New HDTV- single component input

[XxHaimBondxX]

Hello all, newbie here.

I purchased a new 3d HDTV and unfortunately, it seems like the manufacturers skip on the input options nowadays. It has 4 HDMI inputs, however, only a single component with yellow option. I have a playstation 2 and WII using analog, DVD player using component, and in addition, media PC that needs analog audio. Is it possible to hook all these up using cheap 2-way splitters? I am aware there is a cheap switch box, but would like to hook them up without flipping a switch, for convenience sake. Also, there are a lot of amplifier/splitters that offer 4 output TVs and one input device, however, not sure if this would work in reverse.

[usually_quiet]

There are such things as "piggyback" RCA cables for audio, which are essentially splitters that allow stacking multiple inputs on one port. http://www.amazon.com/Cblwhl-Female-Piggyback-Audio-Cable/dp/B000I94FAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=e...qid=1351520983

Unfortunately simple RCA splitters and "piggyback" cables always split the incoming signal between the other two connections regardless of how they are used. Because of this "piggyback" RCA cables and splitters degrade the signal, and only one of the devices that shares the connection can be on at a time. Switches are a much better solution than "piggyback" RCA cables or simple splitters because they isolate the connected input devices from each other and allow more than one of them to be on at the same time.

Powered amplifier/splitters can only split one input between multiple outputs. They don't allow using multiple inputs with one output.

Here is a component video switch with a remote: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?seq=1&format=2&p_id=3027&CAWELAID=132944...FREx4AodYRAAYg

To use for composite, simply feed the composite video signal to the green (Y) component jack and leave the other two empty.

[XxHaimBondxX]

I'm ok with using 1 device with TV at a time. Would the signal loose quality when other devices are off if I set this up using splitters. Also, is there any difference between these function wise: http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-RCA-Splitter-Male-Female/dp/B000V1JUJU/ref=pd_cp_e_2 or http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-40650-Female-Adapter/dp/B000M52X62/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y and the one you posted?

[usually_quiet]

I'm ok with using 1 device with TV at a time. Would the signal loose quality when other devices are off if I set this up using splitters. Also, is there any difference between these function wise: http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-RCA-Splitter-Male-Female/dp/B000V1JUJU/ref=pd_cp_e_2 or http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-40650-Female-Adapter/dp/B000M52X62/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y and the one you posted?

Yes, the signal will be degraded, especially using audio cable splitters for video. Let me be more blunt about what you want to do. Using splitters for this purpose is very foolish.

[sanlyn]

Passive splitters and joiners like those shown are total crap. Look for a decent a/v receiver with multiple analog inputs and HDMI outputs. They are cheaper and more versatile than stand-alone electronic models and upsamplers. Denon, Onkyo and Yamaha make the better receivers; SONY and store brands are a lottery.

In the near future TVs will have zero analog inputs. Period. You'll see HDMI only. This has nothing to do with a/v "quality", and everything to do with forcing you to replace all your equipment and preventing you from using analog or digital devices to undo HDMI copy protection. Welcome to the all-digital universe. Consumers asked for it. Now they're getting it.

[XxHaimBondxX]

Sanlyn, do you mean I should get something like this: http://www.jr.com/onkyo/pe/ONK_TXNR414/

I was just looking for something simple to play Wii with my kids once in a while and almost never watch a movie on a DVD player. This takes it to a whole different level.

I bought this splitter and hope it will do the job. Thanks for your help.

[jman98]

To rephrase what sanlyn said as the OP may not know, Hollywood has demanded that analog connections be stopped because it views them as a place where they can't stop copying. So what you are seeing is the new normal on your TV. If you can believe this, and it's true and not an exaggeration, a few years ago Hollywood made DVD/BluRay software players stop being able to take screen shots because they literally feared that someone might use the function to take millions of snapshots and use that to "copy" a video by reassembling the captured photos into a video. Of course this in no way explained how these miscreants with apparently tons of free time were going to copy the audio, but you can see from this just how paranoid Hollywood is. They can't copy protect analog outputs, so their solution was to get the manufacturers to stop making them.

