1. Where can I find a TV Audio signal to connect my HTiB?
- The best source is probably the televisionitself. Many sets now have several different options for supplying theaudio to an external system. You want to look for the stereo audiooutput, which is usually a pair of RCA jacks that are labeled "AudioOut" and are red and white on most Panasonic sets. These jacks willsupply the audio from whatever source is selected on the television.
- If your television does not have anaudio output, you can use the analog audio output from your cablesystem's set-top-box, your satellite receiver, or even from a VCR. Onceagain, you need to look for the stereo audio output, which is usually apair of red and white RCA jacks.
2. How do I set up the HTiB system to use the audio signal?
- To use the audio signal that you've connectedto your system, turn the system ON and use the input selection buttonto select the AUX or TV Audio input. There will be either a small lighton the front panel to indicate which connection is selected, or the‘name' of the connection will appear in the display window. Consultyour Operating Instructions to determine which you should be lookingfor when establishing this setting.
- Once you've selected the correctinput you can turn the volume up on both the TV and on the HTiB system.If you don't hear any audio, turn the volume down and check yourconnections and settings before trying again. Do not turn the volume upto an excessive level, as you could cause damage to either the systemor the speakers.
- Once you can hear the audio signal, balance the TV volume setting with the volume setting on the HTiB system.
3. How can I prevent the TV speakers from interfering with the sound from the HTiB speakers?
- The first and most important step is todetermine whether or not the volume controls on the television set areonly for the television speakers themselves, or if they also controlthe level of the audio line outputs. Depending on the situation, thesteps for preventing the TV speakers from interfering with the soundfrom the HTiB will vary.
- If the television speakers' volumedoes not affect the audio line outputs, it might be easiest to simplymute the television speakers using the mute button on the televisionset itself. On some sets, pressing the mute button causes the word"MUTE" to appear on the screen, which can be rather annoying. If thisis the case with your TV, it's also possible to lower the volume on thetelevision set manually, using the television's remote control.
- If the television speakers' volumecontrol is also the control for the audio line output, it will benecessary to turn off the speakers on the television itself. Consultthe Operating Instructions for the television set to determine how todo this. On most Panasonic television sets, it's possible to turn offthe television speakers through the "Audio Options" in the Menu list.
4. How do I get the surround speakers to work?
First check that the connections are correct in the back (i.e. frontleft connected to front left, front right connected to front right,etc.). Once you've determined that the connections are correct, checkthat the HTiB is set up to play surround sound from the speakers, evenwhen the input is only in stereo. This feature can be accessed throughtwo different methods, as follows:- First, it can be accessed through the SFC(Sound Field Control) button on the remote control for the HTiB. Thisprovides access to several different options. Check the OperatingInstructions for your HTiB for details about each setting, and pick theone that sounds best for you.
- The second way to turn on surroundsound is through the "Surround Music" button, which can be found on allPanasonic HTiBs produced since 2006. This button is located on thefront of the HTiB. Again, check your Operating Instructions for theexact location of this button.
5. My home theater system has surround sound,but there isn't any sound coming from the center or surround speakers.What should I do?
Not all movie soundtracks contain surround sound, so you won't alwayshear sound coming from your surround speakers - even if the soundtrackis encoded in Dolby Digital? or DTS?. To be certain everything isworking correctly, you can put the unit through an audio test using thebuilt-in test tones. If you can hear the test tones through all thespeakers, the speakers are connected correctly.
6. Is it okay to put speakers next to my TV?
All Panasonic home theater systems include magnetically shieldedspeakers, which help prevent the magnets inside the speakers forminterfering with your TV's picture. Feel free to put the center channelspeaker on top of your TV and the left/right speakers close by.
7. Where should I put my surround speakers? What about the subwoofer?
- It's a common misconception that surroundspeakers should be placed behind the listening position. While you canstill get good performance with the speakers behind you, the ideallocation when listening to movie soundtracks is actually to the leftand right sides of your listening position, facing toward you andplaced slightly back toward the rear wall. In general, the best heightis 2 to 3 feet above ear level.
- Panasonic subwoofers are powerfulbut compact, allowing for convenient placement. If you want yoursubwoofer out of sight, place it behind the couch or under an endtable. Your subwoofer will sound different at different positions inyour room; if sound quality is your top priority, you want to put thesubwoofer at the spot in the room where it produces the best bassresponse. Try playing a movie or music with a lot of low bassfrequencies, moving the subwoofer around the room and checking whichposition provides the most powerful bass response. It's easier to havesomeone move the subwoofer around for you while you remain seated inthe listening position.
8. Do all my speakers have to be the same distance away from my listening position?
In a perfect world, all speakers in a surround sound setup would be theexact same distance away from the primary listening position. For mostpeople, such a setup isn't practical. Position the speakers as best youcan, then adjust the speaker distance and sound delay settings in yourreceiver to accommodate the different speaker positions.
