Component Video Switching Problems

[starscream]

I have a good but older TV, it is an 50" RCA HD-Ready TV with a single component video input.

I now have a Wii, DVD player, and digtal TV tuner that I want to plug into the component input of the TV.

When any of those three is individually plugged in they work great. However, I have now tried three different component video switches and none of them have worked. All three switches have exhibited the exact same behavior.

On white/light colored screens the top two inches of the screen becomes distorted and flickers. For example the main menu of certain DVDs, or the Wii's main menu. In some cases if the screen is completly white the TV thinks the signal is lost for a second or two and clicks to all black, before it detects the signal again and is back. I beleive my cables are okay. I bought cheap $5 RCA couplers and can verify that bypassing the video switch by directly coupling any of the video outputs to the TV input works without any problems. However, manually unplugging and coupling (which I currently am doing) is very annoying to have to do to switch which unit is plugged into the TV.

All of the video switches I have tried are "powered" not passive. Two of them actually have several reviews that indicate several people have used them successfully.

The first video switch I tried was my Yamaha stereo receiver. It actually has built in multiple component video inputs that switch to a single output.

When that didn't work, I ordered a 4 port component video switch from mono-price.com ($23)

That was even worse than my stereo receiver. So I read a few more reviews and searched online more and found from shoptronics.com an HD-ready component video switch: ($50)

It did not work any better. I don't understand how come the cheap manual couplers work great, but the switches do not work. I see reviews posted that these other video switches that don't work for me do work for other people. I am getting tired of guessing and trying things that don't work.

I am tempted to try Cables To Go 40697 6x2 Component Video Matrix Selector Switch: ($130)

Other than this one is more expensive ($130 VS $23 and $50) I really don't have any reason to believe it has a lot better chance at working either.

Has anyone else experienced these sort of problems? Where they have tried a few different video switches that resulted in white screens not working and then found one that did work? I would appreciate any advice on how to fix this problem. Thanks

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a good but older TV, it is an 50" RCA HD-Ready TV with a single component video input.

I now have a Wii, DVD player, and digtal TV tuner that I want to plug into the component input of the TV.

When any of those three is individually plugged in they work great. However, I have now tried three different component video switches and none of them have worked. All three switches have exhibited the exact same behavior.

On white/light colored screens the top two inches of the screen becomes distorted and flickers. For example the main menu of certain DVDs, or the Wii's main menu. In some cases if the screen is completly white the TV thinks the signal is lost for a second or two and clicks to all black, before it detects the signal again and is back. I beleive my cables are okay. I bought cheap $5 RCA couplers and can verify that bypassing the video switch by directly coupling any of the video outputs to the TV input works without any problems. However, manually unplugging and coupling (which I currently am doing) is very annoying to have to do to switch which unit is plugged into the TV.

All of the video switches I have tried are "powered" not passive. Two of them actually have several reviews that indicate several people have used them successfully.

The first video switch I tried was my Yamaha stereo receiver. It actually has built in multiple component video inputs that switch to a single output.

When that didn't work, I ordered a 4 port component video switch from mono-price.com ($23)

That was even worse than my stereo receiver. So I read a few more reviews and searched online more and found from shoptronics.com an HD-ready component video switch: ($50)

It did not work any better. I don't understand how come the cheap manual couplers work great, but the switches do not work. I see reviews posted that these other video switches that don't work for me do work for other people. I am getting tired of guessing and trying things that don't work.

I am tempted to try Cables To Go 40697 6x2 Component Video Matrix Selector Switch: ($130)

Other than this one is more expensive ($130 VS $23 and $50) I really don't have any reason to believe it has a lot better chance at working either.

Has anyone else experienced these sort of problems? Where they have tried a few different video switches that resulted in white screens not working and then found one that did work? I would appreciate any advice on how to fix this problem. Thanks

Are you using high quality component video cable sets? If not this is likely an impedance termination imbalance.

If you are using good quality cables, there must be a problem with your TV having a very narrow range of signal voltage or some problem like that.

Unfortunately your solution may be a new TV.

If your cables are good, then I would not spend another dime on switches, I would put the money towards an up to date TV. Older TVs tend no to work well with modern generation electronics. This whole problem points to your TV as the cause of your difficulty, if you are using cables of the correct impedance.

 

[starscream]

Thanks for the reply.

My component video cables are not super high quality. I think I have some I got from monoprice.com and some I Dyanics ones from Best Buy. Both were buget priced cables.

The cables could be part of the issue. However, the reason I had been dismissing that, is because when I bypass the switch everything works great. I have one component video cable plugged into the TV, a different component video cable plugged into each device (DVD, Wii, Digital tuner), when I couple any device's cable to the TV's cable with a $5 coupler I got from Radio Shack, everything works great. So in that case I am using the exact same cables, the same generation of technology and seeing good results on the TV.

I agree it seems like for some reason my TV does have a narrower range of what "works" coming into the component input. Obviously other people are able to successfully use the exact same video switches successfully.

What I still don't get though, is that three different devices made by completely different companies Yamaha DVD player, Samsung Digital tuner, and Nintendo Wii, all are able to produce component output that my TV has absolutely no problem displaying. Yet, introducing three different video switches from different companies all resulted in the same not working scenario. Why would the video switches all not work (using the exact same cables) when all the devices by themselves do work?

I would be more willing to write off the TV as old with a poor component input if I saw some evidence that new devices didn't work on it, but so far the only device that seem to cause it not to work are component video switches.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the reply.

