Do I connect video out thru receiver or to TV?

My post may have been a bit confusing, but its kind of irrelevant if you aren't going to use anything but component video and s-video. The canonical line is that component (R, G & B RCA connectors) is the best video link, so it makes sense, if you have component outputs on DVD and SAT to run them directly into your TV. (I haven't seen any A/V receivers that actually "switch" component video). A/V receivers that have both s-video and composite video (single Y RCA) typically don't convert between transmission formats, so if you have s-video going from your A/V receiver to your TV and composite video only from your sources to your receiver, you won't see anything.

So, if you have both s-video and composite sources, you need to run both s-video and composite to your TV from the A/V receiver. A lot of TVs have "auto-sense" that detects which inputs have incoming signals and automatically switch to that input. On some other TVs, however, you may have to manually switch from the composite input to the s-video input--hence playing with the TV remote in addition to the receiver remote. You know, the "TV/VCR" button on your TV remote.

The Casablanca is basically an A/V preamp made by Theta Digital. Even though its state of the art/high end/quarter inch aluminum plate gear, it still doesn't switch component video. So, for example, I run the component outputs of my DVD directly into the TV. Since my TV is an XBR with god only knows how many outputs, I have to switch the TV to "video 5" when watching DVDs, and switch the Casablanca to the DVD input to get the sound. This is where my Pronto comes in. Its a programmable touchscreen remote control where you can create graphic screens and associate macros with buttons. So, the "DVD" button on my Pronto switches the TV to VID5 and the Casablanca to "DVD". One button only. Means I only have one remote on my coffee table and the other eight in drawer in my study.

Good luck!

If you have enough video inputs on your TV, you will always have a cleaner video signal by avoiding adding extra components in the signal path. Conceptually, video switching can be helpful if you don't like having to separately change your TV to the right input *and* your receiver. I.e., you just click "DVD" on the A/V receiver instead of clicking "DVD" on your receiver and then selecting SVIDEO1 on your television. I use a theta casablanca to switch video as well as audio and do find it easier.

Come to think of it, however, if I remember right, AV receivers don't "switch" or convert s-video to composite (single RCA), so you will need both connections from your receiver to your TV and may have to do a little TV adjustment anyway as you go from s-video sources to composite sources. (This is where the Philips pronto comes in handy). I don't think there are many devices, if any, that switch component video and can't think of why you would want to do that anyway.