Component Cable - One input two sources

[jausen]

OK.... I bought a Blu-Ray and happily came home to hook it up.  Then I find out that my older TV has but one component cable(s) -  (blue-green-red) input for 1080.

Tried a game switcher from Best Buy for about $100 that only gave me blue screens for both the TV and BRay.  Went back and got a Phillips switch box for about half the price that give me pictures but they blur occasionally and with the BRay an occasional blue screen.

Found something on the net for around $100 and as high as $350.  Does anyone know if anything works?  I should think this to be a common problem with the number of Hi-Def accessories being sold.  

Flanner's only has the $300 variation.

[Matt Heebner]

This is what I use.....

Audio Authority Switcher

It also switches digital audio via coaxial or optical. It is auto sensing and prioritizes so when you want to watch a movie, but have an always running componant like a DVR box, it will switch from the DVR to the DVD player automatically. It will switch back as soon as you turn off the DVD player, keeping the DVR the higher priority.

Works excellent !!!

[SRW1000]

Before I upgraded to a remote-controllable Zector, I had pretty good success just using a manual TV audio/video switch.  These aren't made for HD, but they're simple mechanical switches; just connect your component cables to the yellow (composite) and the red and white (stereo audio) connectors and you're good to go.  

The drawback is that they are manual, so you have to switch them by hand.  I don't know if that's important to you or not.  The good news is that they're available for around $20.

One other thing to consider is that if you're using your Blu-ray player to upconvert standard DVDs, you can only get that output through and HDMI connection.  They can't be scaled over component outputs.

Scott

[kevbeck122]

Also.. when and if studios decide to put the resolution flag on their blu ray discs, they will be downscaled to something like 960x540 through component.

[brewtownska]

Just curious, what is the OTHER device you're trying to hook up via component besides the PS3.  If by chance it's your previous DVD player, you can just play DVDs on the PS3 now.  It sounds to me like the very first item you bought from Best Buy for $100 should have done the trick - if it didn't work, maybe you got a bad one.  They sell those for people who have lots of game systems and want to switch between them...but they obviously work for any device that uses component output.

The other thought is rather than putting a few hundred dollars towards just a component switching device, why not put the money towards an audio/video receiver?  The cheap ones usually have 2 component inputs, some of them even now have 3.  At least with that, you're getting a lot more for your money.

Maybe if you can post more about your current complete setup we'd have more suggestions.

Mike

[jausen]

Setup:  Old Mistubishi 60inch projection with one component 1080i input; Sat DVR, Blu-Ray.  

The gizmo switcher I had purchased for $100 was returned with no problem to Best Buy and it had been found in the game section.  As one of you pointed out I may have simply got a bad one.  After returning I bought a simpler Phillips switch box for about $45.  I gave me a blurry picture and could not hold a jpeg image and had difficulty with the BR discs.

Finally gave up.  Put the BR or BD on the newer plasma.  But even there I had a slight glitch.  Hooking it up it just flat did not work as I stared at my expensive HDMI cable.  So.... to test the cables I interchanged it with the SAT cable.  Bingo!!!!!  Everything worked just fine.  It is impressive what the Blu-Ray does to older DVDs.  I'll probably just keep this hook-up since, as was pointed out and discovered through better reading of the instruction manual, component input will not upgrade the older DVDs.

jwa

[Mark Strube]

I'm surprised at the prices you guys are willing to pay for this stuff...

component switch:
http://ehdmi.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10112&cs_id=1011201&p_id=3027&seq=1&format=2&style=

HDMI switch:
http://ehdmi.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2&style=