11AVR 1565/AVR 1566 Types of Home Theater System ConnectionsTypes of Home Theater System ConnectionsThere are different types of audio and video connections used to connect the AVR to yourspeakers, your TV or video display, and your source devices. The Consumer ElectronicsAssociation has established the CEA ® color-coding standard.Connection Color Guide TableAnalog Audio Connection ColorFront Left/Right White/RedCenter GreenSurround Left/Right Blue/GraySubwoofer PurpleDigital Audio Connection ColorCoaxial (input or output) OrangeOptical Input BlackAnalog Video Connection ColorComponent Video Red/Green/BlueComposite Video YellowSpeaker ConnectionsSpeaker cables carry an amplified signal from the AVR’s speaker terminals to eachloudspeaker. Each cable contains two wire conductors, or leads, that are differentiatedin some way, such as with colors or stripes.The differentiation helps you maintain proper polarity, without which your system’s low-frequency performance can suffer. Each speaker is connected to the AVR’s speaker-output terminals using two wires, one positive (+) and one negative (–). Always connectthe positive terminal on the speaker, which is usually colored red, to the positive terminalon the AVR, which is colored as indicated in the Connection Color Guide Table, above. Thenegative terminals on the speakers and the AVR are black.Your AVR uses binding-post speaker terminals that can accept bare-wire cables orbanana plugs. Bare-wire cables are installed as shown below:1. Unscrew Cap 3. Tighten Cap2. Insert Bare WireBanana plugs are inserted into the hole in the middle of the terminal cap, as shownbelow:A. Tighten Cap B. Insert Banana Connectorinto Hole in CapAlways connect the colored (+) terminal on the AVR to the (+) terminal on the speaker(usually red), and the black (–) terminal on the AVR to the (–) terminal on the speaker(usually black).IMPORTANT: Make sure the ( + ) and ( – ) bare wires do not touch each other orthe other terminal. Touching wires can cause a short circuit that can damage yourAVR or amplifier.Subwoofer ConnectionsThe subwoofer is a speaker dedicated to reproducing only the low (bass) frequencies,which require more power. To obtain the best results, most speaker manufacturers offerpowered subwoofers that contain their own amplifiers. Use a single RCA audio cable(not included) to make a line-level (non-amplified) connection from the AVR’s Subwooferconnector to a corresponding input jack on the subwoofer.Although the AVR’s purple subwoofer output looks similar to a full-range analog audiojack, it is filtered so that only the low frequencies pass through it. Don’t connect thisoutput to any device other than a subwoofer.Source Device ConnectionsAudio and video signals originate in source devices (components where a playbacksignal originates) such as your Blu-ray Disc or DVD player, CD player, DVR (digital videorecorder) or other recorder, tape deck, game console, cable or satellite television tuner,iPod or iPhone (docked in an optional The Bridge IIIP docking station) or MP3 player. TheAVR’s FM/AM tuner also counts as a source, even though no external connectors areneeded other than the AVR’s FM and AM antennas. Separate connectors are requiredfor the audio and video portions of the source device’s signal, except for digital HDMIconnectors. The types of connectors you use will depend upon the capabilities of thesource device and of your TV or video display.Digital Audio Connections – HDMIThere are two types of audio connections – digital and analog. Digital audio signals arerequired for listening to sources encoded with digital surround modes, such as DolbyDigital and DTS, or for uncompressed PCM digital audio. Your AVR has three types ofdigital audio connectors: HDMI, coaxial and optical. Do not use more than one type ofdigital audio connector for each source device. However, it’s okay to make both analogand digital audio connections to the same source.Your AVR is equipped with four rear-panel HDMI input connectors and one HDMI monitoroutput connector. HDMI technology enables digital audio and video information to becarried using a single cable, delivering the highest quality picture and sound. If your TVor video-display device has an HDMI input connector, make a single HDMI connectionfrom each source device to the AVR. Usually, a separate digital audio connection is notrequired.The AVR’s HDMI Monitor Output connector contains an Audio Return Channel (ARC) thatcarries a digital audio signal from your TV or video display back to the AVR. It allowsyou to listen to HDMI devices that are connected directly to your TV (such as an Internetconnection) without making an additional connection from the device to the AVR. TheARC signal is active when the TV source is selected. See System Setup, on page 22, formore information.The HDMI connector is shaped for easy plug-in (see illustration, below), and HDMI cableruns are limited to about 10 feet (3m). If your video display has a DVI input and isHDCP-compliant, use an HDMI-to-DVI adapter (not included), and make a separate audioconnection.Digital Audio Connections – CoaxialCoaxial digital audio jacks are usually color-coded orange. Although they look likestandard RCA-type analog jacks, you should not connect coaxial digital audio outputs toanalog inputs or vice versa.