...and I know some wise-acre out there is poised to type, "With wires, you idiot." :-)

I have a Pioneer DVL-909 DVD/LD player and a Kenwood VR-407. My question is if I route the digital out on the player to the digital in on the receiver and route the AC-3 out to my RF demodulator, where do I send the demodulater output? This receiver only has one digital input per source, ie. "video 1" has one input, "video 2" has one, etc. and this DVD/LD player winds up with TWO digital outputs.

Any help here would be great.

You're stuck with 2 digital outputs. This is the caveat with a LD player. You can combine them with an external splitter after the demodulator and before the receiver. Otherwise you need 2 inputs dedicated on your receiver.

It may seem strange with that combo machine, but most of us have 2 machines for LD and DVD and have to do it this way anyway.

May I suggest a simple A/V switcher that has RCA-type jacks? Simply connect the digital outs from the combi-player and the demodulator to two video inputs on the switcher, and the video output from the switcher to the receiver's digital input. I'm recommending the video jacks to assure a wide-bandwidth connection; any connection that can handle video can handle digital audio. Radio Shack is one source of such a switcher. You might find one that can be used with your remote.

Larry

Thanks for your two inputs.(ha!) I'll probably go the route Spiky suggested if only because an interconnect solution is easier on my wallet than a switcher solution. (Although that is a great idea, that I hadn't thought of.)

Thanks, folks.

There is a possibility of problems with using a simple Y-cord. It's generally not a good idea to feed a signal into an output, especially when the circuitry of the output being fed has its power on, which would definitely be the case with the demodulator being used, and would be the case when using the digital output with the demodulator still powered up.

There's a reason switchers are out there, otherwise everybody would simply cascade multiple devices into a single input using Y-cords and connectors. Good luck, and let us know how the Spiky-method works.

Larry

Uh, Larry and NJ, I meant an actual switcher, not a Y cable. Apparently I typed the wrong word, sorry. Could've sworn I typed switcher. I agree that a y cable would not be a good idea.

Just remember to mute the audio while you do the switching.

The most convient solution is to search for an RF demod that has switching between AC-3 and PCM. Sony, Pioneer, and Kenwood have made such models. Two inputs, one output.

The JVC JX-100 passive video switcher would work well in the previously suggested scenario.

Another solution is contingent upon your reciever. If it lets you choose video and switch the audio in from other inputs. I'm also presuming you're fresh out of digital inputs. Put an Audio Authority digital switcher on one of your recievers digital inputs, let's say DVD. Then hook up both players into the switcher. Another variation of this would be, if you have an extra video input on your TV. Again using the Audio Authority for the LD player's PCM output, use two different signal paths for LD. AC-3 and 1 of them thru the reciever as usual. Take the other video out into TV directly. Use the AA switcher to do DVD (or whatever, sat.,MD, ect) and LD sound.

The advantage to this approach is you'll have more digital inputs for your reciever, which I think only has 2 or 3 total. One last set of options would be to listen to non-AC-3 material out of the player's analog outputs or ditch AC-3 for the time being in favour of using the player's PCM digital output only. I'm a heavy-duty LD user myself, but as time goes by I care less and less about AC-3 on LDs. Most AC-3 LDs have now been released on DVD with 5.1 flavoured sound, either AC-3 or DTS, or both. PCM music or films with PCM stereo, Pro-Logic, or mono sound grand to my ears! I hope I stirred up some solutions, good luck with it, Rachael!