Please Stand By

So, in the new house, I’ve been busy as a beaver in setting up the audio/video components around the house.  Verizon FIOS was available and so, on move-in day, that was set up, complete with 3 boxes and coax pulled throughout the house.  What’s nice about that is that, immediately, we’ve got both TV and wireless access…an essential to any parent of small children. 

However, it seems that my 10 year old TV didn’t make the trip.  From the time it was ‘packed’ and stored in mid-July, to when it was unpacked 2 weeks ago, it got a bit rattled in the transfer, and the incomplete picture it was showing was certainly due to damage it must have sustained during the move.  The only observation I can make about this is that, the $1,300 Samsung 32” LCD TV I bought in 2005 at B&H Photo in Manhattan was easily replaced by a $360 (after some bargaining at SEARS) Samsung 40” LCD TV.  Winner winner chicken dinner.

So, with TV in place, I was able to hook up the old hi-fi (SONY 5.1 surround sound with zero HDMI inputs) with the new TV using outdated component (i.e. red, green, blue RCA style) cables.  Outdated only because most Hi-Def equipment these days use the single HDMI cable for transmission of both audio and video signal.  What to do?  Well, luckily, both DVD player (yes, we don’t have blu ray yet) and the Verizon box had optical cable outputs…and the receiver had the corresponding inputs.  Again, FTW!

However, we also own an Apple TV.  Again, another device needing audio video support.  It too had both HDMI and optical audio outputs.  However, I’ve run out of inputs on the receiver.  OH NO! (#1stworldproblems)  So, sacrifices needed to be made.  I bought an optical TOSLINK (technical name for the optical cable) to RCA jack converter.  What’s an RCA jack?  These are those traditional red/white, left/right audio cables that used to connect your VCR to the TV instead of using coax.  They can’t transmit surround sound, but here’s the compromise: the converter cost all of $10 while a new (and competent) receiver would be somewhere near the $200 mark.  While that’s not a ton…we’ve had our share of expenses in this new house, and I’ll have to save that purchase or request for when my birthday/holidays roll around and someone actually reviews my Amazon wishlist.  All in good time. 

Tried it out last night, and my Logitech Harmony 650 universal remote was able to add the Apple TV and control it just fine.  Kids were able to stream Brave from my computer direct to the TV in 720p (I have the 2^nd Gen Apple TV…3^rd does true 1080p), and with decent (not exceptional) stereo plus subwoofer sound.  Problem (essentially) solved.  What’s better is that I was able to tell the wife that I was spending $10 instead of $200 on new toys for me…which elicits the “whatever” response instead of the “are you crazy?” one.  Again, winner winner, chicken dinner.