How to Set Up a Sony BDVE3100 BluRay Theater System

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

This guide will take you through setting up your Sony BDV-E3100 Blu-Ray Home Theater System.

2. Speaker Connection

1. Start by physically placing your speakers where you would like them around your room.Standard Speaker Setup
   

1. All Front Speaker Setup
   

1. â’¶Front Left Speaker

1. â’·Front Right Speakerâ’¸Center Speaker

1. â’¹Back Left Speaker

1. â’ºBack Right Speakerâ’»Subwoofer

1. â’¼Television 
2. Carefully run the wires back to the Blu-Ray player, keeping the wire away from doorways and other places where people walk, leaving a bit of slack in each line.
3. Connect each cable to the appropriate output on the back of your Blu-Ray player.
   

3. Display Setup

1. Connect an HDMI cable between your television and Blu-Ray player.
   

1. If your television does not have HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel), connect an optical audio cable between your television and Blu-Ray player.
   

Make note of what input you've plugged into on your television. Later on in the setup process, the TV will need to be set to this input in order to see picture from your Blu-Ray player.

4. Network Connection

1. If you intend to use a wired Ethernet connection for your Sony BDVE3100, connect the Ethernet cable to the back of your unit, and then to your home's router.
   

If you intend to use a wireless connection for this device, you can skip this step. Network setup will be performed later in this process.

5. Power Connection

1. Connect the power cable coming from the left-hand side of your Blu-Ray player to the wall.
   

6. Cable Management

We can now begin bundling together and making the cables behind your system neat and tidy.

You can use one, or multiple different methods to give the look, and accessibility you want to the wiring of your home theater system.

Cable bundling

Cable bundling will most likely be the first step in cleaning up the cables from your home theater installation.

Cable Ties

• Sometimes called zip ties, these are plastic, with a groove on one side, and a simple locking mechanism on the other. After securing the cables, cut off the remaining end of the cable tie. Given their incredibly low price, they are disposable. When you need to add another cable, you cut the old one off, and just use a new one.

Velcro Straps

• Much like cable ties, a simple Velcro strap has hooks on one side, felt on the other. The benefit is they can be easily un-bundled or added to, without cutting the strip and having to use another.

Raceways

• Sometimes called cable tunnels, these are for where cables are exposed, such as between your television and receiver, or going to your speakers. They place a cover over your cables to hide them in an aesthetically pleasing way. Many have little notches to lock your cables into.

Leave slack at your bundle points.
Do not tighten down any strap too much, you want some give and movement in case something shifts, and you don't want to accidentally cut, bend, crimp, or otherwise damage your cables.

Adhesive Pads
Small, sticky pads to attach your bundles to. Some come built into various straps or ties, some are reusable, such as adhesive putty.

Do not bundle power cables with any other cables. 
Power, by its very nature, creates an electromagnetic field when flowing through a cable. This can severely degrade quality for other cables they are bundled with, especially speaker wire. It's best to keep these as far away from other cables as possible, in their own bundle, for example.

Label Everything

During your bundling process, it's often a good idea to use small labels near the ends of each cable, just in case you need to disconnect something in the future. You can use a label printer to make these, but a small strip of masking tape works just as well.

For example, on your Blu-ray player's HDMI cable, a little loop of tape saying "Blu-ray" where it connects to your Blu-ray player, and where it connects to the receiver, can help you immensely should you replace the player, or the receiver, somewhere down the line. Likewise for power cables.

7. Remote Batteries

1. Install the batteries in your remote.
   

8. Remote Overview

Remote Overview

EjectOpens the disk tray.SpeakersTV

AudioSets your television's audio to output to either the television's speakers, or to the Blu-Ray system's speakers.TV

Television PowerTurns on or off your television, if it responds to generic codes.

Power
Turns on or off your Blu-Ray system.SleepSets the sleep timer to automatically turn off your Blu-Ray system after a set time period.BluetoothSwitches to Bluetooth devices.FunctionSelects the playback source.FootballSets the sound optimization for watching football programs.Number ButtonsUsed for entering numbers, such as typing in a specific chapter or station preset.AudioSelects the audio track on a disk, such as English or Spanish.SubtitleTurns on or off subtitles, or switches which subtitle track you are viewing.YellowBlueRedGreenColor ButtonsUsed for certain Blu-Ray and DVD movies to access special features.Top MenuOpens the first menu on your DVD or Blu-Ray disk.

Up ArrowMoves up in the menus.Pop Up/MenuOpens the pop-up menu for certain Blu-Ray titles, or the main menu on DVDs.

Left ArrowMoves left in the menus.

EnterEnters the selection in the menus.

