Background video - listen/watch different sources

I didnt realize some now dont allow you to select cetain video and certain audio modes in any manner you wish. Chaulk up another step backwards thanks to HDMI.

I use separates and have never owned a HT Receiver, although I have hooked up an older ht receiver for a friend's ht system. But, unless I'm missing something, the answer seems obvious to me. Gtjdorris wants to watch tv while listening to music. Wouldn't this be accomplished simply by using the tv as the video switching device and the receiver as the audio switching device?
To accomplish this, assuming he is going to bypass the tv's speakers by setting them to the 'off' setting on the tv, he should do the following:

1. Run an HDMI cable from his satellite box to his tv for the video signal. He should also connect any other video sources, like a dvd player etc., to the tv. Do not connect any video signals to the ht receiver.

2. Run rca cables from his satellite box (audio out left and right) to whatever audio input on his ht receiver he chooses to use for tv sound. He should also connect all other audio signals, like tt, cd player, computer, dac etc., to the ht receiver.

Once setup this way, Rtjdorris should have complete control over what he's viewing via the tv controls and what he's listening to via the ht receiver controls. Any decent ht receiver, including the Yamahas, should work for this. I think users become a bit confused because many of the newer ht receivers have HMDI connections for audio/video inputs as well as the regular rca audio inputs.

Using the ht receiver as a video switching device, while it may increase ease of use in general, will also cause degradation of the video signal. I think my description of a solution above is just a simplified version of what Chadnliz and others have already posted. The only negative of this setup is training others on how to synch the audio with the video. Hope this helps.

Actually, I think Yamaha has dropped this capability in some of its later receivers.

You should be able to connect component video directly from the cable box to the TV for just watching the picture and coonect HDMI from the cable box to your receiver for general use. Then just select the video input you want on the TV. When you want to watch football, just select the component output on the TV and use the receiver to play whatever music you want. When you want to watch general TV or any other source from the receiver, select HDMI on the TV. You may have to push a few buttons on the remotes to select the right picture, but it is pretty easy to do. I am assuming your cable box can output both HDMI and component. Most do.

I think a neat solution might be to introduce a DVDO Edge into your system. Take the HDMI out for your TV source to the Edge, where you split off video and send that via HDMI directly to your display; the audio goes via HDMI to your processor. By selecting the audio input at your processor, you can decide what audio accompanies the video.

In my application, video goes directly to a projector, audio to an audio-only processor. What you see and hear is entirely up to you. And the Edge can do wonderful video processing.

db

Just to clarify, Yamaha used to have a specific setup that allowed you to watch video from one input and listen to music from a separate input without a separate video connection from the source to the TV. It all went through the receiver. They have dropped this function on newer models. You now need to have a separate connection between video source (cable box) and TV to do this.