Is there a GOOD A/V switch box out there?

[YoshiM]

Couple days ago I hooked my SNES back up to my gaming TV and got into some Axelay. As I was playing, I noticed how dark the screen was. I adjusted my TV (27" Samsung HD CRT TV) but it still didn't look right. S

Next I pulled the cable off the pelican switch box I was using an connected it straight to the TV. Holy brightness! After readjusting the TV the game looked normal. So i replaced the switch box with a new one. Same result.

I don't mind disconnecting and reconnecting consoles but for the lazy in me, is there a GOOD switch box out there that doesn't degrade the quality this much?

[Emperor Megas]

Well, we're talking about a Pelican product here, so I mean...

At any rate, I can't say that I've ever really noticed a drastic difference in image quality when using a switch box, and I've used several different ones. It probably helps if you use one that has a power supply. I'd wager that most that use an adapter amplify the signal to produce a better image, but that's just a layman's theory.

[YoshiM]

Well, we're talking about a Pelican product here, so I mean...

At any rate, I can't say that I've ever really noticed a drastic difference in image quality when using a switch box, and I've used several different ones. It probably helps if you use one that has a power supply. I'd wager that most that use an adapter amplify the signal to produce a better image, but that's just a layman's theory.

The new one I bought at Best Buy doesn't have a power supply or even the option. The pelican (yeah, yeah...got it at goodwill years ago cheap) only used it (supposedly) for RF.

Could also be my tv is sensitive to signal.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I asked the same question a while back... I lost the link to the answer, but there's this thread:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139636

I use a JVC JX-S700. It has a bunch of S-Video & RCA inputs and outputs, and doesn't mess up the signal.

[alec006]

Best to do is get a powered A/V switch box, they tend to keep a nice bright picture compared to switchboxes without power supplys which usually produce a darker picture the more devices you hook up to it.

I actually used the RCA CRF940 myself when most of my devices were composite and the picture was always amazing, I even used it when I had nothing but an RF input and the picture was still crisp. Then I tried S-Video on it and it degraded for some reason.

I actually like the look of that JVC- JX-S700 Kitsune Sniper, I may get one myself.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Mine cost me like $80 or $90 shipped. These are -not cheap-, but they're well worth the price.

[FoxNtd]

Ha, I recently just did a test for precisely this. I have a Dynex S-Video and A/V selector box. It takes four inputs and has two outputs. I was concerned that, since this unit isn't powered, using both outputs simultaneously might degrade the signal.

As it turns out, it was really hard to tell. Only by using BOTH outputs at once was anything even remotely noticeable.

I suppose you should go with the powered switch boxes only if preserving the signal quality is absolutely vital for what you want to do. Then again, the way this particular switch box works doesn't represent the way they ALL would, so trying one for yourself might be the only way to know for sure what results you'll see. :|

[Cornelius]

The Pelican System Selector Pro is the one I remember people always talking about. There were several different versions or revisions, and not all were equal as I recall. I have one of them (with the black casing), but I don't actually know which version it is and never really did a lot of testing with it since things got rearranged not long after I got it and it was no longer needed. I can't wait for the day when I can get all my stuff set up again and I'll need it!

something to look into at least.

[Lady Jaye]

I have an old RCA-brand A/V switch box that adds 4 RCA inputs, and I like it a lot. I could look out the model number later, but I doubt that an online search will bring out much (aside from maybe the odd ebay auction or Craigslist listing).

[Kitsune Sniper]

I have a bunch of non-powered Radio Shack ones around that I used for recording before I got my JVC unit. They're pretty good but introduce a very, VERY faint interference that is just very barely noticeable. (I only saw it after testing screen captures.) It's not noticeable on a standard TV set, especially not on pre-PS1/Saturn systems.

[alec006]

Mine cost me like $80 or $90 shipped. These are -not cheap-, but they're well worth the price.

From what I read about it, it really does look like an amazing selector, I would love to find one brand new especially for my editing system setup.


