I'm having a problem, maybe you techies can help me...

The only HD I have been enjoying has been cable but recently decided to start enjoying more HD from other devices.

I only have one HD component video input on my TV (it's a 57 inch Sony 1080i about 9 years old, so I had to get a switcher to hook up my 3 devices (1; Blu-Ray, 2; Cable box, and 3; Xbox360) ...now the image is amazing but every now and then the entire picture turns black for about 1 second, and the tagline for the HD input 1080i flashes as though you just changed the input or something. Any idea why it's doing this?

I took the switcher back today and replaced it but it's still doing it. Also it's not happening on the Xbox picture, just the cable and the Blu-Ray. Do you think this is because my component cables are too long? I have a big system, my custom in wall entertainment system is 7 feet high and 15 ft. wide, so I went with a 12 foot cable from switcher out to the TV. Inputs from devices to the switcher are 6 feet long (the actual distance is only maybe 18 inches there, but 6 feet is the shortest I could get at the store).

Old setup: Cable was hooked up with an 8 foot component video cable directly into the one HD input. That was my only HD source until recently. Now I am running three HD devices into that same TV input via a switcher, this device to be exact:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9239424&type=product&id=1218065984315

X-box was going into RC connector on the front of the set (not HD).
My old DVD was going into a composite input on the back of TV.

I suspect it might be the cables, but the Xbox has a 6 foot cable too, so I'm a little confused why it's doing this on two devices and not the Xbox. Any ideas?

If you remove the switcher, and plug the cable box directly into the TV, do you still get the dropouts?

Thanks, well it never happened for 9 years until I added the switcher and new cables this week. I guess I can pull that 57 inch TV out of the wall again but it's kind of a pain in the azz (it's a 7 X 15 foot custom in-wall center)... I just can't figure out why it would blink black on two devices and not the third device...

You don't need to pull out the TV or cabinet. You can unplug the cables from the switch box, and connect them together with something like:

http://www.parts-express.com/images/item_thumb/090-282_t.jpg

Very clever... and I can find that at where, Radio Shack?
Do they make those in three set for the RGB component wires?

Yes. By using those connectors in place of the box, it will let you know if the cables are okay, or if they are at fault. Although, it sounds like it's the box that's at fault.

Also, you can try rearranging the inputs on the box. Try the cable box connected to where the 360 is plugged in, since you say that input works fine. If it works fine there, that is just more evidence that the box is at fault.

Right, well that's why I just went ahead and replaced the entire switcher box with a new one today... (different store but same brand box) so you really think both boxes could be bad? :confused:

okay the solution to test was even more simple than that,
I just pulled the main cable from the TV and plugged it straight into the
component output on cable box (duh)
I'm checking it now...

It's not doing it!
Cable box is linked direct to the TV and it's not blinking black.

Okay so what does this prove,
that the second switcher box is bad?

or was it solved by eliminating the six feet of cable going from the
cable box to the switcher box, hmmm.

One thing is for sure, it's NOT my TV,
and it's NOT the main HD cable going to and from the TV.
It's either the second switcher box is bad (maybe a bad batch?)
or the problem is the longer cables.

Still can't figure out why the X-Box never had the problem.
Is there another switcher box brand you would suggest?

I'm starting to think the problem is the switcher box is not handling the signal correctly... I found this review on a similar product;

HD yes, but poor signal handling
"This thing works as advertised, yes. However, if you have an HD signal fed into a monitor that does not correct the signal automatically, it is junk. That is, if you see an explosion or something bright on screen, the monitor will blink out for a second before coming back. Thats particularly bad if you are playing video games."
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-COMPONENT-VIDEO-SWITCHER/product-reviews/B000FCT2CK

I'm wondering if there is a different type or brand of component switcher box
that I need for my TV... :confused:

Is there a component switcher box that won't make your TV blink?

