[niwi1038]

I have been searching in the forums and online and have found like 500 dollar-1000 dollar component video switchers...but that is WAY too much money



I have a Hitachi 51SWX20B TV w/ 2 component inputs....


Ideally I want to hook up 3 component inputs to the TV (XBOX, Progressive Scan DVD Player, and HDTV Cable box)


i figure I want the best picture out of the HDTV cable box....so I guess I will hook up this to the TV directly...however


for the xbox and dvd player....can I purchase a switcher for around 100 dollars preferably less, that won't have picture quality loss? My friend just purchased a 20 dollar COMPOSITE switcher and the quality is HORRIBLE...i dont want quality loss like this....What are my options here? What would you do if you were in my situation?


Thanks...


-niwi

 

[Stew4msu]

This might work:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-1977




Stew

 

[hugenbdd]

Stew4msu, That is for composite,,, the "yellow wire". He wants one for HD inputs (Y,PB, PR).


Here is one from Digital connections...
https://www.dcpuraty.com/store/Produ...uctCode=AA1154


and

https://www.dcpuraty.com/store/Produ...ctCode=KDSW2X1


These should work.....


Dave

 

[niwi1038]

thanks alot!


thats not THAT expensive however it is kinda expensive....


would this work well?:
http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...6&category=298


its *** out for some reason...anyway after the cgi its [email protected] lol

 

[brenden]

Are you sure your HDTV cable box won't have DVI? Hitachi's spec sheet listed you had one of those, too.

 

[niwi1038]

thanks


it is a scientific atlanta box


just has component/composite


no dvi


even if it had dvi....there the first port on the tv has DVI AND Component and the second has component and thats all for the component inputs



so it would still only be 2 inputs even if one was dvi



with that component box by jvc that i listed above for like 80 dollars would i have picture quality loss?

 

[jerndl]

The Inday is the least expensive remote controlled "high bandwidth" switcher that I'm aware of. Most of the less expensive devices have problems. Good luck.


Jay

 

[niwi1038]

I am liking this one:


Audio Authority 1154


its like 150 at various places online and has component and digital audio switching


any1 know anything about it? best place to get it?

 

[Rachael Bellomy]

Quote:

Originally posted by jerndl The Inday is the least expensive remote controlled "high bandwidth" switcher that I'm aware of. Most of the less expensive devices have problems. Good luck. Jay

The Inday is working real well for me and it's nice and small which is convient.

 

[niwi1038]

Thanks...so should I get the Inday and a seperate digital audio switcher?


I think if I can have it confirmed by someone that the audio authority model has great picture quality I will get that one because it is about 150 and has toslink built into each input...

 

[rmcgirr83]

I have the AA1154 so I'll chime in. It has four component inputs and four optical inputs with one component and optical output. It is rated for 100 Mhz so you're all set with HD....and to put some icing on the cake it auto switches based upon a heirarchal order (ie input number one will override input number 4 if both are on). It also has a switch if you want to manually select which input.


Since I have put it in, I have forgotten about it, which is about as good as you can hope for. Something that works and does what it is supposed to, I am finding, is becoming harder and harder to find these days.


I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

 

[jerndl]

Quote:

Originally posted by niwi1038 Thanks...so should I get the Inday and a seperate digital audio switcher? I think if I can have it confirmed by someone that the audio authority model has great picture quality I will get that one because it is about 150 and has toslink built into each input...

Most of the time your AV receiver has plenty of digital inputs, but only 2 component inputs. With a decent remote control you could easily have macros for viewing each device that selects the proper video source via the inday switcher and the proper audio soource via your receiver. I believe that the AA unit is not remote controllable. It uses "auto sensing" logic or manual buttons. Either solution will probably work, but I prefer remote control vs. auto sensing.


Jay

 

[dtreat776]

I'll second the AA1154. I am running a HD cable box and ps2 through it and the AA1154 is connected to my HK 525. I am using the Z1 for my display. And yes it is "auto sensing" and can be switched manually.


I think you can not go wrong with either the AA1154 or the Indy component switcher. It might just depend on your preference, if you want a remote control option.

