Best Frankenstein wiring scheme?

[Nelson37]

Thought it might be interesting and informative to share experiences here.

My cable box has outputs for S-video, Component, Coax, and 2 Audio. Input for Coax only. Channels above 100 are Digital and require the Box.
VCR has Component, S-video, Audio, and Coax in and out.
PC the same except no Coax out.
DVD has S-video, Component, and audio out.
Amp has Component and Audio in and out with switching, BUT the number four Video-in does not work.
TV has Component only and audio.
Also have 4-position mechanical switch with S-video, Component, and Audio.

Coax-in goes thru splitter-amplifier, one end to Cable box, one end to Coax-in on TV.

Coax-out from Cable box goes to VCR.

Cable, VCR, and DVD Component out to AMP, S-video out to switch box. All audio cables doubled at source using Y-adapters and 2 sets of cables. One audio set to AMP, one to Switch box. Original idea was to use the Y-cable at the switch end and eliminate the extra cable, this worked but was just too tight.

Amp Component out goes to TV, Swithcbox S-video and audio goes to PC.
S-Video to PC goes thru Sima Copymaster.

S-Video out from PC goes to Line-in on VCR. (That faulty connector on the Amp forces this.)

The Coax to the TV allows watching the non-Digital channels on the TV while recording any Cable channel on the PC, with independent tuning. Seperate switching means I can watch Cable, DVD, or VHS on the TV while recording any one seperately on the PC. Can also record on VCR at the same time as PC, or when PC is otherwise occupied. Though thru lower-quality Coax, this is as a backup only. I could have used the component from the Amp but this would mean leaving the VCR on all the time and I rarely record on it.

By using the VCR as a switch I can put the PC on TV. This also allows recording the same VCR input on the PC, for demos and such. I have even recorded the PC playing a movie. Kinda pointless, but it worked.

Also learned that even a cheap VCR, or a broken one, is also a 2-way input switch and a better Component to Coax convertor than an RF-Modulator.

[teegee420]

When you say that your VCR has component in/out do you mean composite, i.e. RCA connectors? I'm just curious because I've never seen a VCR with component in/out.

[Nelson37]

Crap. Yes, all references to Component in previous post should have read Composite.

[Bob W]

I like to keep my life simple so I have made all my gadgets interconnect automatic. The VCR, LaserDisc and CED player ll output to this automatic switcher http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=sonsbv55a&svbname=30 and the single s-video output from the switcher goes to my Panasonic E50 recorder input.

Now the outputs from the Panasonic recorder, Magnavox DVD recorder, my Sony DVD changer, and Bravo D1 DVI enabled player all go through this component video/optical/coax switcher http://www.smarthome.com/77707.html then of course to my DLP HDTV and Sony home theater audio system.

My Satellite TV system I take the output via s-video through this A/V distribution box http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1172 and one output goes to the HDTV/audio system and another I feed to the Magnavox DVD recorder for recording off air. Since all this switches automatically all I have to do is turn the device I want to use on and it's there.

[MrMungus]

Sounds like my setup. Two SVHS decks, one DVD player, one TV, 3 computers, and a stereo amp for audio output for all of it.