1080i Input Switching Options (1 Viewer)

[Daren Welsh]

I've only got one 1080i input on my Mits and if I'm going to get more than 480p out of my HTPC, I'll have to share the 1080i input with my HD-Cable (TimeWarner) signal. I'd rather not have more connections in-line between the sources and my TV's inputs, but it looks like the only way to have two sources of 1080i.
Currently, my TWCable HD box outputs YPrPb component signal, which I connect to the 1080i component input. My HTPC has a VGA output and I haven't yet bought a cable with VGA->RGBHV connections because I want to do this right.
If I buy the VGA->RGBHV cable, I'll have to manually switch my 1080i inputs. So I'd like to buy some sort of switch, to which I'd connect both the cable and HTPC and then output to my TV's 1080i component input.
This is where I need advice. What would you recommend? Is there such a switch that takes a both a VGA and YPrPb signal as input and then switches between those to output a YPrPb or RGBHV signal for my TV's 1080i input? I'm pretty sure I'd need it to be an exclusive "or" because I have to specify whether that 1080i signal is YPrPb or RGBHV.

 

[AllenD]

Daren,

Do you have an AVR w/wideband component switching?

 

[Daren Welsh]

Good idea ... I've got a Pioneer Elite VSX-35TX (listed in my sig). I'll have to check it out when I get home today, but I think it might have component switching. Here's what the Pioneer site has to say about the connectivity:
Connectivity
Surround Back Channel Output
DVD-A Ready 7.1 Channel Input w/Trim By-pass
Pre-Amp Output (ALL Channels)
5 Digital Inputs (3 Optical/2 Coaxial)/2 Digital Out (Optical)
Inputs - 5 Audio/5 Audio/Video

• Phono
• CD
• CDR/Tape 1
• TAPE 2
• TUNER
• DVD/LD
• TV/SAT
• VCR/DVR
• VCR 2
• Front

Outputs - 2 Audio/2 Audio Video/1 Video

• CDR/TAPE Audio Output
• Tape 2 Output
• VCR/DVR Audio/Video Output
• VCR 2 Output
• Monitor Video Output

Component Video Switching (2 Inputs/1 Output)

• TV/SAT Input
• DVD/LD Input
• Monitor Output

S-Video (5 Inputs/3 Outputs)

• DVD/LD Input
• TV/SAT Input
• VCR/DVR Input
• Video (Front Panel) Input
• VCR/DVR Output
• VCR 2 Output
• Monitor Output

Front A/V Input w/S-Video In
Parallel A/B Speaker Switching
Banana Speaker Terminals (ALL)
So I think the thing to check is that it has two component inputs and one component output (not sure about that "monitor out" terminology). Will using my stereo as a switch comprimise my video quality much?

 

[AllenD]

As long as your component switching can handle HiDef, all you'll need is a transcoder for the HTPC. Ask around in the Receivers Forum if it's capable and you might have the answer before you go home.
I've never heard of HD capable component switching causing picture degredation.

 

[Daren Welsh]

... and the transcoder would convert the VGA/RGBHV to YPrPb? I'm sure there are several flavors to choose from, but is there a generally recommended model amongst this forum? I'm really trying to keep the additional cost to my HTPC down.

 

[AllenD]

the connection goes
HTPC-->VGA-->transcoder-->component-->TV In

I've use the Audio Authority brand w/o problems. Others have the same reputaion.