I have added a component switcher box so I can add more HD devices to my 1080i TV, but it's causing random video drop outs (total black for 1 second) on two of my devices (cable and Blu-Ray). The XBox360 is not blinking. This is the unit:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9239424&type=product&id=1218065984315&AID=10597222&PID=3136390&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Folspage.jsp%3FskuI d%3D9239424%26type%3Dproduct%26id%3D1218065984315&ref=39&loc=01

I'm starting to think the problem is the switcher box is not handling the signal correctly... I found this review on a similar product;

HD yes, but poor signal handling
"This thing works as advertised, yes. However, if you have an HD signal fed into a monitor that does not correct the signal automatically, it is junk. That is, if you see an explosion or something bright on screen, the monitor will blink out for a second before coming back. Thats particularly bad if you are playing video games."
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-COMPONENT-VIDEO-SWITCHER/product-reviews/B000FCT2CK

And if you click on that full review and scroll down you see another comment:

"I totally agree. I got this and it switches ok all 4 HD signals wii-xbox-xbox360-dvd but when there is a sudden change of signal (I have not noticed if it is a explosion or not. It just happens anytime) my tv which happens to be a nonbranded one goes to black for a milisecond but this is REALLY annoying when it does that. Still I would recommend this box if you have a tv that has signal correction integrated."

I'm wondering if there is a different type or brand of
component switcher box that I need for my TV???... :confused:
Has anyone had any experience with this problem???

Topics merged.

Uhhh, okay but can you please change the title to this:

Component Switcher Blinking, HELP!!!

I now know what the problem is, and I'm hoping to find someone who
knows about these switchers, thank you

One thing for sure it its not the length of the cables, 50 ft runs are no problem for component cables. I use a lot of switches, HDMI and Composite but no Components so I can't help you there. You will find an answer though. Good luck.

Thank you Joed, we can rule that out then...
I'm really hoping someone can help me here, it's got me befuddled... :(

Sounds akin to problem I had adding the Zektor YPbPr switcher to my year-2000 Philips 1080i CRT RPTV several years back (and discussed here). Using ~6' cables to link my DVR cable STB and DVD player to the Zektor, and another 6' cable to the TV, I saw moderately bad artifacts in high-contrast image areas (winking details). Bought three sets of 18" cables (Mogami) for plugging components into the Zektor and that stopped the problem. Figured the original capacitance, 12'+ cables plus the switcher, was too much for the TV--even though the switcher and TV were both high-end. -- John

John that is very interesting, cables from devices to the switcher are 6 feet long (the actual distance is only maybe 18 inches there, but 6 feet is the shortest I could get at the store). Do you think I should try the 18 inch cables and if so, where should I get those...???

Maybe these; scroll down to Velocity 1.5 foot at 19.99,
what do you think:
http://www.youravcablestore.com/component-video-cables-rca.html


I still can't figure out why the X-Box is not doing it, I played Halo 3 online last night for an hour and the picture was perfect. Seems strange, because it also has a 6 foot cable, but maybe the signal is stronger on the game, who knows...

I have ordered an 18 inch cable so I can test that theory out
in a couple of days. Anyone have any other ideas or comments on this?

ttt

^^^Glad you found a source for ~18" cables. Did a fair amount of Googling to find the brand I mentioned; other makes are no doubt suitable, too. Generally, it's always best to minimize cable lengths, especially with higher frequencies, to minimize circuit impedance. Just speculating on games vs true-HD: might be that HD's higher frequency content, if that's the case, are causing the different results. -- John

EDIT: If shorter cables cures it, might be useful to run a test pattern (HDNet, computer, Blu-ray test disc, etc) to compare maximum resolutions through the switcher versus a straight hookup. That'll provide a numerical quality reference.

I have been told my someone on another forum that
I need to get a component switcher that "regenerates" the signal,
does anyone know anything about that? I am really wondering
about these component switchers; I thought they were basically just
connectors in a box, but is there more to some of these than meets
the eye?

