DVD,XBOX360,SKY+ RGB switching via an AV Amp

suaimhneas_de

Hi.

Can anyone help me in the following please..

I have a Sanyo 32inch TV with 2 SCART inputs, each of which can accept RGB, S-Video and Composite. I have a DVD player (RGB) and Sky+ (RGB) connected.
I disconnected the PS2 from the back and now use the front RCA Composite connections (AV-3)

If I decide to get an XBOX 360 I'm in a bit of a bind as I have no free SCARTs left.

I also need to get a decent AV Receiver and was looking at the Cambridge Audio 540R V2.
The blurb on the 540R says that it will accept 4 Composite, 3 S-Video and 2 Component Video inputs but there is NO direct mention of RGB (only component). All the connectors (both in and out) are RCA Phono connectors.

So, my question (eventually) is, does anyone know if this Amp will allow me to connect the DVD player and the XBOX360 into the back of it and then allow me to switch the RGB output signal accordingly.

Can RGB be sent using RCA phono type connectors (sorry about the simple Question - but my only experience of RGB is via SCART.)

If this amp doesn't supports the switching of RGB - is there an AMP than can - I am trying to avoid having to buy a separate SCART switching box
and have another box under the TV....

Thanks.

ffocused

you could connect the sky+ and dvd with s-video and audio leads, xbox via component and output the amp via s-video to a scart to s-video converter like this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=-9471&criteria=scart%20svideo&doy=13m12 you should be able to gat a basic one for about 5 euro in power city/did/dixons etc. (make sure it is switchable).

The difference between svideo and rgb is not that much, the only drawback is you will lose automatic widescreen switching on your sky+

nephster

Very few amps do scart (can only think of one jvc one off the top of my head). The easiest solution *is* to get a scart switcher say from argos. Manual ones are dirt cheap, electronic ones about €100 (which have 4 rgb in sockets plus separate optical audio in sockets, and are designed to fit with the rest of your av gear).

You can get a ps2 component lead btw which should look a lot better than using those composite cables. You can convert from rgb scart to component via an adaptor, but these prolly cost €150 upwards. Component is better than rgb anyway!

Make sure the amp can convert the video signals btw eg from component to s-video or vice versa.

G*

Idleater

suaimhneas_de wrote:

So, my question (eventually) is, does anyone know if this Amp will allow me to connect the DVD player and the XBOX360 into the back of it and then allow me to switch the RGB output signal accordingly.

Can RGB be sent using RCA phono type connectors (sorry about the simple Question - but my only experience of RGB is via SCART.)

The Arcam AVR350 will switch RGB OR Component across the 3 RCA inputs (plus a Sync on Green Phono for RGB). You can buy converters from RGB to Component but they are expensive.

Essentially Component Video is a mathematical function of RGB see here, so you can't run both at the same time because the has to be decoded in a diffferent way.

RGB and Component are HD quality picture technology (can handle 720p/1080i) whereas SVideo is not.

L.

slave1

new tv, go on, you know you've been waiting for someone to say it

Paulw

I went a bit further than you're looking.

When I bought a new TV, I found that I didn't have enough connections. So, I changed my system around and bought a new AV amp.

Most of my devices had SCART out connections. I bought a Sony STR-DA7100ES AV amp. This doesn't have scart inputs. So, I had to work out the best conversions.

For my DVD-R/HDD device, I used SCART to composite plus coaxial audio.
For my NTL box, I used the SCART to RGB (video), with digital audio out.
For my DVD player, I used SCART to S-video, and digital audio.
For my PC I used s-video.

All these go to my AV amp. From there, they're all upscaled, and go via the HDMI connection to my TV.

So, my TV has a single connection from my AV amp, and all audio is processed on the amp and comes via my 7.1 sound system.

MrPudding

nereid wrote:

The Arcam AVR350

Do you have any experience of this amp? I am thinking of getting one in the new year.

MrP

Idleater

MrPudding wrote:

Do you have any experience of this amp? I am thinking of getting one in the new year.

MrP

I have only read reviews and seen it physically in Cloney Audio.

I am going to arrange a trial of it soon, along with a set of System Audio's and B&W 603's I think.

I am also considering buying the AV9 PrePro instead and buying (at a later date) some stereo or monoblock amps to drive the speakers.

The AVR350 (and I presume the AV9) handle 1080p (over hdmi anyway).

The one annoyance that I foresee from reading the manual is that it can do Component OR RGB over all the component inputs. i.e. they are all component or all RGB. Sort of makes sense but it would make life a lot easier if you could make one input RGB (for NTL/Sky) and the others component (for DVD/XBox etc).

The audio quality from them (350's) is supposed to be on par with systems worth 2-3 times their price (that would be the €5k -€6k bracket).

I will let you know when I have demoed them...

L.

MrPudding

I am having a listen in January myself. I am going for B&Ws myself. I have the details in the flat in MK, can't remember the models.

MrP