Okay, so here's the deal. I have 3 sources I want to be able to feed my 1292Q. They are HD-A1 through component video, HyHD through 15-pin VGA, and HTPC though BNC RGBHV (MP-1 Radeon). My equipment, including a VisionHDP, is in the front of the room and I have a BNC RGBHV cable going from the front of the room to the back of the room to the projector. Right now I have the HD-A1 and the MyHD connected to the HDP though component video. With such a configuration, both of my component inputs on the HDP are taken and it would be nice to have one available in case a friend brings over a video game console, etc. The DVI inputs on the HDP are digital (DVI-D) so it would seem that I would need expensive converter boxes to take analog RGB from the MyHD card and HTPC's Radeon MP-1 to DVI-D.

Should I just get one of those Sony video switchers (PC-1271?) and feed that switcher the HDP (via BNC RGBHV), MyHD (using a breakout cable or Extron computer interface box to go 15-pin VGA to BNC RGBHV), and BNC RGBHV from the HTPC? It's either that or have everything go through the scaler. I guess there really isn't any reason to feed the MyHD and HTPC thorugh the scaler as those sources are already scaled (unless one runs the MyHD at native resolution, which I found can cause issues with image centering when switching between 1080i, 720p, and 480i when fed to the scaler). I don't want to over-process those video sources so it seems like a switcher would be the way to go. Then again, I don't want to introduce signal loss or audio sync issues by using a switcher. Though perhaps signal loss and audio sync issues aren't anything to be worried about with a switcher in this setup? The switcher route seems to be the less expensive and better way to go now that I think it over. Just wanted to verify that's the way to go.

NEC ISS-6010 switchers are professional quality modular switchers with up to 11 total cards. Up to 4 simultaneous outputs and up to 10 inputs. You can get RGBHV and VGA input cards easily. You can run component over the RGB input cards, and it will output it over the same lines. It is IR controllable, RS232 controllable, and has input adjustments if you choose to use them. It is rack mountable and has all BNC connectors. There are even "aftermarket" cards you can purchase like the Moome HDMI input card, and the Petr component transcoder card.
Really, the Swiss Army knife of professional quality switchers. They were about $2800. new, without any cards, but can be bought nowadays, used, for very good prices.

PS: Just from my personal experience, if you need a box to go from VGA to 5 BNC, use the Altinex one instead of the Extron one. I've compared them side by side with the same source, same cables, same display, and the Extron added ringing whereas the Altinex was totally clean...
PSS: But with an ISS you don't need to worrry, just use VGA input cards for your VGA output sources... and 5 BNC input cards for anything else...

PS: Just from my personal experience, if you need a box to go from VGA to 5 BNC, use the Altinex one instead of the Extron one. I've compared them side by side with the same source, same cables, same display, and the Extron added ringing whereas the Altinex was totally clean...

I would not agree with this as a blanket statement. I've had 5 extron boxes and seen others. Many (especially older ones) can have ringing or add noise--not all do. For me, 2 did what you say, 1 did it very minor, 1 had no ringing but a little noise, and 1 was very very good. The very very good one was a 202Rxi.

Dave

I'm not sure what an NEC ISS gets you other than an eyesore unless he is advocating you switch RGBHV with it.

You cheapest solution to not run a new cable is I think to switch RGBHV after the scaler. You could run one of your sources DVI-D to the lumagen, then put an HDFury (when they come out) between the RGBHV switch and the lumagen. Once you do this, there is no reason to use component to the scaler as that results in a worse picture than digital to the scaler. So you could do:
HD-A1 HDMI -> Lumgen -> HD Fury -> switch -> PJ
MyHD component -> Lumagen -> switch
HTPC -> switch

You could also just use a 2x1 switch and flow all the output of the Lumagen DVI to the switch and the HTPC to the switch.

Dave

Interesting suggestions. The HDfury looks neat, but would I need it? Perhaps I would need it when using HDMI from the HD-A1, but not component? Are there any issues with going...

