Quality A/V switches

[JeffD]

I'm looking for a good A/V switch box for 4 or 5 S-video connections. I have a Pelican 5 in 1 right now, but I'm not real happy with the video quality (grainy, poor resolution).

Just wondering if anybody has any recommendations.

-jd

[leonk]

Jeff I too was looking for the ultimate AV switch.. my problem is that my TV has SVideo in and RCA in, but you can't use both at the same time..

I have a satellite hookup in my room, and the difference between SVideo and RCA is night and day, but almos teverything else I own is RCA!

The best thing I found is a switch in Radio Shack!

They are the only company I found that automatically converts SVideo -> RCA and RCA -> SVideo..

So now my TV is hooked to it via SVideo, and anything that supports SVideo, hooks to it.. and anything that doesn't, gets converted to SVideo signal before going to my TV! (mind you the picture quality of the RCA doesn't become better, but at the same no quality is lost!)

I also saw Radio shack has a new model.. same thing, except it now also allows you to switch inputs via any button on your remote control that you get to teach the A/V switch!

LK

[congobongo]

I have two InterAct selectors hooked up together and for me the quality is great. http://www.consolesource.com/playstation2/ms-int-sys.htm

[ashbourn]

as long as u do not have 2 system on at the same time u can use a load a spliters it cheap and does not fuck the pic or sound.

[CrazyImpmon]

Actually, using cheap spilter will screw the quality. When you have more cables on the same setup, signal ends up traveling on more of them and degrade a bit more. You can try a simple test by having one console on. Then unplug the cable to different console from the Y adapter, the picture would seems a tad brighter and clearer.

[john_soper]

Are you sure the Pelican 5-1 works poorly? Maybe you're using the RF output mode?
I hooked up 14 systems (half composite, half S-video) by cascading 3 pelican boxes into one central one, and the quality looks great to me.
It's really rare to have a poor-looking S-video connection because the highest frequency is only 4Mhz, most any wire will carry that.
John

[FABombjoy]

My experience with Pelican/Interact video switchboxes is that they work pretty well for the most part. However, they aren't made to be disconnected/reconnected very many times. I've had mine through a few moves and have had to resolder connections on both of my boxes. The jacks are only held in by solder, and the joints either go cold OR the traces get pulled off the boards. But for $20, I'll gladly touch up a few connections every few years.

Also, using splitters instead of switchboxes is iffy. I had a Dreamcast, PSX, and N64 hooked up that way, and the N64 (or the PSX, don't remember) wouldn't produce video if the other two were hooked up.