Best way to hook up an xbox to my system?

[jfall]

Right now I have a 5.1 system with a 32" wega. I have a DVD player hooked up with S-Video and a digital coax cable for DTS/Dolby sound, my sat receiver is hooked up with S-video and RCA's for sound.

I want my xbox to have 5.1 surround which I can do because I have an unused optical input however i'm not sure how to hook up the video. I have no S-Video inputs free. Can I hook up the xbox video with a regular video RCA if my receiver outputs to my TV through s-video? I thought for some reason they had to be the same, am I wrong? Or do you think I should use RCA for video for my sat/dvd player and use xbox with s-video instead?

Is there some type of s-video splitter I could get that could be changed over with the flick of a switch that would not reduce quality?

 

[Wingznut]

I'd say to get a S-Video selector.

I have this Pelican model and it works just fine. (It's not as huge as the picture makes it look like.)

Here's a better pic.

EDIT: You should be able to input to your receiver with RCA's and then output with your S-Video... However, you'll still be limited to the quality of the RCA's.

 

[EngenZerO]

Your wega should have one component free so I would upgrade your dvd player to component then use the xbox with s-video. Another option would be to run through your reciever (if your reciever can handle s-video connections).

 

[jfall]

I will check out the S-Video selector, thanks.

Your wega should have one component free so I would upgrade your dvd player to component then use the xbox with s-video. Another option would be to run through your reciever (if your reciever can handle s-video connections).

That's not such a bad idea, I didn't even remember that my Wega had component inputs. I guess that may make my DVD picture quality a bit better too. Only thing is that it won't be going through the receiver, but that's not such a big deal. Now to check prices on component cables (scared to see)

 

[BillGates]

I just got an XBox and bought the High Definition Video Pack from Best Buy ($20). I used the included component cables and plugged those directly into my TV (Panasonic Tau) and ran an optical cable from the video pack box to my receiver. It looks and sounds great....which reminds me, I need to go play it.

 

[jfall]

Do you think it would be better to use component with the x-box or the DVD player?

 

[EngenZerO]

Originally posted by: jfall
Do you think it would be better to use component with the x-box or the DVD player?

Depends. If your dvd player is a decent player and you watch alot of movies I would component your dvd player then the x-box would be fine with s-video. I would only component your x-box if you have a crappy DVD player and plan on using your xbox as your main dvd player and if your Wega was HD and you want your games to scale in PG mode.

 

[jfall]

I have a new Pioneer 363-S progressive scan DVD player so I support it could benefit from the component more then the xbox. I think I will hook up the xbox with Svideo/optical and the DVD player to the component inputs on the wega and use digital coax on my receiver for sound. I found this http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&dept=15&WLBS=fsweb7&sku_id=0665000FS10028514&catid=&newdeptid=2 which looks like all I really need.

Thanks for the advice

 

On a different, but similar note, I recently heard that S-video cable is nothing more than Cat5 crimped in a different order. Can anyone verify this?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: BillGates
I just got an XBox and bought the High Definition Video Pack from Best Buy ($20). I used the included component cables and plugged those directly into my TV (Panasonic Tau) and ran an optical cable from the video pack box to my receiver. It looks and sounds great....which reminds me, I need to go play it.

Did you get that HDV pack at B&M BB? So what do I need to use XBox? Do I just need a controller and some games and HDV pack to run on my video projector? I saw what looked like an XBox controller and couple games at Costco for $200 maybe $220. Is that a good deal?

 

[MazerRackham]

You know there's nothing special about component video ins/outs or the cables. I am using regular RCA cables (three of them, of course) as "component video cables" and the picture couldn't be better.

No need to buy specific component video cables unless you want the color coding...

 

[zzzz]

Originally posted by: Muse

Did you get that HDV pack at B&M BB? So what do I need to use XBox? Do I just need a controller and some games and HDV pack to run on my video projector? I saw what looked like an XBox controller and couple games at Costco for $200 maybe $220. Is that a good deal?

get the xbox at dell SB when they have a 20% coupon. It turns out to be around $150 and includes one controller and two games.

 

[MustangSVT]

Originally posted by: MazerRackham
You know there's nothing special about component video ins/outs or the cables. I am using regular RCA cables (three of them, of course) as "component video cables" and the picture couldn't be better.

No need to buy specific component video cables unless you want the color coding...

shhhhhh, monster¢â dont want them to know :Q

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT

Originally posted by: MazerRackham
You know there's nothing special about component video ins/outs or the cables. I am using regular RCA cables (three of them, of course) as "component video cables" and the picture couldn't be better.

No need to buy specific component video cables unless you want the color coding...

shhhhhh, monster¢â dont want them to know :Q

I wouldn't get Monsters. I was shopping component cables a few weeks ago and bought some probably pretty weak stuff at a computer show for $4.49. It was 25 foot long and I only needed 10-12 feet. On recommendation from guys at AVS Forums I returned that at the next computer show and bought Radio Shack A/V cables, 12 foot, for $16.99 + tax. They look identical to their $52 12 foot component cables except the rings on the connectors are a different color. I'm told that they have been tested and the results are the same as the component cables from RS.