A Guide to Hooking Up a Blu-ray Player to Your Home Theater Receiver

Properly connecting a Blu-ray player to your home theater receiver will ensure that you get the best video and audio possible. Depending on your receiver’s capabilities, it may be possible to achieve the highest resolution video – 1080p video and next generation audio – Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio with the right connections. Follow this guide to get the best performance and maximum enjoyment from your home theater system.

Step 1 – Determine the Best Connection Method

Look at the backs of both your Blu-ray player and home theater receiver and check to see which video and audio connection methods are present.   

For video, there are currently four possible cable connection methods. In terms of video quality, the connection methods from best to worst are HDMI, component, S-Video, and composite video cables.

For audio connections, there are four possible audio cable connection methods. In terms of audio quality, the connection methods from highest to lowest are HDMI, optical, coaxial, and RCA – the lone analog audio connection type.

For the highest quality video and audio, HDMI is the way to go. HDMI is an acronym for High Definition Multimedia Interface. HDMI cables allow for a pure digital connection between your Blu-ray player and home theater receiver and are capable of transmitting both a high definition video signal up to 1080p resolution and a digital audio signal with up to 8 audio channels.

As secondary options, component, S-Video, and composite video cables allow for analog video connection and will require separate cables for the audio signals.  Component cables are capable of transmitting high definition analog video signals up to 1080i while S-Video and composite cables can only transmit standard definition video signals up to 480p.

Step 2 – Make All Connections Safely and Properly

For safety reasons, be sure that your Blu-ray player, home theater receiver and any other components of your home theater system are all turned off and unplugged before you make any connections. The last thing you want to do is inadvertently cause an electrical short and quite possibly damage your home theater equipment.

When finally making the connections, be sure that all cables are inserted into their proper ports. Some cables, such as component cables are color coded so be sure to follow the color coding – red to red, blue to blue, and green to green – otherwise you may get a distorted picture. When making analog audio connections, be sure to connect left to left and right to left. In most cases, analog RCA cables are color coded as well.

Also, be sure that the cables are inserted fully and that they are firmly seated. However, be careful and don’t force anything. The connector on HDMI cables can only go into a port one way. If the cables won’t go in easily, check for obstructions and make sure that you are inserting the cable in right side up. Be careful to not jiggle the connectors too much when plugging them in. Too much jiggling can cause damage and loose connections.

Step 3 – Optimize the Settings

Finally, after you’ve hooked everything up, be sure to optimize the settings on your Blu-ray player, home theater receiver, and HDTV to achieve the best audio and video possible. For example, set the video resolution for all components to the same highest possible setting. Although some newer equipment will automatically sense and adjust settings, you may need to manually make the adjustments. For some components, you will need to make these adjustments using the advanced menu options. If you have them, the owner’s manuals for each of your home theater system’s components will come in handy. If you don’t, you may be able to find them on-line as a PDF.