Component Video Selector?

[FFactory0x]

I have a Panny 42" plasma but it only has 1 componant in on it

I have Comcast Digital Cable HD package as well as a Xbox 360

What isthe best option for me so i may hook up both to a selector without loss of quality??

Ive seen the Pelican System Selector Pro for $100 but it looks crappy and people said to get a manual push button one

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Perfect excuse to get a real sound system and receiver :evil:

 

[Quasmo]

I got This I'll let you know how it looks tommrow when I hook up my Wii and XBox 360

 

[Pariah]

Any standard RCA AV switcher will work fine. No point in throwing away money on marketing for a "component switcher" which doesn't really mean anything. Signal degradation is not an issue, especially when considering mediocre sources like those, HD resolution or not.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: Pariah
Any standard RCA AV switcher will work fine. No point in throwing away money on marketing for a "component switcher" which doesn't really mean anything. Signal degradation is not an issue, especially when considering mediocre sources like those, HD resolution or not.

I have always wondered if that would work. Just use the video + 2 audio rca jacks and it should work.

 

[SuperFreaky]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze

Originally posted by: Pariah
Any standard RCA AV switcher will work fine. No point in throwing away money on marketing for a "component switcher" which doesn't really mean anything. Signal degradation is not an issue, especially when considering mediocre sources like those, HD resolution or not.

I have always wondered if that would work. Just use the video + 2 audio rca jacks and it should work.


It works fine, but Jello is correct... save up for a good receiver!

 

[FFactory0x]

Yea but doesnt the RCA switcher lack componant input connections as well as the componant out

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Yea but doesnt the RCA switcher lack componant input connections as well as the componant out

If it's composite + RCA audio, then you have three RCA connections per input and three RCA connections as output.

You'll just get video then rather than analog, but it should work.

If you can get a component switch for a similar price though, might as well go with that though.

 

[FFactory0x]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Yea but doesnt the RCA switcher lack componant input connections as well as the componant out

If it's composite + RCA audio, then you have three RCA connections per input and three RCA connections as output.

You'll just get video then rather than analog, but it should work.

If you can get a component switch for a similar price though, might as well go with that though.

Maybe im missing something.

The componant connection from my Xbox 360 and HD reciever are Blue,Green,Red

I want a simple but good box that i can input these two sources into and then have a set of BGR cables from the boxes output -> tv companant input.

Since RCA boxes have simple composite connectors, how does this help me?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Yea but doesnt the RCA switcher lack componant input connections as well as the componant out

If it's composite + RCA audio, then you have three RCA connections per input and three RCA connections as output.

You'll just get video then rather than analog, but it should work.

If you can get a component switch for a similar price though, might as well go with that though.

Maybe im missing something.

The componant connection from my Xbox 360 and HD reciever are Blue,Green,Red

I want a simple but good box that i can input these two sources into and then have a set of BGR cables from the boxes output -> tv companant input.

Since RCA boxes have simple composite connectors, how does this help me?

Composite switches often carry audio as well.

Random example:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=180-938

 

[FFactory0x]

But I dont need audio. I have both the 360 and d box hooked up via TOS cables into my reciver

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
But I dont need audio. I have both the 360 and d box hooked up via TOS cables into my reciver

Yes, I realize that, but that's what you're "missing"

Composite video + 2 RCA audio = 3 RCA connections

Component video = 3 RCA connections


That's how you can use a composite switch that has audio to do component video.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1982046&enterthread=y

 

[FFactory0x]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
But I dont need audio. I have both the 360 and d box hooked up via TOS cables into my reciver

Yes, I realize that, but that's what you're "missing"

Composite video + 2 RCA audio = 3 RCA connections

Component video = 3 RCA connections


That's how you can use a composite switch that has audio to do component video.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1982046&enterthread=y

So say i bought a Composite switch from Radio Shack.

Lets say it has 3 sets of RCA composite inputs and 1 set RCA composite outputs.

Basically, it will have 3 sets of (Yellow input for video) and ( Red , While audio)

Now if i were to plug my xbox 360's Componant cords into this box, what color would go where? Like would the Blue go into the Yellow input, Green into White, and so on. Then the output would be the same way

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
But I dont need audio. I have both the 360 and d box hooked up via TOS cables into my reciver

Yes, I realize that, but that's what you're "missing"

Composite video + 2 RCA audio = 3 RCA connections

Component video = 3 RCA connections


That's how you can use a composite switch that has audio to do component video.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1982046&enterthread=y

So say i bought a Composite switch from Radio Shack.

Lets say it has 3 sets of RCA composite inputs and 1 set RCA composite outputs.