My component video cables are not super high quality. I think I have some I got from monoprice.com and some I Dyanics ones from Best Buy. Both were buget priced cables.

The cables could be part of the issue. However, the reason I had been dismissing that, is because when I bypass the switch everything works great. I have one component video cable plugged into the TV, a different component video cable plugged into each device (DVD, Wii, Digital tuner), when I couple any device's cable to the TV's cable with a $5 coupler I got from Radio Shack, everything works great. So in that case I am using the exact same cables, the same generation of technology and seeing good results on the TV.

I agree it seems like for some reason my TV does have a narrower range of what "works" coming into the component input. Obviously other people are able to successfully use the exact same video switches successfully.

What I still don't get though, is that three different devices made by completely different companies Yamaha DVD player, Samsung Digital tuner, and Nintendo Wii, all are able to produce component output that my TV has absolutely no problem displaying. Yet, introducing three different video switches from different companies all resulted in the same not working scenario. Why would the video switches all not work (using the exact same cables) when all the devices by themselves do work?

I would be more willing to write off the TV as old with a poor component input if I saw some evidence that new devices didn't work on it, but so far the only device that seem to cause it not to work are component video switches.

It's not the cables. Monoprice are excellent cables. The problem is that those switches are amplified, and I suspect this is some type of impedance match issue your TV does not like. These older video circuits can be very fussy. The interconnects are getting more mature now.

I would recommend upgrading to a TV with HDMI inputs. I would not throw more money at switches.

 

[MatthewB.]

Instead of buying a multiswitch, why not invest in a receiver that has three component inputs and one output. This way not only can you get better audio using a reciever and some speakers than the TV's speakers, but yu can use the receiver as your multiswitching device and some of the entry level ones have Furoudjia scaling that the multiswitches would not. I would suggest a Onkyo 606 that also can decode the new lossless audio for around 400.00 or if you can find the 605 for about 300.00

 

[TLS Guy]

Instead of buying a multiswitch, why not invest in a receiver that has three component inputs and one output. This way not only can you get better audio using a reciever and some speakers than the TV's speakers, but yu can use the receiver as your multiswitching device and some of the entry level ones have Furoudjia scaling that the multiswitches would not. I would suggest a Onkyo 606 that also can decode the new lossless audio for around 400.00 or if you can find the 605 for about 300.00

He has already used the video switch on his receiver with the same result. It seems to me his TV is a substandard unit.

 

[MatthewB.]

Yeah TLS, but he stated that when he plugs the device directly into the TV he has no issues, it's only with the switchers. You mentioned that the switchers are powered to some degree. I think that is the problem.

I speed read and most have skipped over the him using a Yammie part, so my bad on that one. I'm at a loss, because if the TV is working with direct connection, it should work with any unaltered connection, hence why i think a passive switcher of some kind might work, or try and find a reciever that has passive switching. I think the Onkyos may have that but not entirely sure.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yeah TLS, but he stated that when he plugs the device directly into the TV he has no issues, it's only with the switchers. You mentioned that the switchers are powered to some degree. I think that is the problem.

I speed read and most have skipped over the him using a Yammie part, so my bad on that one. I'm at a loss, because if the TV is working with direct connection, it should work with any unaltered connection, hence why i think a passive switcher of some kind might work, or try and find a reciever that has passive switching. I think the Onkyos may have that but not entirely sure.

I agree, I think the switching amps are upsetting that TV. However that TV must be have very "touchy' video circuits to have this problem. I think it is time to recycle that TV. I personally would not give it house room.

His receiver and those switchers work with other TVs.

 

[starscream]

Well, I am glad I posted here and got some discussion about this because reading and thinking about what people said did lead me to a good solution.

The answer was a purely manual passive switch. In my initial research I had intentionally stayed away from these, because everything I read suggests that loss-less powered component video switchers are a lot better. They probably are for most TVs. I probably get some signal degradation going through a passive switch, although it is hard to notice and at least works.

I found the switch for $20 at a home improvement store and as stated it works without the problem.

Believe me I would love to replace my TV, with a nice new thin, wall mounted TV with HDMI inputs. But the $20 video switch fits into this month budget a little bit easier. To get something in the 50" range like I currently have it probably at least $2000. I have too many other things I would like to upgrade as well.. car, computer, speakers, water softner, windows, carpet, padio etc etc... Being forced to upgrade the TV just because the video switch didn't work, when the TV otherwise worked fine would have been a tough situation.

 

[TLS Guy]

Well, I am glad I posted here and got some discussion about this because reading and thinking about what people said did lead me to a good solution.

The answer was a purely manual passive switch. In my initial research I had intentionally stayed away from these, because everything I read suggests that loss-less powered component video switchers are a lot better. They probably are for most TVs. I probably get some signal degradation going through a passive switch, although it is hard to notice and at least works.

I found the switch for $20 at a home improvement store and as stated it works without the problem.

Believe me I would love to replace my TV, with a nice new thin, wall mounted TV with HDMI inputs. But the $20 video switch fits into this month budget a little bit easier. To get something in the 50" range like I currently have it probably at least $2000. I have too many other things I would like to upgrade as well.. car, computer, speakers, water softner, windows, carpet, padio etc etc... Being forced to upgrade the TV just because the video switch didn't work, when the TV otherwise worked fine would have been a tough situation.

It is good to know that resolved the problem. So it was the amplification upsetting that TV.