PS3 Cables & Connections question

davidtobin100

Hey,

Just bought a PS3, am new to the HDTV and Home Cinema set up and just need a little advice regards putting it all together:

My TV has a number of HDMI ports and only one Component connection. I have my XBOX 360 hooked up to the component. The Xbox also connects to the home cinema via an optical audio cable. There is only one optical in in my home cinema box.

I just picked up a Playstation 3 which is connected to the TV via HDMI.

My home cinema box has only one optical in (as above) and has no HDMI in.

I want to hook my Wii up by component (and my PS2 if possible) but this is used by my XBOX and I wish to add an optical out for my PS3 to take advantage of the DTS surround sound for my games and blu-rays. I know I can go swapping leads around but it is inconvient and a bit of a mess what with all the leads that are behind the TV. When I had this problem a few years ago with an old TV I bought a scart box which allowed me to put 4 scarts through one socket on the TV. Basically my question is: is there something similiar for HD leads that will allow me to do the same thing? Or is there another way around this that I should know about?

Thanks!

ongarite

I would keep Wii connected with SCART, I have read its not better, sometimes worse with component. Same for PS2 keep it SCART and let TV scale away if its good make.

davidtobin100

It's a pretty good make of TV - a 40 inch Samsung LCD. Handles the upscaling on dvds very well and has a "game mode" setting.

Gran Hermano

I'd connect the 360 via VGA (the Sammy TV should have a connection),
connect the Wii via component or SCART and connect the PS3 via
HDMI.

You can get an optical splitter/multiblock from Maplin.

davidtobin100

Gran Hermano: Thanks for the reply. Really want to keep the 360 on Component as I've heard there are a number of issues with VGA and certain games. An optical splitter sounds exactly like what I need to get the 5.1 issues sorted.

As you said Maplin seems good:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=13580&FromMenu=y&doy=15m3&MenuName=Connect!%20-%20Digital%20Audio

What I need is something to do the same for the component cables and I'm done!

Gran Hermano

davidtobin100 wrote: »

Gran Hermano: Thanks for the reply. Really want to keep the 360 on Component as I've heard there are a number of issues with VGA and certain games. An optical splitter sounds exactly like what I need to get the 5.1 issues sorted.

As you said Maplin seems good:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=13580&FromMenu=y&doy=15m3&MenuName=Connect!%20-%20Digital%20Audio

What I need is something to do the same for the component cables and I'm done!

Absolutely no problems hooking up the 360 via VGA, I've tried it on three
Samsung LCDs and compared it to the picture via component. I ended up
sticking with VGA as I wanted the component for other devices. In the
early days of the 360 some people had issues with picture via VGA on
certain TVs but this was resolved via a 360 update - just go into the
system blade on the 360 dashboard and adjust the picture as required.

This is the device you need from Maplin - 3 inputs and one output.

davidtobin100

Yea - I was actually looking at a one in - two out splitter. Will check out Maplin in Limerick tomorrow. Thanks.

Zombrex

davidtobin100 wrote: »

Yea - I was actually looking at a one in - two out splitter. Will check out Maplin in Limerick tomorrow. Thanks.

You could try this

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-10z-49-en-70-2lob.html

or this

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-10z-49-en-70-1smg.html

davidtobin100

Ordered the switcher in Maplin so I should have it in a week or so. Thanks again.