Columbia ISA
Audio / Video



Selecting Inputs on a TV

How do I select my DVD player input on my TV?

TV Audio Video Inputs on older TV sets consist of the TV antenna input and one or more RCA inputs. On newer TVs, you may only find several HDMI inputs and the TV antenna input.

On older TVs you use the remote control to select/switch between the inputs or use the "TV/Video" button on the TV itself.



Older analog TVs only had one or two inputs which were selected by a button on the TV remote control such as the "TV/VIDEO" button which switched between the TV RF coaxial input (antenna) and the RCA audio/video input.

TVs in the 2010 era used a button labeled INPUT or SOURCE which would bring up on the TV screen, a menu of inputs which you could scroll up or down using the arrow buttons on the remote and then press the OK/Select button on the remote to switch inputs.





For example, if your DVD player is connected to the HDMI 2 input port on the TV, scroll to the HDMI 2 selection and press OK/Select on the TV remote.



On newer TVs, you usually press the HOME button or MENU button and navigate to the on-screen source inputs and press the OK/SELECT button on the remote control to switch to a source input.

On TVs of the 2020 era, running proprietary software, the procedure is different depending on the TV manufacturer.

SAMSUNG TV Select Inputs

Samsung remotes have a HOME button or a SMART HUB button which will bring up the SMART HUB on the TV screen.





The lower left portion of the TV screen shows your options such as SETTINGS or input SOURCES which you can select.

Select SOURCE and use the arrow buttons on the remote to move to your input selection such as HDMI 1. Press the select button on remote control.



Methods for Selecting Input on 2020 era Samsung TVs:

Remote Control Method
(Smart Remote or Standard Remote):
Press the "Home" button on the remote control.
Use the directional pad to scroll left to "Source" or "Connected Devices".

Move over (highlight) to the device you want.
Select the desired HDMI or USB input.



Samsung TV 2026 input sources select



Samsung TV Smart Remote Control

Direct Source Menu (Quick Method):
Press and hold (Long Press) the Settings/Menu button on your remote for about 3 seconds to bring up the input menu directly.

Without a Remote/Lost Remote:
Locate the central button on the TV (underneath the Samsung logo or on the back or right, under the screen). Press once to open the menu, then click it repeatedly to highlight "Source," then hold it down to switch inputs.

LG TV Select Inputs - 2025



LG TV Inputs select button on the TV remote control

Press the inputs select button on the LG TV remote and a pop-up should appear on the TV screen allowing you to move to the available inputs to select your choice.



You could also select the "Home Hub" app and move to select inputs on that screen.

If the LG TV is connected to internet, you can enable Voice Control and hold the microphone button and say commands such as "HDMI 2" or "Switch to Input (name)" or "What can I say" to get a list of commands.

For a lost LG TV remote: You can use the LG TV Button (Joystick/Power Button) for limited control:

Locate the Button: Usually directly under the "LG" logo at the bottom center, or behind the TV on the right or left side.

To Power On the TV: Press the button once.

Open Menu: While Powered On, press the button once to bring up the on-screen menu.



Navigate Menu: Short presses toggle through menu options (Power, Input Select, Volume Up/Down, Channel Up/Down).

Select an Option: Long press (hold) the button for 3–5 seconds after moving to item to select the current menu option.

Change Inputs: Short press to reach the input select icon, then long press to select it. Keep tapping to cycle through inputs, and wait for it to select.

To Power Off the TV, move to the Power icon and press the button once.

LG TV - Use your Phone as a Remote Control

Download App from Play Store to phone
Be sure your Wi-Fi is enabled
On the phone, on your network router and the TV.
Run the app on phone



The app will search for your LG TV.
Tap on your TV name to connect.
Accept the connection on the TV.
Start using the phone app as a remote control




TCL TV Select Inputs



Press the inputs select button on the TCL TV remote to bring up the available inputs on the TV screen. This button is a rectangle with an arrow pointing to the right.

VIZIO TV Select Inputs

Press the "INPUT" button on the TV remote control to bring up on the TV screen, a menu of inputs to select. Scroll to the input and press OK/Select button on the remote. Vizio TVs also may have a button on the TV itself, on the bottom for Power On/Off and selecting inputs.