9. Can I play music on my home theater system?
If you mean CDs, you certainly can - but it doesn't end there. Our DVDhome theater systems can also play MP3s, CD-R/RW discs, and DVD-Audiodiscs. They even have built-in FM/AM tuners so you can listen to theradio.
10. How can I get picture from my HTiB?
First determine what inputs your television set carries, and whatinputs are already utilized. In most circumstances the highest qualitytelevision input is component video ("Y", "PR" and "PB"). This isfollowed by S-Video, then simple composite video (on most Panasonictelevision sets a yellow RCA port). Once you determine what inputs areavailable, use the correct corresponding output on your HTiB.
11. Why is there no picture displayed on the television?
First determine what type of output is being used from the HTiB.- If using the component outputs, make surethat all three component connections from the HTiB are being utilized.So, if "Y" is used, make sure that "PR" and "PB" are also being used.Next, make sure that the connections are correct (i.e. PR is connectedto PR, Y is connected to Y, etc.).
- If using the S-Video output, checkthe orientation of the plug, make sure that none of the pins are bent,and confirm that the entire length of the cable is in good condition.
- If you're using the HDMI outputfrom the HTiB, the issue you may be facing extends past the scope ofthis FAQ. For help solving this problem, please click here to contact us.
- Finally, make sure that the television is set to the correct mode for the input that it's receiving from the HTiB.
12. What do I do if I can only get a black and white picture on my television from the HTiB?
First determine what type of output is being used from the HTiB.- If using the component outputs, make surethat all the component outputs from the HTiB are being utilized. So, if"Y" is used, make sure that "PR" and "PB" are also being used. Next,make sure that the connections are all correct (i.e. PR is connected toPR, Y is connected to Y, etc.). Also, make sure that the componentinput, not the composite, is being used on the television set.Sometimes, the component output from the HTiB can be placed in thecomposite video input on the television, resulting in black and whitepicture.
- If using the S-Video output, makesure that the S-Video output from the HTiB is connected to the S-Videoinput on the television set in the correct manner. Make sure that noneof the pins on the cable are bent, and that the cable is in goodcondition.
- If you are using the HDMI outputfrom the television, the issue you may be facing extends past the scopeof this FAQ. For help solving this problem, please click here to contact us.
- Finally, if none of these steps corrects the problem, turn offboth the HTiB and the television and unplug the HTiB from thetelevision set. Plug the HTiB back into the television, and try again.
13. What do I do if the picture colors are skewed?
First determine what type of output is being used from the HTiB.- If using the HTiB component outputs, makesure that the connections are all correct (i.e. PR is connected to PR,Y is connected to Y, etc.). The most common cause of skewed colors whenusing the component input is that the PR and PB are reversed. If theconnections are correct, and the colors are still skewed, turn off boththe HTiB and the television, and unplug the HTiB from the televisionset. Plug the HTiB back into the television, and try again.
- If using the S-Video output fromthe HTiB, make sure that it's connected to the S-Video input of thetelevision set. If the cable is connected correctly, but the colors arestill skewed, turn off both the HTiB and the television, and unplug theHTiB from the television set. Plug the HTiB back into the television,and try again. If the colors are still skewed, it's possible that yourcable is damaged. Check that none of the pins on the cable are bent andthat the cable is in good condition.
- If using the HTiB composite output,make sure that you are plugged into the composite input on thetelevision set. If the connections are correct but the colors are stillskewed, turn off both the HTiB and the television, and unplug the HTiBfrom the television set. Plug the HTiB back into the television, andtry again. If the colors remain skewed, check that the plug is in goodcondition.
- If you are using the HDMI outputfrom the television, the issue you may be facing extends past the scopeof this FAQ. For help solving this problem, please click here to contact us.
14. Why are there black bars along the top and bottom of the screen?
You see thick black bars along the top and bottom of the screen becauseyou're using a different aspect ratio than what's intended for yourtelevision screen. This means that if a movie is watched inwide-screen, but the television is not wide-screen, black bars willappear on the top and bottom to normalize the image. If you use HDMI,the HTiB should automatically recognize which aspect ratio thetelevision set has (4:3 or 16:9). If any other output is used, the HTiBwill not recognize which aspect ratio your television has. If this isthe case, refer to your Operating Instructions for information on howto manually set up the aspect ratio in your HTiB. In most PanasonicHTiBs, the procedure is to first access the "function menu", then"other settings", and then "other menu", where one of the questions is"Aspect Ratio?" Select the one that is correct for your television set.
15. Can I watch movies from my VCR on my home theater system?
Absolutely. Just connect the audio/video outputs from your VCR to yourhome theater system, and your VHS tapes will sound great. The Dolby®Pro Logic® decoder in your home theater system will even play your VHSmoves in surround sound.
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