Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Video input switch / hub??

Buying cables for the HT room now, which means this project is about done........

I’m looking for a gizmo and not real sure what to call it or if “it” is any good or not. By good, meaning that I’m a bit concerned about signal degradation.

I’ve got one HDMI input on my projector plus two component inputs, one S-video and one coax. I’d like to run a single HDMI cable to the projector just to keep things simple and clean.

I just bought a DVD player that has DVI output (Oppo 971). I’m buying a new satellite receiver that will have HDMI and component outputs (Vip622). Then there’s the “other” video stuff that will eventually get plugged into the projector.

I’ve been eyeballing a stand alone video processor like the DVDO VP30 and Lumagen Pro, but at $2000 or so plus the cost of a SDI modified DVD player, I just don’t want one bad enough yet. Seeing how I’m already looking at them, it’ll only be a matter of time before I buy one, but for now, I’m sitting on the check book.

So what is out there that I can plug all these video outputs into that will output a single HDMI signal???? Something that actually works well, but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?

I don't know exactly what model # it is, but av123 sells DVDO on their website. Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=processors&product=10.1

You mention two video sources, both of which have DVI/HDMI. Will the "other" sources also be DVI or HDMI? If so, then something like this will work, and only (only ) costs $400. I use the 2x1 version of that for my DVD player & sat receiver, and it works great. Note that for the transmission of video, DVI and HDMI are somewhat interchangeable; all you need is an adapter or DVI-to-HDMI cable.

If you want something to eat other types of video input (component, S, composite, etc.) and have it delivered by DVI/HDMI, I'm afraid you're looking at more $$$.

There is a less expensive 5x1 HDMI switch available from Monoprice.com.

Mike, won't your HK do some of this work for you?

The DVDO VP30 would be the best bet in your situation I think, sense you have more than 1 kind of input, and you only want 1 kind of output.. I would go with the vp30, I was thinking about getting one for my system, sense you can do any input/any output with that product. One other option is find a reciever/processor that will convert anything to a hdmi out.. but then you will have waisted that money.. I would rather wait a bit longer and buy 1 thing that I wanted, rather than buying something to hold me over just to buy something I really wanted a short period of time later. Any switcher you buy is going to be several hundred dollars..

Hope this helps.

Mike, you don't appear to need a separate processor just for unifying the connections(and possibly not at all)and if, as moridin mentioned, all of the cables will be either DVI or HDMI(the cables themselves are essentially identical except for the connectors on the ends)a relatively inexpensive switcher such as the MonoPrice unit that Jack linked should be suitable.

The Monoprice switch looks like it is exactly what I NEED…..for now. Thanks for the link Jack.

The 7300 only converts/scales 480i component, and only has component output. I’m currently using it for my DVD player and the SD satellite feed. The DCDI chip does a pretty remarkable job in comparison to the progressive scan DVD players that I’ve tried. It also improves the SD satellite signal to some degree, but not nearly as well as DVD. My concern with continuing to use the 7300 with the projector (when I’m done with the HT) is that satellite feed will look horrible on a 96” screen. On my 46” TV it is acceptable, but nowhere near DVD. From what I understand, a video processor doesn’t really help much with satellite feeds due to the old “garbage in / garbage out” phenomenon. That’s why I am buying a new receiver. The vip622 is a HD receiver with HDMI and component output verses the others which have coax and S-video. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for an improvement with SD via the HDMI or component output.

I was all fired up to purchase the DVDO VP30 with their new “precision card” upgrade last week, but my vendor talked me out of it. I was also going to order the Oppo new 970 with HDMI 480i output to use with the VP30. He suggested that I just try a reasonably priced up scaling DVD player with DVI or HDMI output for a while, and if I wasn’t happy with it that he’d sell me a VP. He even suggested that I buy the Oppo 971 instead of one of the players that he sells. So by his candid honesty, the decision to not buy a VP right now was pretty easy.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on these video processors and there seams to be trade off’s with just about every one of them on the market, unless I shell out about $4000 – and that ain’t happening. Some VP’s do better with film while others do better with video. Some do better with HD material, while some do better with SD material. The high end units seam to do well with both. Plus, there’s new chips coming out within the next few months that some folks feel will set a new standard. And to make this all even more confusing and difficult to decide is HD-DVD and Blue Ray technology.

So for the time being, all I need is a reasonably priced switch. The one that Jack mentions looks like it will fit my needs for now. In a few months or so I’ll re-evaluate the need for a VP.

Holey Moley.

I guess we know where to come with these questions in the future.

Good luck with that.

Holy moley is right……..

The A/V world is pretty complex and the more I learn, the more I’m beginning to think the video side is more complex than the audio side. I’ll be glad to help confuse anyone with any questions they have, but they’d probably have better luck surfing around the AVS boards. Lot’s of information there on the video side. Enough to give anyone a ragging headache. I’ve had one for over a month now………

And I didn’t even mention the constant height 2.35/1 system I’m trying to incorporate into all this. It makes things even more complex.