Blu-ray HDMI --> DVI-D --> Lumagen VisionHDP --> BNC RGBHV to projector

I'm in the HD DVD camp right now, but it's something I've wondered about, though it sounds like the HDfury would solve that problem if the above wasn't directly possible as diagramed due to HDCP.

Anyway, I guess what I was thinking for my current setup is...

HD-A1 component video --> Lumagen VisionHDP --> switch
MyHD VGA --> Extron RGB-109plus or VGA to 5BNC breakout cable --> switch
HTPC --> switch

Any disadvantages to that? How good are those Sony switchers, such as the PC-1271? They seem pretty inexpensive on eBay. Can they introduce noticeable video noise?

Interesting suggestions. The HDfury looks neat, but would I need it?

You will need it if you every want to use an HDMI out. All HDMI is HDCP encrypted and if the digital signal coming into the Lumagen is HDCP encrypted, it shuts down the analog out and reencrypts the digital out.

Anyway, I guess what I was thinking for my current setup is...

HD-A1 component video --> Lumagen VisionHDP --> switch
MyHD VGA --> Extron RGB-109plus or VGA to 5BNC breakout cable --> switch
HTPC --> switch

Any disadvantages to that?



That works, I just thought you wanted to process the MyHD output.

How good are those Sony switchers, such as the PC-1271? They seem pretty inexpensive on eBay. Can they introduce noticeable video noise?

OK but not great. YOu'd do better to find an extron VGA or BNC switcher.

Dave

I would not agree with this as a blanket statement. I've had 5 extron boxes and seen others. Many (especially older ones) can have ringing or add noise--not all do. For me, 2 did what you say, 1 did it very minor, 1 had no ringing but a little noise, and 1 was very very good. The very very good one was a 202Rxi.

Dave

I don't wanna be negative but if you had 5 and four of them were bad in some way I would say that the blanket statement seemed pretty accurate.

I don't wanna be negative but if you had 5 and four of them were bad in some way I would say that the blanket statement seemed pretty accurate.

Many were old and abused. Probably could have fixed the issue with new caps.

Also, a couple, the issues (ringing and noise) were so minor most people couldn't see it. So I'd call 2 of 5 crap and 2 of 5 "OK".

But the statement was essentially, "an extron will introduce ringing". From my experience it is only very old well used models that that is true of. Getting a newer model and that is likely to not be true. Perhaps I didn't articulate that well enough in my previous post.

Many were old and abused. Probably could have fixed the issue with new caps.

Also, a couple, the issues (ringing and noise) were so minor most people couldn't see it. So I'd call 2 of 5 crap and 2 of 5 "OK".

But the statement was essentially, "an extron will introduce ringing". From my experience it is only very old well used models that that is true of. Getting a newer model and that is likely to not be true. Perhaps I didn't articulate that well enough in my previous post.

Fair enough, I tend to agree that blanket statements are a bad idea.
So your clarification is appreciated.

I've been very pleased with my Extron System 10 plus switcher that I got for $20 off ebay, all the way up to 1080p there is no ringing, noise, or anything else.


Troy

I can't believe Dave thinks the NEC switcher is an eyesore. It's a beautiful piece of engineering, and it looks good too. The only possible complaint is it's beige, but that doesn't bother me.

With a Moome ISS card it can handle all inputs and convert them all to RGBHV.

It may not suit MYoung's setup as well as some other suggested solutions, but I'm definitely happy with mine.

I can't believe Dave thinks the NEC switcher is an eyesore. It's a beautiful piece of engineering, and it looks good too. The only possible complaint is it's beige, but that doesn't bother me.

With a Moome ISS card it can handle all inputs and convert them all to RGBHV.

It may not suit MYoung's setup as well as some other suggested solutions, but I'm definitely happy with mine.

Me too and there's a black version of it that Runco had but you hardly ever see them for sale.

Chip

There is a black NEC ISS which was badged as a GE, called the SC-10.

Mike,

the MyHD has a very nice DVI add-on.
Buy it, connect its DVI output to the lumagen and be done.

The DVI output is visibly better than the VGA output, too.

Oliver