Basically, it will have 3 sets of (Yellow input for video) and ( Red , While audio)

Now if i were to plug my xbox 360's Componant cords into this box, what color would go where? Like would the Blue go into the Yellow input, Green into White, and so on. Then the output would be the same way

Doesn't matter, just be consistent.

 

[FFactory0x]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
But I dont need audio. I have both the 360 and d box hooked up via TOS cables into my reciver

Yes, I realize that, but that's what you're "missing"

Composite video + 2 RCA audio = 3 RCA connections

Component video = 3 RCA connections


That's how you can use a composite switch that has audio to do component video.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1982046&enterthread=y

So say i bought a Composite switch from Radio Shack.

Lets say it has 3 sets of RCA composite inputs and 1 set RCA composite outputs.

Basically, it will have 3 sets of (Yellow input for video) and ( Red , While audio)

Now if i were to plug my xbox 360's Componant cords into this box, what color would go where? Like would the Blue go into the Yellow input, Green into White, and so on. Then the output would be the same way

Doesn't matter, just be consistent.

Well if what your saying is true, couldnt i just hook these things through the composites connections on my 5.1 reciever and out put the same way.

Why the hell did they ever bring out Componant anyways then if composite connections are the same thing

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You'll get better results going with a component switch probably, especially if you're trying to do higher res signals.

A simple switch like this one should work well enough for switching component, but in your receiver, more might be going on with the composite video and analog audio signals that just simple switching.

A composite switch might have issues with the bandwidth required to pass an HD component signal. Hooking up the Green cable from the component connection to the yellow on the composite switch would probably be your best bet.

Having said all this, I'd say again that if you can just buy a component switch for a little more, might as well do that. I was just trying to explain what Pariah mentioned.

 

[FFactory0x]

I really apprciate your help.

Now in terms of a Componant Switch, what am i looking as in the $50-100 range

Someone on another forum pointed this out to me saying its pretty good because of the 50MHz bandwidth it offers compared to the simple solution we were talking about

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/40-814.html

Its only $50

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

What kind of receiver do you have?

Just for consideration: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1985140&enterthread=y

 

[FFactory0x]

I actually have a

Kenwood VR 507 thats served me well for 5 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-VR-507-Surround-Sound-Receiver/dp/B00005T3MA

Hooked up to JBL S310's, N Center, N26's and I have the N24s on the 2nd set of connectors for music in another room

 

[Pariah]

If you have an extra $20-70 to throw away, by all means go ahead and get a component switcher. I can guarantee you though, that there is no benefit over getting a $30 composite switcher from BB or where ever and using that.

You can't use your receiver like that, because your receiver is not a simple switch and will likely send the inputted signal through its audio processor. For obvious reasons, that is not a good idea.

Why the hell did they ever bring out Componant anyways then if composite connections are the same thing

It's not the cable that matters, it's how the signal is sent. Composite sends all the video in one cable, and the right and left audio channels in seperate cables. Component takes the video signal and splits it up into three different signals that each use a different cable (Y,Pb,Pr). There is no audio sent with the component signal, so all three cables are used exclusively for the video signal.

A composite switch might have issues with the bandwidth required to pass an HD component signal. Hooking up the Green cable from the component connection to the yellow on the composite switch would probably be your best bet.

No, it won't. Unless it is the cheapest piece of garbage switch available. Every switch I have seen has a circuit board on the inside, not cables, which won't have varying sized traces. So it doesn't matter which you plug in where so long as you are consistent on the output cabling.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Pariah
If you have an extra $20-70 to throw away, by all means go ahead and get a component switcher. I can guarantee you though, that there is no benefit over getting a $30 composite switcher from BB or where ever and using that.

You can't use your receiver like that, because your receiver is not a simple switch and will likely send the inputted signal through its audio processor. For obvious reasons, that is not a good idea.

Why the hell did they ever bring out Componant anyways then if composite connections are the same thing

It's not the cable that matters, it's how the signal is sent. Composite sends all the video in one cable, and the right and left audio channels in seperate cables. Component takes the video signal and splits it up into three different signals that each use a different cable (Y,Pb,Pr). There is no audio sent with the component signal, so all three cables are used exclusively for the video signal.

A composite switch might have issues with the bandwidth required to pass an HD component signal. Hooking up the Green cable from the component connection to the yellow on the composite switch would probably be your best bet.

No, it won't. Unless it is the cheapest piece of garbage switch available. Every switch I have seen has a circuit board on the inside, not cables, which won't have varying sized traces. So it doesn't matter which you plug in where so long as you are consistent on the output cabling.

Ok, but the green is the most important cable and I figure that if a switch is going to skimp somewhere it's going to the audio vs. video so that's why I mentioned it.