some way of getting AC3 to the Marantz receiver upstairs. Is there a Toslink to RF converter out there somewhere?

I pick option 1. Isn't that the point of the central cabinet?

Also, for option 4: yes, there are converters. Try www.jandr.com. Toslink/plastic optical is really only designed to go 35' or something like that. I think there are also toslink amps for long runs, but the coax would be better, esp if you have a spare coax input on your Marantz.

I should point out that I'm talking about toslink to digital coax converters, there's no reason to get into RF. A standard coax cable for sat can be used with RCA connectors instead of F-type.

Thanks for all the help everyone. I've decided to keep the Mitsu and DTC100 together, and running one strand of RG6 upstairs, with Toslink to coax converters connecting it to the Marantz. This is easier and cheaper that running 5 lines of coax for going VGA to BNC between rooms, and in existing walls it's going to be a bear anyway. One strand is enough. I'll be sure to pull 2 pair of CAT5 at the same time for future proofing.

BTW, my wife thinks I'm whacked out of my gourd. There's a bundle of cables as thick as my skull running through a corner the garage now. Wait until she sees me pulling more through!

Thanks again!

Patrick Fern

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