^^^Depends on the switchers involved. Switchers with amplifiers don't necessarily perform better than passive switchers. That $<50 BB switcher may well have too much capacitance and not pass higher frequencies. When I bought the costlier Zektor passive YPbPr switcher years ago I justified the price by concluding I didn't want any noticeable frequency/resolution reductions in all the signals entering my high-end year-2000 Philips HDTV. (See that Zektor's HDS4.1 (http://www.zektor.com/store/shopping.shtml), my model, has been discontinued, although some might still be available online, etc.; wouldn't now spend what the newer Zektor models cost.) -- John

Hmmm.... Maybe I need to call these Zektor people and ask them
about these products...

Well find out today they neglected to ship my 18 inch cable...
they apologized and said it would be here monday, no charge for the entire order. :rolleyes:

The flashing screen / video dropout during high contrast changes in the picture is a common problem to TVs like the year 2000 era Sony KP-xxHS10. If you have a similar Sony TV, that could be your problem. I don't think there was a 57 inch version of that TV so it might not apply to you.

It is discussed in agonizing detail here:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=175338&pp=20

There is a service bulletin that describes the repair to fix it. I think there is a link to it in that thread. You can also use a component to RGB transcoder and use RGB inputs to get around the problem. The RGB input does not have the problem.

It may be showing up when you add the switch because you are getting a slightly darker picture than without the switch. The increased darkness may be enough to trigger the problem.

Thanks for your reply, yeah I don't think it's my TV because when I take the Dynex switcher out of the loop the problem goes with it. I did find another thread here with similar problems related to this exact same brand of component switch—the Dynex from Best buy; here is the link:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1159525

Hopefully my shorter cable will be in soon, if that doesn't help then I guess I'll have to try another brand of component switch. What a P.I.T.A. this has been...

Well the new component cable arrived today, and it did NOT solve my problem. So at least I can say now that the problem is the switch from Best Buy. At this point, I have no idea which type of component switch would be a better choice, my frustration continues... :cool:

Well, it wasn't cheap, but I've been using an Inday RGB4X-R component video switch for about a year and a half, to switch between my Verizon FiOS HD-DVR and a Blu-ray player (at 1080i, only).
http://www.inday.com/rgb4x/rgb4x.htm
(I actually have the RS-232 option -- which I've never used -- although my switch is not labeled as an RGB4X-RS model, as shown in the link.)

I have a first-generation 34" Sony direct-view set (KW-HD1), also about 9 years old, with only a single 1080i-capable component video input, and I've never had a single problem with that switch -- and the picture quality it passes is virtually indistinguishable from the picture quality without the switch.

Well the new component cable arrived today, and it did NOT solve my problem. So at least I can say now that the problem is the switch from Best Buy. At this point, I have no idea which type of component switch would be a better choice, my frustration continues... :cool:
Lots of discussions here going years back about the needed bandiwidth for HD video switchers. Zektor (my earlier posts/link) used to have a nice short tech writeup and table on this. Zektor still mentions a 500 MHz bandwidth for their initial passive switcher (linked but discontinued), and as their article explained it's important to know, since only ~33 Mhz is needed for HD, how sharply the frequency response falls off. For example, if the response is 10 dB down at 33 MHz, higher HD frequencies/resolutions could be so attenuated you couldn't see them. The Zektor 500 MHz rating may seem like overkill, but it should mean that the frequency response falloff is so gradual that at ~33 Mhz it's essentially flat--or perhaps only 1 dB down. That tech article had a table covering this. So, it boils down to locating a switcher (active or passive) with the highest bandwidth possible, also fitting a budget.

Used a cable-delivered HDNet test pattern years back to compare my YPbPr Zektor output to a direct cable-STB feed, and found the maximum test pattern resolution unchanged. But the HDNet pattern, via cable, was limited to <1300 effective lines, not the full 1920, as many AVSers have found. Just acquired a Sony PS3 Blu-ray player and measured the full 1920X1080 with the Spears & Munsil test Blu-ray. But that was with a HDMI hookup, although for cable viewing I'm running YPbPr through my Zektor switcher to a new 1080p plasma capable of full 1080 resolution; my former high-end 1080i 9"-gun CRT RPTV, junked when it failed this spring, presumably couldn't resolve full (test-pattern) 1920X1080, but never tried measuring this (no signal source). The Sony PS3 needs a special unique-plug YPbPr cable; might buy one just to see if the Zektor switcher avoids reducing frequencies/resolutions from the the S&M test disc. Lots of switch models, including some Zektors, now switch HDMI, of course. -- John

