THATinkjar
07-14-2005, 09:27 AM
On Monday night, I placed an order with Play (http://www.play.com/) for a Joytech AV Control Center. I bought the original model (silver style) and not the recent successor (retailing for around a third more). Firstly, I want to compliment Play for their service. The unit arrived next day, and they're extremely cheap. And I'd also like to thank EuroGamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/) for bringing this product to my attention, although I still despise their reviews.
Let me begin by introducing the product. The AV Control Center, as the name suggests, is a switchbox for a multitude of connections (RGB Scart, S-Video, Phono and Optical). These inputs are located on the back in "blocks", of which there are four. Each block contains each type of input. There is also one output block. Since the unit doesn't automatically detect the current input source, switching between inputs is done via the remote control (battery included) or a button on the unit itself.
Upon emptying the box, the first thing I appreciated was the unit's superb build quality. The hardware is enclosed within a very solid, metallic casing which looks rather stylish, and should compliment your existing consoles, DVD players, etc very well. The unit is capable of standing vertically, which is how I position it (although I'm not convinced it was designed with this in mind) and is cold to the touch after several hours use (perfect for placing other equipment on top). The unit's buttons and feet are also suitably manufactured.
Other details worth noting are: the unit's width is measured at 430mm (which is the same as my DVD player and VCR), the remote control has a range of five meters and the supplied output cables aren't particularly long (which is frustrating). It is also worth mentioning that the unit doesn't power off entirely, but sits in a standby mode. As a consequence, it is always drawing power (resulting in a constantly warm plug) and when it is on and in use, the plug gets considerably hot, which is something I dislike immensely.
The AV Control Center's picture quality, though, is what marks this as a must-have. It is excellent. I failed to notice any loss in image quality while routing my PlayStation 2 and Xbox through it. Infact, Tekken 5 (running via S-Video on my Toshiba 42", with "Pal 60", "Widescreen and "Sharp" settings selected in the game's display options) never looked better.
In conclusion, I am extremely pleased with this purchase. I cannot fault the product or the price, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone. I recommend visiting Joytech'sAV Control Center page (http://www.joytech.net/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=77) for more information.
The AV Control Center is also supplied in black, and a slightly upgraded model is available with Ethernet connections and a fifth input block with, amongst other things.
Let me begin by introducing the product. The AV Control Center, as the name suggests, is a switchbox for a multitude of connections (RGB Scart, S-Video, Phono and Optical). These inputs are located on the back in "blocks", of which there are four. Each block contains each type of input. There is also one output block. Since the unit doesn't automatically detect the current input source, switching between inputs is done via the remote control (battery included) or a button on the unit itself.
Upon emptying the box, the first thing I appreciated was the unit's superb build quality. The hardware is enclosed within a very solid, metallic casing which looks rather stylish, and should compliment your existing consoles, DVD players, etc very well. The unit is capable of standing vertically, which is how I position it (although I'm not convinced it was designed with this in mind) and is cold to the touch after several hours use (perfect for placing other equipment on top). The unit's buttons and feet are also suitably manufactured.
Other details worth noting are: the unit's width is measured at 430mm (which is the same as my DVD player and VCR), the remote control has a range of five meters and the supplied output cables aren't particularly long (which is frustrating). It is also worth mentioning that the unit doesn't power off entirely, but sits in a standby mode. As a consequence, it is always drawing power (resulting in a constantly warm plug) and when it is on and in use, the plug gets considerably hot, which is something I dislike immensely.
The AV Control Center's picture quality, though, is what marks this as a must-have. It is excellent. I failed to notice any loss in image quality while routing my PlayStation 2 and Xbox through it. Infact, Tekken 5 (running via S-Video on my Toshiba 42", with "Pal 60", "Widescreen and "Sharp" settings selected in the game's display options) never looked better.
In conclusion, I am extremely pleased with this purchase. I cannot fault the product or the price, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone. I recommend visiting Joytech'sAV Control Center page (http://www.joytech.net/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=77) for more information.
The AV Control Center is also supplied in black, and a slightly upgraded model is available with Ethernet connections and a fifth input block with, amongst other things.