 

[deeann]

Quote:

Originally posted by hugenbdd Stew4msu, That is for composite,,, the "yellow wire". He wants one for HD inputs (Y,PB, PR).

I'm using a Radio Shack mechanical A/V switcher and it works, you just need to remap it (e.g. green cables to yellow input/output, blue to left audio, red to right) and keep it consistent. I have two DVD players and an HD cable box running through it.

 

[niwi1038]

lol how can u get good quality out of that?!!?



and how would you use audio?



r u using a CRT tv?

 

[deeann]

 This is one I'm using. It's mechanical push-button so it's a straight pass-though (the auto-sensing and remote contolled composite A/V switchers have bandwidth issues, and many can't pass the full signal needed), you just need to make sure the connections are tight (and use real component cables, not A/V cables) and you don't cross your video and power cables. It actually works pretty good, with a *slight* bit of interference that's only visible in the Avia 10 IRE window test. I use my receiver to do most of the audio switching, but have a different switcher (MadCatz HDTV system selector, not so good with the video) as an additional coax audio switcher (hooked to the cable HD STB and a secondary DVD player).


I have a plasma with no speakers so all audio is run through the receiver.

 

[Zero1]

Here's a little of my story:


I have a Sony KV36XBR800 HD set with plenty of component inputs, but then I got an InFocus ScreenPlay 5700 projector. I quickly got tired of plugging and unplugging things between the TV and projector. So I started doing a little research. First I found that HD requires somewhere around 37-50MHz of bandwidth to work properly. I decided I needed a 4 in 2 out switcher and figured I could easily find something for under $100. I was way wrong on that one! First I looked at the JVC for around $89 but figured it wouldn't work 'cuz it was only rated 35MHz (or was it 25?). Anyway, the only other 4x2 I could find was something from Zektor for $500. Way to much $! Damn, how hard can this be!? So, it looked like I would have to suck it up and buy a 4x1 (I'd have to plug and unplug from the switcher, something a little easier than dealing with all the separate components). It seemed the best products out there were the Inday and AA1154 (both around $150). I ended up buying the AA because it had the audio inputs and Inday's 210MHz seemed a little overkill. With the exception of an occasional auto switch when I was playing PS2, the AA worked great. But, it was a pain in the @#$ to plug and unplug the video out. So I decided to scour the web one more time for a 4x2. Then, I found it. A 4x2 from AVTool (avtoolbox.com) for $90. My prayers were answered (or so I thought)! I quickly bought it. After waiting a week and a half to receive it, I hooked it up. It didn't @#$%ing work with my projector. I called AVTool and they said it was a termination problem. I then had an EE look at it. He let me know they used a cheap amplifier that offset the video signal 1.5V (something that you can't fix without redesigning the board). Luckily the place I bought it from decided they wouldn't hit me with their standard 20% restocking charge. Now what am I gonna do? Visiting the local electronics store that same day, I found a 4x1 "HDTV" switch from MadCatz for $30. Very nice! Finally someone came through for me! I hooked it up and mother @#$%, it didn't work right! It added horizontal noise to my PS2 and screwed up my HD (added a light purple vertical bar on dark scenes - so bad I couldn't watch West Wing in HD). This all took place in the last 3 weeks and the story isn't over yet. I ended up holding on to the AA1154 because it was/is the only thing that has worked. I decided to buy a 1.5' component cable and 3 75 ohm females that I hooked up to my video out on the AA. Switching between the TV and projector hasn't been too difficult (just unplug and plug at the end of the short cable) and the video looks great thru the 1154. Hopefully my story will help someone else to not go through the same thing.

 

[deeann]

I tried the MadCatz also, but had a similar problem with added picture noise. It makes a decent coax digital audio switcher though.

 

[plasmamaniac]

Zektor makes a couple of component video switchers. Here's the Link. Check it out.

 

[Zero1]

I looked into the Zektor...seems like a good product. But at $299 for 4x1 and $499 for 4x2, it's a little too expensive. There's good information on requirements for switching on that link.