SONY TV Select Inputs

Older Sony TVs used the "TV/Video" button on the remote control. Modern Sony TVs use either the "INPUT" button or the rectangle with the arrow to select inputs using the TV remote control.





Also, you could press the HOME button, scroll down to SETTINGS and next select EXTERNAL INPUTS.



Do you have multiple input devices hooked up to your TV?
If you need to select a specific input component connected to your TV, you usually accomplish this using your remote control for the TV.

You may want to select the device connected to the HDMI input or the inputs your DVD player are connected to. By pushing the Input Select button, you go one by one thru each set of input jacks and you should see on your TV screen what each source device is outputting. If you play your DVD player, push the select button on your remote again and again to change inputs and eventually you should see the DVD player's output.

Non-standard names

Every TV manufacturer will have different names for the same thing. One TV maker will label their inputs as DVD, VHS, while another will call them VIDEO 1 and VIDEO 2. Other designations are LINE 1 and LINE 2 or AUX 1, AUX 2, AUX 3 or L1, L2, L3. Some may even mix names like L1, L2, L3 and DV. The key point to remember is that by using your remote control you can cycle (or toggle) thru all your inputs until you find the one you want.

The button on your remote control will be labeled differently as well. One may call it "input select" or "SOURCE" while another will label the button as VIDEO. Read your owner's manual. The TV itself will usually have a button to accomplish the same thing as the remote.





REMOTE CONTROL "Input Select" button 



Samsung TV remote SOURCE button used to select inputs.

MODERN TV

Selecting from multiple connections. TV today can have multiple source devices all connected to them such as DVD recorder, VCR, Cable Box etc. but they all are connected to the TV input jacks. A modern HDTV today can easily have seven or more inputs.

Modern TVs, use an on-screen graphical interface which you control with the remote to select functions such as channels, video settings, audio settings and other options.





Press the MENU button, then use the arrow buttons to move up, down, left and right, select using the ENTER button (in the middle of the arrow buttons)

SMART TV

Smart TV is internet capable and has more features and controls than ever before which can make for some confusion at first.
The navigation to specific functions is always changing with each model and make. Depending on which TV you have, the remote can vary and the selection of inputs has to be learned.


• 100 Hookup Diagrams

• Stereo Hookup



The most common cable hookup is a set of three cables with RCA-type connectors (also called phono plugs) that are colored red, white, and yellow. They plug into corresponding red, white and yellow RCA connections on your TV, VCR, cable box or other gear. The red and white cables carry stereo audio, while the yellow cable?the composite video cable?carries video.

Composite video: Since it separates the video from the audio, a composite video signal looks slightly better than an RF one, but it still carries the video signal's chrominance (color) and luminance (black-and-white) information together into one cable and makes your TV separate them. Not capable of carrying HDTV. 
Composite video and 2-channel audio
Component video:  

Component video splits the video signal even further into three parts, carrying each part on its own cable. To explain exactly what parts of the signal are carried on each cable gets a bit technical; just know that the end result is a picture that can look much better than that of S-video or composite video. Your TV's component video inputs will consist of three RCA connections that are both colored and labeled: green (Y), blue (Pb or Cb), and red (Pr or Cr). Component video is often the highest-quality analog connection, and you should use it if your TV has a component video input. Component video is the only analog video-cable connection that can handle HDTV or progressive-scan DVD signals. S-video and composite video don?t carry progressive scan. 
  • Y is the luminance (brightness) signal.
  • Pb and Pr each carry part of the picture?s chrominance (color) information. Your TV uses these two chrominance signals to create the red, green and blue colors that can be mixed together to create any color on your display. (Sometimes, Pb is labeled B-Y and Pr is labeled R-Y.)

Component video connections use three normal analog cables. If you?re routing all of your video cables through a home theater receiver, check your receiver?s specs before routing component video connections through it. The receiver?s component video bandwidth specification should be

  • At least 10 MHz for progressive-scan DVD players
  • At least 30 MHz for HDTV connections

Component video may be the only connection that allows a true HDTV signal in your system if some, but not all, of your HDTV components use the HDCP copy-protection system.
  
HDMI

The High Definition Multimedia Interface can carry both high-definition video and high-resolution, multi-channel digital audio over one cable.



How do I hookup my DVD player to my TV?


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