[usually_quiet]

Sanlyn, do you mean I should get something like this: http://www.jr.com/onkyo/pe/ONK_TXNR414/

I was just looking for something simple to play Wii with my kids once in a while and almost never watch a movie on a DVD player. This takes it to a whole different level.

I bought this splitter and hope it will do the job. Thanks for your help.

Let me get this straight. You bought a very expensive 3D TV, but decided to use several $1 splitters to connect 4 devices and accept all the problems connected with using them because a $20 switch with a remote is too expensive and inconvenient to use. Why did you bother asking if you were just going to ignore the advice offered?

[XxHaimBondxX]

usually_quiet, I appreciate your advice and hope I didn't make you very upset. I'm planning to go with your suggested route and just thought that instead of getting a box with another remote control, I could get the one with a manual switch. After reading the description of your unit, I understand that it's a much better quality and functionality, so I'm ordering it.

I was going to order this one before: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300554260624

[sanlyn]

The switcher you posted above is composite-only.
If you ever decide you need better audio, better upsampling, better conversion to HDMI from analog, and more inputs and outpuits to boot, the Onkyo you referred to earlier is the way to go.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet, I appreciate your advice and hope I didn't make you very upset. I'm planning to go with your suggested route and just thought that instead of getting a box with another remote control, I could get the one with a manual switch. After reading the description of your unit, I understand that it's a much better quality and functionality, so I'm ordering it.

I was going to order this one before: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300554260624

The item you linked to is, as sanlyn said, a composite video switch. It would not have been useful for connecting component video output from the DVD player to your TV. The switch I linked to will work for composite video (connected to a green input port on the switch) or audio alone from your PC, as well as component video.

Do you already have a male 3.5 mm stereo to male RCA stereo audio cable for connecting the PC audio to the switch? Here is an example: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-MU6MMRCA-6-Feet-Stereo-Audio/dp/B00009B59S/ref=sr_1...qid=1351568175 If you need one, they can usually be obtained locally in the A/V department of a variety store, such as KMart, Target, etc. I've even seen them in a drugstore.

[XxHaimBondxX]

yep, I got the 3.5mm to RCA audio cable, which I got very lucky that my TV can simultaneously play HDMI video and analog audio. I was planning to use the cheaper composite switch for wii, playstation and PC audio only, while my DVD theater system can get hooked up by using component video from the TV(with a Y split). Audio in via toslink. With component switch I'm hoping to make it simpler and improve quality. Although when I tried running the Wii and the DVD player using the same input with a Y split, I did not notice any video quality change. (one of the devices was off, of course).

[usually_quiet]

yep, I got the 3.5mm to RCA audio cable, which I got very lucky that my TV can simultaneously play HDMI video and analog audio. I was planning to use the cheaper composite switch for wii, playstation and PC audio only, while my DVD theater system can get hooked up by using component video from the TV(with a Y split). Audio in via toslink. With component switch I'm hoping to make it simpler and improve quality. Although when I tried running the Wii and the DVD player using the same input with a Y split, I did not notice any video quality change. (one of the devices was off, of course).

Simple RCA splitters always split the incoming signal between the other two connections, even when the intent is to connect two sources to one destination. When you split an A/V signal, the signal strength is cut by half by each split in the path and it creates a mismatch between the input impedance for the destination device and the output impedance of the source device. Here is an article explaining the importance of impedance: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/impedance.htm

If there is only one split in an audio line, only an audiophile with perfect hearing using good equipment is likely to hear any difference.When an analog video signal is split, it is easier to notice defects, such as a little more noise/snow or ghosting in the picture. I split the stereo audio from a DVD player myself to connect it to my TV via component and composite. (Component gives me a better picture but only the TVs composite connection provides closed captioning if I want to use it.) The audio is acceptable for me using the TV's speakers, but there is only one split.

More splits mean the problems become magnified, and you would need to use multiple splitters to connect 4 devices. You never explained that you were originally going to use a switch and splitters before now. You only mentioned splitters. Using one switch would definitely be neater and less complicated than using a combination of a switch and splitters.