MX-122 hook up
 

I'm sorry for all the questions. It must seem to you guys like I've been "hooking up" stuff forever and I have due to time constraints. I have tested my 501's and MX-122 in 2 channel mode. That's it. Tonight, I've started to clean up and hook up behind the cabinet. I want to get my video sources (and their associated audio) figured out. I have an 82" 4K Samsung display and it has a single proprietary cord that attaches to the display at one end and a small box on the other. The small box has 3 hdmi inputs and the 4th is labeled hdmi arc. it also has 1 optical output. My sources are Amazon 4K fire Tv (only has 1 hdmi output) a DirecTv box (not 4k capable, only has 1 hdmi output and 1 optical output) and a dvd transport (only has 1 single hdmi output, nothing else) So, in order to have 5.1 (and above) sound I need to get the MX-122 doing its magic. So...plug all my sources directly into corresponding labeled hdmi inputs on the back of the MX-12 right? Figure out the settings by playing in each devices various menus right? But, I was thinking...maybe I want it set up so that sometimes the wife and kids can just turn on the tv and the Amazon fire and/or the Direc tv box without the need for all my McIntosh stuff turned on (audio through tv speakers only, no Mc gear on) SO...if I run all my hdmi sources into that box and a arc from that box into the MX-122 and a single optical out from that box into the MX-122 I'd not be taking the fullest advantage of the MX-122 capabilities right? BUT I would be able to have "all Mc" when I want and also wife/kid friendly at times too?? If given only 1 choice I want to get the best possible picture and sound regardless. How.

I think I have it (mostly) figured out. There was some ?handskake? issues with my DirecTv box via cheap, cheap hdmi cable and cheap coax digital cable. The fast forward feature and audio were both slightly glitch at times. DVD was fine...lastly I'll need to decide on the Amazon Fire Tv unit. I'm thinking it needs to run connected to the Samsung box and then run arc out of that box to the mx-122 along with optical out from that box into the MX-122. I'll mess with it more tonight.

I'm not clear on your goal.
Think of your MX122 of a switchboard which is the brains behind everything.

It will be easy teach you family to hit the cable button on the MX122 remote.
ARC necessary if you want to use your TV's netflix/amazon streamer.
it allows audio to return back to the MX122 if you do it right.
If you use an Amazon Fire streamer ARC isn't necessary.

I just want to use the Amazon Fire Tv box instead of the built in aps on the tv. With that being said, I guess just plug it into the back of the MX-122 then is all I need to do. Once I get the trigger cables figured out on the MPC1500 I guess you are right, they can figure it out with one button control to power everything on. No sense in spending the $ on all this good stuff if I tell them hands off all the time.

Agree

Keep it simple as possible. HDMI out from all of your sources to the HDMI inputs on the MX122.
HDMI out of the MX122 (Monitor 1 if planning to use ARC) to any of the HDMI inputs on your TV. You would connect to the one labeled ARC if you ever want to send TV audio back to the MX122. This would only be needed if you use the TV apps etc.

Would not use any optical cables unless you find out later you might need one. Your MX 122 should be able to do all the audio/video options you can throw at it.

Manually label all the HDMI inputs on the MX122 that are being used to describe what the source is: DirecTV, AmazonFire, DVD (actual name) etc Just go to input menu on the MX122 and customize the names.

Your family then just needs to switch to the correct HDMI input, turn on TV, adjust volume and enjoy

^^^ That's exactly what we do.

ChicagoDog describes trying to choose whether to (a) use the TV as the hub, with audio output from that going to the MX-122; or (b) use the MX-122 as the hub, with video output going to the TV.

One potential drawback to configuration (a) is that high resolution audio (Atmos, DTS-HD MA, TrueHD) from sources may be downcoded when passing through the TV. The ability of a TV to pass these over ARC will be included in HDMI 2.1. Your current source devices may not be outputting much high-resolution audio today, but this may be more common over streaming in the future and will certainly be an issue if you replace the DVD with a BluRay player.

Dsnieves... Welcome to AA! :wave:

Thank you!

I hooked everything up to the MX-122 last night. Blu-Ray player, Amazon 4k Fire TV, Direct Tv with digital audio out...then watched Dunkirk. Wife and son were impressed with the sound and the picture (after I turned off digital smooth or some such soap opera effect "feature" on the 82" Samsung) I'll try to sit down this coming weekend for an hour or two and name all the inputs, program the remote control, run the trigger wires from the MPC1500 to all the other components and make it user friendly. Then while digging in the menus of the 122 I'll run the Audessey feature and see if I can get things completely set-up. ***side note, wife complained about "what are all those distracting blue meter things" so I laughed and said "those stay on, that's what I paid all the money for" LOL