I have just lost audio and want to reconnect whole system.  I have the following components:

Sony HD TV w/HDMI

DishNetwork VIP622DVR

Pioneer VSX-917V Receiver

Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blue Ray player

Yamaha NS-AP200X with CLS-200 Subwoofer

I would think this would be pretty straightforward but I have no sound now.

I have 3 HDMI cables and 2 Optic cables.

How do I connect my sky+ satellite receiver to my Home Cinema System & TV using: (i) HDMI cable.        (ii) Optical Audio cable?

Hello:

I have an Android phone.

We are building a new home.

I am looking for Home Automation ideas.

Exterity

Exterity IPTV system.

Dose anyone know if you could run a IPTV system at home?

I would be grateful if you could let me know.

Crazy setup including home automation with sensors and audio distribution. Up to 2000W per channel. Also, a lightning truss …cause why not?

More details at Home Theater Design

1. Money. Starting at $499 and up to $830, the iPad is not cheap and the price doesn’t include a $30/month internet service. Getting people to pay for extra internet service with the iPhone was hard enough, but Apple and ATT&T was smart enough to bundle phone service and internet service into one package. The iPad does not have that luxury. Is Apple really expecting millions of people to pay for a $30/month home broadband service, a $20/ month mobile phone internet service, and now an additional $30/month iPad internet service.

2. No background apps. With a tablet like device, people are going to expect to be able to listen to Pandora, check email, and surf the web at the same time. They will be greatly disappointed with the iPad as it can only run one program at once.

3. Typing on the touch screen sucks. We thought the iPad would innovate here, but its keyboard interface is nothing but a bigger version of the iPhone’s keypad.

4. No front side camera, USB ports, memory card slot, or HDMI output. These are basics on the smart phones and net books, so why are they missing from the iPad? The same backlash the HTC xxx got with the 2.5mm headphone size is about to hit Apple. Apple wants its customers to pay for a $30 adaptor so they can plug in an external hard drive. Talk about milking your customers.

5. AT&T. The bogged down network is about get sloooweeeeer.

I’ve always had trouble saying “no” to the crazy discounts on HTPC parts during the Christmas holidays. This past Christmas was no different, but I did try to resist buying high end products. Instead I went for year old hardware, which there was some real good deals at Newegg and Tiger Direct.

Here are the parts I used to update my HTPC:
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300processor
• GIGABYTE GA-X48-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
• OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR2 1066
• Seagate Barracuda 1.5 TB hard drives (x2)
• Logitech MK700 keyboard and mouse
• SeaSonic S12D 850 Silver 850W power supply
• Galaxy GTS 250 video card
• Windows 7

The only parts I kept from the previous HTPC are the case and blu-ray ROM. I didn’t have any problems installing the hardware. The SeaSonic fan is super quite and the quad core processor makes the computer noticeably faster.

On the software side, I did have problems trying to install Window’s 7 64 bit. After a day and a half, I gave up and went to the professional 32 bit version of Windows 7. The 64 bit version kept getting stuck in the beginning with an unspecified driver issue.

Windows 7 so far has worked out great as an HTPC operating System. I’ve had no HDMI sync issues, blu-rays play great, and streaming media is easier. So far, so good.

I started upgrading my HTPC over the holidays and was unsure if I should change the operating system from XP to Windows 7. I was worried about HDMI sync issues or any other driver issues Microsoft didn’t resolve. However, I’ve been using Windows 7 on my laptop now for the past 3 months and grown to like it. It’s not as revolutionary as some of the reviewers made it out to be when it came out in October, but it’s a solid operating system.

Every time I use an XP machine, I can’t help missing the Windows 7 taskbar at the bottom and how much easier it’s to use. Networking is also easier with the new Homegroup feature. Just add the Homegroup password to any new Windows 7 computer you want to have access, and you’re good to go. Although, I found it annoying that non Windows 7 computers need to have a user account with a non-blank password to share data with Windows 7 PCs. On my HTPC, the blank password was an issue as I don’t want to enter a password to start up my HTPC.

Another new feature I like in Windows 7 is the use of “libraries.” I keep most of my data on the HTPC, so it’s useful to go to the documents library and see my HTPC documents and my local computer’s documents all in one place. The same goes for movies, pictures, and especially music.

In the end, I decided to add Windows 7 to my HTPC. The new taskbar, homegroup feature, and libraries convinced me along with the fact that Windows 7 is better protected against viruses/malware. After a week of use, my HTPC has no issues. Blu-rays still play great with TMT movie player and streaming music is easier with the new version of media player.

So, would I recommend Windows 7 over XP or Vista on a HTPC or a regular PC? I think the fact that I now have Windows 7 on my HTPC, office computer and two laptops answers that question.