Well the new component cable arrived today, and it did NOT solve my problem. So at least I can say now that the problem is the switch from Best Buy. At this point, I have no idea which type of component switch would be a better choice, my frustration continues... :cool:

In two of my 4 setups, I've used one of these Audio Authority component switches for years, with NO issues. Also a bit more that most would want to spend, but well worth having no issues.

http://www.audioauthority.com/product_details/1154A/Switcher/5/1
http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/1154a.asp

Well, it wasn't cheap, but I've been using an Inday RGB4X-R component video switch for about a year and a half, to switch between my Verizon FiOS HD-DVR and a Blu-ray player (at 1080i, only).
http://www.inday.com/rgb4x/rgb4x.htm
(I actually have the RS-232 option -- which I've never used -- although my switch is not labeled as an RGB4X-RS model, as shown in the link.)

I have a first-generation 34" Sony direct-view set (KW-HD1), also about 9 years old, with only a single 1080i-capable component video input, and I've never had a single problem with that switch -- and the picture quality it passes is virtually indistinguishable from the picture quality without the switch.

tanfan;
Thanks for the info; I called INDAY in NY today; very nice folks.
Unfortunately that unit does not switch audio, it's video only. But he was the first one I have talked to who has heard of this problem and since they are a manufacturer he told me what to look for when buying one of these things. Apparently there are a lot of cheap Chinese units which do not have the proper bandwidth to handle the video when sudden changes occur on the screen; like commercials or bright flashes of light, etc. Does ANYONE have a suggestion on another reasonably priced ($100 range) component switch that has a video frequency bandwidth of at least 60 mhz, on up to say 230 mhz like the INDAY model???

In two of my 4 setups, I've used one of these Audio Authority component switches for years, with NO issues. Also a bit more that most would want to spend, but well worth having no issues.

http://www.audioauthority.com/product_details/1154A/Switcher/5/1
http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/1154a.asp

Thank for the links, yeah I called them today and they pointed me to these same units. They do appear to be well made but for 219.00 they don't even give you a remote. To be honest, I have a hard time believing I have to spend more on the $@%$& switch than I did on the Blu-Ray player, but I guess it's an option, lol.

tanfan;
Thanks for the info; I called INDAY in NY today; very nice folks.
Unfortunately that unit does not switch audio, it's video only. But he was the first one I have talked to who has heard of this problem and since they are a manufacturer he told me what to look for when buying one of these things. Apparently there are a lot of cheap Chinese units which do not have the proper bandwidth to handle the video when sudden changes occur on the screen; like commercials or bright flashes of light, etc. Does ANYONE have a suggestion on another reasonably priced ($100 range) component switch that has a video frequency bandwidth of at least 60 mhz, on up to say 230 mhz like the INDAY model???

I switch the audio through a surround-sound processor, but I suppose if you are not using that or a receiver, you could always switch the audio through your Dynex and get an Inday to switch the video. Hope you find an "all-in-one" switch, though.

Thank you; yeah my quest for a solution continues...

Thank for the links, yeah I called them today and they pointed me to these same units. They do appear to be well made but for 219.00 they don't even give you a remote. To be honest, I have a hard time believing I have to spend more on the $@%$& switch than I did on the Blu-Ray player, but I guess it's an option, lol.

They are slightly cheaper at The Digital Connection.
I'm not sure why the price is where it is, since you could buy one for around $150 a few years ago.

Remember that this switcher from AA will also switch the audio, and if you set it up right you don't need a remote, as it will auto switch.

Blasst; thank you, I might need to go that route...
just kinda pizzes me off, all I wanted was a Blu-Ray, this was supposed to be a low cost deal... :(