JUST BROUGHT MY FIRST DVD PLAYER! PIONEER 5 DISC 503. I ALSO HAVE A PIONEER RECIEVER 409. WHAT IS BETTER TO USE BEFORE I BUY THEM? S CABLE OR COMPONENT CABLE? WHICH HAS A BETTER PICTURE? ALSO MY DVD PLAYER DOESN'T HAVE 5.1 OUTPUT BUT THE RECIEVER HAS DTS, AND 5.1 IF I USE THE DTS WILL THE 5.1 COME ON ALSO OR IS IT 5.1 OR DTS? LAST QUESTION. WHICH ONE IS BETTER THE BETTER DIGITAL OUT FOR AUDIO? THE LIGHT ONE OR THE OTHER SIGNAL FORGOT WHAT THE 2 DIGITAL OUTPUTS FOR AUDIO IS CALLED. THANKS!

I will give you fast answers to your fast questions and believe them to be right although I might get corrected. S video is good but component is the best. DTS is just a better quality 5.1 found in some DVD's and you should get 5.1 if the tape is not DTS but still 5.1. The optical and digital cables are about the exact same and each is prefered for no particular reason by somebody.

1) S-video and component are both video connections. Make sure you aren't confucing component (three video cables) with composite (one yellow RCA-type connector). Also, regardless of what type of receiver you have make sure your TV supports component inputs; not all do. Of the three, component is the best, S-video is a close second, and old-fashioned composite being a distant third.

2) 5.1 is the number of channels, not so much a format. DVDs are either Dolby Digital or DTS, both of which support 5.1. Your DVD player doesn't have to have 5.1 outputs, just the digital. Connect your DVD player to your receiver with either an optical or coaxial digital cable. Make sure that DTS is turned on in your DVD player's set-up menu (the actual player's set-up menu, not the disc's. You'll als have to select DVD from the audio menu of DVDs that have DTS tracks.

3) Either optical or coaxial digital cables should work fine, although optical cables are a bit delicate by nature, so handle it gently.

4) That's three questions, not two!

5) Take your caps lock off, it's considered rude to post in all capital letters.

Thanks for the answer to my (3) questions and informing me on the Caps thing, Didn't know that. I just priced cable, man $35.00 for 6 feet. Ouch! Thanks again. Now i have to try and set up the speakers. So many options. The DB thing, The Distance Thing. I need a "home theather for dummies" book. Have a good week end!

Voila!

http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/books...sbn=0028639391