I have a 50" Panasonic plasma mounted above the mantle. My wife can't stand seeing cables, so the HDMI cable runs down into the basement, where the DISH receiver/dvr is located. If I were to get a Panasonic sound bar/wireless subwoofer, can the HDMI connection be between the soundbar and the tv, or does the DISH receiver/dvr have to be connected directly to the sound bar? I am an audio/video neophyte, so please excuse my "non-nerdiness". Thanks!
First & foremost ... not each and every "HDMI" cable can appropriately accommodate long distances! ... hopefully, you took the necessary precautions and sought out Certified 1.3 Cables? http://www.blueeanscable.com is one such web store of others, of course!
What / Which Model of DISH S.T.B., please? ... E.G. - their 722HD or another?
With an appropriate (certified) HDMI you shouldn't have any "issues" running a fairly-long length between that DISH unit & the "in" port of your HDTV set.
Then, send the Audio out of the HDTV to your new Sound input port via a "TOSLINK" Optical Audio Cable ... these are available inexpensively from many Web Stores, as well.
eli
edited later to add: Not knowing how many $$$ you prefer or intend to expend, some Systems ( my own new one of this week, actually) require a separate 120V power feed to the Sub Woofer ...
Pleas do give serious consideration to Full 5.1 System, instead of only a Sound Bar??
At { www.samsclub.com } as well as their local Outlets, there's an appropriate one by Pioneer w/ JBL Speakers / Sub Woofer, @ a modest outlay of $$$.
Most of any Spoken Dialogue, whether News or a changing Movie, will emit from that Center Speaker on such a System, whereas it may NOT on just a Sound Bar, in my experiences, F.W.I.W..
Thanks for the suggestion, but my main problem is my wife's hatred of visible cables, and we don't want to get into the costly job of making the numerous cables involved disappear. Hence, if only an HDMI connection between the sound bar and the TV is required, that's the way to go. The HDMI cable would be totally hidden, as would the power supply connection.
Thanks for the suggestion, but my main problem is my wife's hatred of visible cables, and we don't want to get into the costly job of making the numerous cables involved disappear. Hence, if only an HDMI connection between the sound bar and the TV is required, that's the way to go. The HDMI cable would be totally hidden, as would the power supply connection.
<back> ... sorry but nope, that won't "do." Sound Bars don't customarily offer "pass-thru" wherein a 'HDMI' is connected to an 'in' port, Audio stripped off and then, Video Signaling is 'passed-thru' via another HDMI at an 'out' port to the Panel.
... and, while at a "NO" reply, that obviously "goes" for the grossly-improper mounting of that HDTV, to begin with!! Even with a 100% dormant Fireplace, it's Far Too High!
Shouldn't "grossly-improper" be in the eye of the beholder? Our TV in not mounted too high - no one gets sore necks from watching it -- the seating is far enough back to make TV watching pleasurable.
Absolutely and without exception! ... it IS/WAS your Funds!
Two points - - - most 'authorities' seem to agree that for appropriate viewing of 'HD' and the associated immersion effects {w or w/o 3D } the proper seating should NOT be further than 3 - 3.3 times the height of the Display Panel OR, in your instance , about 81"-82", eyes-to-panel MAX..
SO, you're enjoying the watching of TV .... just NOT 'HD!'
Panasonic has covered themselves most-adequately within the initial pages, RE: "Improper Installations = No Warranty Service!"
I have a 50" Panasonic plasma mounted above the mantle. My wife can't stand seeing cables, so the HDMI cable runs down into the basement, where the DISH receiver/dvr is located. If I were to get a Panasonic sound bar/wireless subwoofer, can the HDMI connection be between the soundbar and the tv, or does the DISH receiver/dvr have to be connected directly to the sound bar? I am an audio/video neophyte, so please excuse my "non-nerdiness". Thanks! 