The Pelican System Selector Pro is the one I remember people always talking about. There were several different versions or revisions, and not all were equal as I recall. I have one of them (with the black casing), but I don't actually know which version it is and never really did a lot of testing with it since things got rearranged not long after I got it and it was no longer needed. I can't wait for the day when I can get all my stuff set up again and I'll need it!

something to look into at least.

I actually use the black Pelican System Selector Pro for all my component video devices which I have five hooked up and I've never seen any interference or picture degrading. It does a pretty good job and the lit labels are kind of cool :)

[XYXZYZ]

Yoshi, before you drop a lot of cash on a new switchbox go to your local Radio Shack (if you have one) and see of you can't get a video amplifier. I got a $40 amplifier for $10 there.

I have a bunch of Pelican boxes linked together, though I don't usually see any signal degradation, the mechanical nature messes things up as the signal will sometimes flicker and drop out. Usually I can slap it a couple times to bring it back. But my Neo Geo wouldn't work at all through those boxes; the signal was dead by the time it reached the television. The video amplifier did the trick, though.

I don't see any difference between amplified and non amplified signals with other consoles, just the Neo Geo... :?

[Kitsune Sniper]

... I've used those amplifiers and the only thing they do is make the image brighter.

[YoshiM]

Yoshi, before you drop a lot of cash on a new switchbox go to your local Radio Shack (if you have one) and see of you can't get a video amplifier. I got a $40 amplifier for $10 there.

I might give that a shot but my mind's been pondering other issues. I've been trying to wrack my brain to see if I can remember seeing this issue before. I haven't played my SNES much but I did do a test to see if another SNES I bought in a bundle was functioning (there's some weird video issue-strange color bleed on the sprites) and I used Axelay as a tester, followed by Aladdin. I don't think the games were dark then but I'm not 100% sure.

I'll have to drag my C64 monitor up and try the switch box on that, or maybe even my Sony Bravia LCD TV. I hope it's not my TV cause if it's having issues with the switch box...does that mean it might start to have issues when things are plugged directly into it?

[Darko]

I have the Joytech 240C (I think that's the number anyway). It's done a great job for me so far and you can edit the input text for each channel so you'll always know which input is for which system. I'm not sure how much they cost but I got mine for $5.00 on CL.

[motley6]

Sony's AV Selector SB-V40S allows you to switch between four composite and S-Video sources and adds the ability to daisy chain additional units together. I don't see any degradation in quality on a CRT TV.

[Marriott_Guy]

I have to give another vote for the Pelican System Selector Pro. It has worked flawlessly for me through the years and still remains a vital part of my AV set up. It is sleek, dependable and provides excellent clarity of picture/signal. I wrote a review on this AV switch in case anyone might be interested in more info:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/blog/?p=440

Terry

[Battlehork]

Pelican System Selector Pro is a solid choice.

Another option: Non-HDMI A/V receivers. Many of the higher end ones had 5-6 S-video and composite inputs and possibly even component inputs, and you can get a deal on a used one.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

i use a psyclone unit, forgot the model number but i do remember they went for around 200 at one time, it has 4 component, s video & rca along with 4 optical audio outs if you should need it, its a powered unit and is a definite step up from my non powered, older philips universal switch box i used prior

[YoshiM]

:taps staff onto the ground: RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE.

After this thread I decided to swap my Samung TV with my old Apex SD TV my inlaws had. I had picked up a powered switchbox from Radio Shack and it worked great.

Fast forward to now: I just got a 32" Sony Wega TV and started getting the same issues as my Samsung along with a new wrinkle. I'd get the dimmed screen and is make adjustments but then every so often the screen would flicker and it'd be like it should. Take the box out of the equation and it's a bright, brilliant picture.

I'm not sure if this is because newer TVs are more sensitive to signal or what. I don't have an AV enabled stereo anymore (or maybe I do...gotta check the basement) so i might just stick with manual plugging and if it becomes a real hassle get an amp.