Right ArrowMoves right in the menus.ReturnGoes back one level in the menus.

Down ArrowMoves down in the menus.OptionsOpens the options menu.Music EQSelects the pre-programmed equalizer when listening to music.HomeReturns to the system menu.Sound ModeSelect the sound mode.SENOpens the Sony Entertainment Network online service.NetflixOpens the Netflix online service.Tuning

Tuning

Tunes the FM Radio channel down.

RewindRewind the media you're playing.Play

Starts, or re-starts playback.Tuning

Tuning

Tunes the FM Radio channel up.

Fast ForwardFast forwards the media you're playing.Preset

Preset

Goes back one preset on the FM Radio.

Skip BackSkips back one chapter or song in the media you're playing.Pause⏸Pauses the media you're playing. Press again to play.Stop

Stops the media you're playing.Preset

Preset

Goes forward one preset on the FM Radio.

Skip ForwardSkips forward one chapter or song in the media you're playing.MutingMutes the sound.Vol

Increases the volume.TV Vol

If your television supports generic codes, increases the television volume.TV InputIf your television supports generic codes, switches your television's input.Vol

Decreases the volume.TV Vol

If your television supports generic codes, decreases the television volume.DisplayDisplays information about the current media, radio, or online content being shown.

9. Initial Setup

1. Turn on your television and set the video input to the input your Blu-Ray player was connected to earlier using the Input button on your TV's remote control.
   

1. 
   
2. Usually, this is done with the Input button on your television's remote, though your remote may be different.
   Refer to your television's user manual if you need more information on how to do this.
3. Push the Power button on your remote.
4. Select the language you'd like your Blu-Ray player to display menus in.
   

1. Select On to make your Blu-Ray player start up faster. Select Off if you prefer to save energy.
   

1. To setup the network connection now, select Easy Network Settings. If you wish to use your player offline, select Finish.
   

10. Easy Network Settings

1. Select Start.
   

1. Select Wired Setup if you if you are using an Ethernet connection. Select Wireless Setup (built-in) for Wi-Fi.
   

11. Easy Wi-Fi Setup

1. Choose your Wi-Fi network from the list of available networks.
   

1. Select WPA Key.
   

1. Enter your Wi-Fi network password. Select Enter when complete.
   

1. To continue, push the Right Arrow on your remote.
   

1. Your Blu-Ray player will verify your connection, select OK.
   

12. Complete

1. Some Blu-Ray disks have large amounts of special online content available. If you wish, this content can be saved locally to your Blu-Ray player, using a USB drive. If you wish to allow this, select Allow. Otherwise, select Do not allow.
   

1. Gracenote provides extra information about the content you're viewing. Select Auto.
   

1. Select Finish to complete.
   

13. Auto Update

1. After completing setup, you'll be prompted to update the software for the player.
   

1. Select OK to perform a Network Update.
   

1. Select Start.
   

1. Select Agree and Next to proceed, once you have read the EULA.
   

1. Your Blu-Ray player will reboot multiple times during the update process. At the end, it will shut down.
2. Turn your Blu-Ray player back on.

14. Re-setup Network Connection

After the update, you'll have to re-select your connection.

1. Select Yes to continue.
   

15. Wi-Fi Re-Setup

1. Select Wireless Setup (built-in).
   

1. Choose your Wi-Fi network from the list of available networks.
   

1. Your Wi-Fi password will already be entered. To continue, push the Right Arrow on your remote.
   

1. Select OK.
   

16. Download Internet Services

1. Your Blu-Ray player will download the apps for the online services it supports.
   

1. Select Close.
   

1. Your Blu-Ray player is setup and ready to use.

17. Easy Wired Setup

1. Your Blu-Ray player will automatically set itself up. Select OK to continue.
   

18. Complete

1. Some Blu-Ray disks have large amounts of special online content available. If you wish, this content can be saved locally to your Blu-Ray player, using a USB drive. If you wish to allow this, select Allow. Otherwise, select Do not allow.
   

1. Gracenote provides extra information about the content you're viewing. Select Auto.
   

1. Select Finish to complete.
   

19. Auto Update

1. After completing setup, you'll be prompted to update the software for the player.
   

1. Select OK to perform a Network Update.
   

1. Select Start.
   

1. Select Agree and Next to proceed, once you have read the EULA.
   

1. Your Blu-Ray player will reboot multiple times during the update process. At the end, it will shut down.
2. Turn your Blu-Ray player back on.

20. Re-setup Network Connection

After the update, you'll have to re-select your connection.

1. Select Yes to continue.
   

21. Wired Re-Setup

1. Select Wired Setup.
   

1. Select OK.