Component splitter (1 Viewer)

[RobMiller]

Is there such thing as a component cable splitter? I only have one component input and I would like to have my dvd player and PS2 use the component input. Any info?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

You dont want a splitter, you want a A/B switch.

This thread on HD Video switching discusses several units from about $40 to about $150.

 

[RobMiller]

Thanks. I checked it out, but I don't understand why they are so expensive. Could you take 9 female component sockets (6 for the 2 inputs and 3 for 1 output) and run tie the individual y pb and pr to eachother and to the individual y/pb/pr outputs? Then throw it in a plastic hobby box or something?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

No.

The problem is something called "Impedence Matching", then "Isolation".

Your television input jacks have something called "75 ohm impedence". It's kind of like saying your front porch is 75 inches from the ground.

The best cable to connect is one that is also 75 ohms. If you use the wrong cable, you either have a large step up or step down that the signals will see and 'stumble'.

If you were to just put in a simple "Y" adaptor, you would royally mess up the impedence that the signals see. Some of the signals would go right/left, some of the signals would bounce off your other source and cause ghosts/reflections.

The Isolation issue comes from having power to both sources - they will interfear with each other.


If you read the article, there are some inexpensive mechanical units for about $40 from Radio Shack.

The "better" units are remote controlled and learn to switch the video when you use your reciever remote to switch the audio.

The "better" units are also designed for Progressive/HD video signals which have a different frequency band:

Component video: 4 Mhz max
Progressive Video: 13 Mhz max
HD Video: 35 Mhz Max

How bad is a pot-hole in the road at 4 Mph? How about at 35 Mph? The better switches are designed & built for the higher frequencies.

 

[RobMiller]

ok that makes sense. The radioshack switch for $40 (15-1976) seems to be for composite and s-video, will it work with component (match r/y/w to y/pb/pr)

 

[RobMiller]

anyone?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Several people with multiple game systems have used the mechanical switch from Radio Shack and it appears to work fine.

 

[RobMiller]

so it doesn't really matter that its for composite, because it is just a mechanical connection of different lines. That's all I need to know. Thanks for the help

 

[Cornelius]

Actually, it does make some difference. However, most people don't notice it.

CJ

 

[RobMiller]

why does it make a difference? Is it the contacts used that cause some interference?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

It has to do if the connectors and pathway's inside the switch-box have enough bandwidth for Progressive/HD video.

Ordinary Component video tops out at 4 Mhz frequency, but Progressive goes up to about 12 Mhz and HD video (720/1080) go up to 35 Mhz. If the box does not handle the higher frequency signals well, the video image will show some loss of focus and other issues.

Cornelus is right that compared to standard video the displays are so impressive that most people dont notice the finer-details are blurred/fuzzy. (It's still much, much better than they were used to.) It usually takes someone who knows what they are looking for with a test-pattern to show you the effects - then you become sensitive to the issues.

 

[Cornelius]

Do your best not to become sensitive to it. It leads to a disease that causes large expenditures and lots of lost time Once you start noticing these kinds of things, you can spend a lot of your time looking for them instead of just enjoying what you have.

CJ