Hooking up a Blu-Ray Disc Player (or a PS3)
You have found the best resource on the internet for all your How-To-Hook-Up needs. In this How-To, I'll show you the best (and worst) ways to hook up your Blu-Ray Player. If you have a PS3, we're going by the same
rules, so don't worry about it when I refer to it as a "Blu-Ray Player."
First things first: This How-To is for connecting a Blu-ray player or PS3 to a TV. This won't help you connecting surround sound, a DVD player, another console, or anything else together. For stuff like that, check out
How to Hook up Home Theater Receivers.
The Basic Outputs of a Blu-Ray Player or PS3
There's two cables you should be most interested in when connecting a PS3 or a Blu-Ray Player:
If you're upgrading from a DVD player, you may already have the proper connections. But that's if you're using a more recent DVD player that uses HDMI. You can use a Blu-Ray player with HDMI or component cables,
but you really want to use HDMI (more on that later). Keep in mind, however, that a PS3 must use HDMI as it does not have component video.
If you were connecting your DVD player using something like this:
...Than you were getting the lowest quality DVD output available; composite video. That's what the yellow plug is for. Its usually accompanied by a red and white cable
of the same nature (all three are composite and you could even use the composite audio cables for video and vice versa). Composite is one of the oldest and lowest
quality connections in the realm of home theater. You can't use this connection for your Blu-Ray player! It is strictly analog. Most players won't even have this connection on them aside from the red and white audio connectors (which is still just analog, stereo audio).
Almost all DVD players nowadays have component video:
Component video is a fantastic connection for any DVD player, but no so much for a PS3 or Blu-Ray player because it is analog
It is capable of up to 1080p resolution, which means it can actually handle high definition content. But unlike an all-digital HDMI
connection, it can't transmit audio through the same cable (not to mention, its 3 cables for video with component, meaning you still need another cable for audio).
If you choose to use component video (which is just OK for a Blu-Ray player; PS3 doesn't have component on it) you still need to plug something in for audio.
There are three component video cables, but they are just that - video, not audio. Most likely, you will use the red and white composite connections for audio at a bare minimum.
The only other choice would be a digital connection, like fiber optic
or digital coaxial, but don't worry about that just yet. We'll get to that on the next page of this How-To.
Most TVs will have either component or HDMI connections, if not both (and multiple inputs for each).
Remember that if you use an HDMI cable, you don't have to connect another cable for audio; you're already transmitting full 1080p video and up to 7.1 digital surround
sound through the HDMI!
Continue reading below to find out more about connecting your Blu-Ray Player or PS3 using an HDMI connection and fiber optic or digital coaxial audio connections!
>>Next: HDMI and Digital Audio Connections on a Blu-Ray Player (2)
More Home Theater How-To Articles!
- How to Hook up Surround Sound
- Hook up a Receiver
- Running Speaker Wire
- Home Theater in a Box
Check our our Home Theater Glossary to lookup some of the words you haven't seen before or don't fully understand. Its a great way to familiarize yourself with home theater connections and will help you make better buying and configuring decisions.
>>Glossary
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