My TV only has one input for Component cables which is currently being used by my cable box. I have component cables for my PS2, but of course if I want to use them I have to get behind the TV and fumble around. This is terribly inconvenient. I went to all the local AV stores and none of them had any "splitter" type boxes that will take in multiple component cables and send them out to me TV with one set of cables.
The guy ar radio shack said I might be able to use some Y splitter cables and hook both inputs into my TV that way, but he wasn't sure if it would work or not. Of course I figured I would need to buy the nicest ones they have(28 bucks each!!) because shitty ones would mostly defeat the purpose of having these cables. Plus I would need 5 of them (two for audio since my god damn home stereo system died and I haven't bothered to send it in, go to hell RCA).
So anyway, anybody know of any of these type devices out there on the web? Surely somebody else must have run into this problem.
Component splitter boxes exist - we use them at work all the time since we're taking one DirecTV HD box and splitting it up amongst about 40 plasma, LCDs and projection TVs. The quality, using eight to ten boxes daisy chained together, remains quite good.
That said, I haven't seen them on a consumer level - these come to us from corporate for our use; we don't stock them - and I wouldn't suggest splitting off component cables with Y-splitters or anything that's not amplified (like our boxes are.) Not that you can't do it, but I don't know what the quality would be like. The boxes will, I can promise you, be more expensive.
Best bet long term for most people with this problem: component switching on a home theatre receiver, like a Yamaha, Onkyo or Harmon Kardon. Excellent quality. Plus: you have an awesome home theatre receiver. Big, big minus for you: you just spent $500 on a home theatre receiver.
The usual solution is to run them through a surround sound receiver, most of which have multiple inputs for component and an output to the TV, and will thus act as a switching device. Barring that, I'm personally not aware of any standalone devices that do what you're asking. There's several ones that will switch S-Video, however, so you might want to look into going with those connections instead.
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They're around, but they're pricy (like, easily over $50). Try Googling for "component video selector" with or without the quotes - try Froogle too, maybe.
You could also get an RF adaptor and hook your PS2 into the cable box. (or straight into the TV if it has cable inputs). I don't know if it would be cheaper or more easily found than any of the previously mentioned hardware, though.
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Thanks for the lead-in, because the RF adaptor, I'm sure, wouldn't work for daisy-chaining. I want to hook up a bunch of my older systems (2600 up to Genesis) and I don't have five RF inputs. Anyone know of a standalone device that can handle that many inputs? I'm only seeing three-way switchers on Froogle.
I had the same problem with my old TV, I bought 3 Y splitters from Walgreen's for about 5 bucks each. I'm guessing if your TV is old enough to just have 1 set of component inputs your aren't going to miss any A/V quality. The only thing is you have to turn off the cable box to use the PS2. or the TV tries to show both images at once and the sound is messed.
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