Belated thanks to all the suggestions here.

[chrisbid]

old thread, but new answer

could the issue be a cable issue? i like to splurge on high end cables to go from swtich boxes to the television. high end gold plated AV and S-video cables are cheap and plentiful at thrift stores, so they are well worth the investment even if they do not solve this particular problem.

[YoshiM]

old thread, but new answer

could the issue be a cable issue? i like to splurge on high end cables to go from swtich boxes to the television. high end gold plated AV and S-video cables are cheap and plentiful at thrift stores, so they are well worth the investment even if they do not solve this particular problem.

I thought that too as I recently cleaned part of my basement and found a set of old heavy duty AV cords. That didn't fix it either.

[kedawa]

The only good switchbox I've ever used was a 4-input/2-output powered box from radio shack.
Non-powered switchboxes are never a good idea.

[YoshiM]

I figured it out. On one hand it's so f'n stupid that the situation occurred because in all honesty it shouldn't have electronics wise. At least in my mind.

I was futzing with my switchbox again and had just my NES hooked up. Same issues with the screen flipping from my settings to compensate for the darkness then becoming uber bright. Frustrated, I disconnected the composite cables that connected the switchbox to the tv, leaving my NES on in the process. When I sat back on the floor, I could still see the title screen of the game I popped in.

The only thing connected was the S-video and it shares that input.

Now you'd think that if the device being displayed didn't have s-video, there'd be no signal, right? Not in the case. Once I isolated the inputs (composite on one, s-video on another) and fixed the video, all was well.

I feel a bit dumb but now I learned something.

[wiggyx]

The only good switchbox I've ever used was a 4-input/2-output powered box from radio shack.
Non-powered switchboxes are never a good idea.

Powered as in auto-switch, or as in amp?

[kedawa]

It wasn't auto switching, but it did require an AC adapter. It had two sets of mechanical buttons to assign an input to each of the two outputs.
There was no noticeable signal loss, so it's likely that it had an amp.
Whenever I've used the simple switch boxes, there was noticeable interference, like using a really long and poorly shielded video cable.

[MachineGex]

I just ran into this. I had a SNES, orig. Xbox and GC all hookup to a video selector switch. They all were connect with S-video, including SVideo out to the TV. I added a Modded NES and Genesis with normal RCA cables and they would not show in color. I ended up having to take the SVideo to TV cable out and use a regular RCA cable. I guess if you use a SVideo out, all the systems need a svideo in cable. If not, just go with all RCA cables.

I could just use two switch boxes, one for SVideo and one for regular RCA, but it is on our 3rd TV and my son uses it. It is nice to have all the systems hooked up to one automatic switch box. This switch box is a 5 input/1 output box. It scans all the inputs and when a system is turned on, it automatically goes to it. Pretty sweet. I do notice a drop on the Gamecube the most, SVideo to RCA is noticeable, but the convenience overrides it slightly.

Sidenote:
Oddly, just using RCA out (to the TV from the Switchbox) instead of SVideo fixed the problem. I didnt have to take off the SVideo cables going from the other systems to the switch box.

[kedawa]

It must just down-mix the s-video to composite.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

The one I have is unbranded, but has six compoiste/s-video inputs, works very well, and even has a headphone jack!

[thom_m]

I was reading the thread and Kitsune Sniper's suggestion caught my attention. So I went looking for a JX-S700 online...only to find out that some guy sold one for R$ 1,050 on Mercado Livre (our eBay here in Brazil). That's $ 536 in US Dollars. Every similar product won't sell for less than R$ 500. Dammit.

And therefore I'm stuck forever with garbage like this:
6334

[kedawa]

Can't you just order it from the U.S.?

[MachineGex]

Thom, if you need someone in the USA to buy you a couple and ship them out to you, let me know. There are two on ebay right now, one with the remote; BIN of $99 and another without remote for $30bid/$60BIN.

Buy two, sell one and still make $$$. Shit, start a import business.