Finally got the 990/7500 combo running. Setup went smooth but I'm confused by the OSD. I've graduated from a Denon 2800 receiver that didn't have video capabilities. I've researched this site extensively, gone to Gonks site to study his wiring method, and would like to check a couple of issues before I buy yet more cables.

Currently my audio wiring from the DVD player is via digital coaxial cable and 5.1 direct (Pioneer 45A, SACD & DVDA capable). I also have an analog cable between DVD & 990, as my research seems to indicate that zone 2 can only be fed that way.

I have a Sony 34" wide screen TV with component video direct from the DVD player. (Currently not thru the 990). Also have an S-video line from TV to 990 monitor out. Issue is, I only get the OSD when I have the TV video selected to the S-video's line and I call up the 990's setup menu. I don't get any OSD outside of the 990 setup menu screen. Is this normal? I thought OSD also showed up when you changed volume or did other "on-the-fly" stuff with the 990. I assume this short coming is due to not feeding video thru the 990; am I correct? Other than OSD, what advantage would I have by running the component video thru the 990? In addition, I only have a VERY old VCR and that too is not being fed thru the 990 - no other video equipment in the system.

On a not-so-related subject, I too have the dreeded HUMMMMM! Did notice that grounding the cable line splitter as it came into the (new) house helps (it wasn't), but still think I'll need to get a Jenson Ground Loop Isolator.

Any help would be most appreciated, here on this muggy 4th of July eve in Maine. (I should be out watching fireworks.)

PS - Oh ya, the music sounds GREAT! Really brought my speakers alive with sound! Eagles Farewell tour DVD just exploded!

990/7500, Pioneer 45A DVD/SACD/DVDA, Denon CD changer, Boston Acoustics VRM-90 mains, VR-920 cntr, PV-1000 sub, VR-MX surrounds.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this only works on S-Video and the what's-it-called single yellow plug.
I believe temporary data (like volume) isn't overlaid on component either...
Same here with my current Marantz receiver.

The 990's setup menu screen can be output on all analog video outputs (s-video, composite, and component). The 990's OSD "pop-ups" (volume, input, and such) are overlayed onto the video stream, which the 990 only does with s-video and composite sources.

The 990 will transcode your old VCR's composite signal and spit it out over the component video connection to your TV - which means you never have to change the TV's input when changing sources (the 990 does it for you automatically).

Based on your reply Gonk, I guess if I were to rearrange the component DVD video to go from the DVD player into the 990 then to the TV, I should get the "pop-ups" when using the dvd? The Sony supports 1080i/720p/480p/480i at the component video inputs.

I guess I have to plead totally ignorant over your last paragraph concerning the VCR switching. (I think it also pertains to the dvd switching as well?) That being, "which means you never have to change the TV's input when changing sources (the 990 does it for you automatically). " I will have to get the necessary cables to allow the dvd & vcr to feed through the 990 and then just "play". I still don't see how I can leave the tv input to "whatever" and let the 990 do the switching.

Any thoughts on the Jenson Ground Loop Isolator, for my humming problem Thanks again.

You won't get "pop-ups" with the DVD player - the 990 doesn't add "pop-ups" to component inputs. You will get the setup menu (the 990 will cut off the video and draw the menu over a black background).

If you connect the 990's component video monitor output to the component input on your TV, you can leave the TV on that input. The 990's video switching will send the video signal from whatever analog video input is active. The first example is simple: the DVD player's component video output is connected to the DVD component input on the 990, and whenever the 990 is set to the DVD input the 990 will pass that video signal through the 990's video output to the TV. The second example is really where video switching becomes significantly convenient: the 990 will transcode composite and s-video signals to a component video signal. In the case of your VCR, you can connect the VCR's audio and video outputs to the 990's VIDEO1 input, and when the 990 is set to the VIDEO1 input the 990 will take that composite input, transcode it to component, and send it through the 990's component output to the TV. If you already have a composite video connection to your TV (the "yellow" connector), you can just move that cable to the 990. All you'll need that you may not already have is an extra set of component video cables to go from the 990 to the TV.

I haven't used the Jensen, but from what I've heard it is very effective at coping with ground loop problems from cable connections without degrading the signal.

I should also make one adjustment (which I'm editing my previous post for): the 990 doesn't ever add pop-ups to component sources, even at 480i. I just switched my DVD-R to 480i and tested it to verify.