6 devices ... One Monitor/TV ... can it be done ?

trout · 10-10-2008 05:04PM #1

I'm looking for some wisdom/advice here.

Here's my question ... I'll be looking to connect 6 devices to one television.
Spectrum, Commodore 64, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, Xbox, and Xbox360.

Is it crazy to think I can connect all of these to one television or monitor at the same time ?

Obviously I won't be using them all at the same time, but I have limited space in the room, and I don't want to be physically connecting & disconnecting the various devices too often ... for obvious reasons.

I know the newer consoles can use SCART / HDMI ... fair enough ... I'm more concerned about the older ones where I only have the legacy co-ax connections.

Is there some clever & reasonably priced way to connect them all ?

I haven't bought a television or monitor yet ... so I'm open to any helpful suggestions.

Retr0gamer · 10-10-2008 05:14PM

All my consoles use scart and I've only one connection wired for scart. Nothing I can do about it other than give the TV an auld reach around when I change console. I've heard those boxes you can use for multiple scart connectors and co-axial connectors can really lower visual qaulity.

o1s1n · 10-10-2008 05:20PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I've heard those boxes you can use for multiple scart connectors and co-axial connectors can really lower visual qaulity.

I have a four in 1 scart connection. It has switches on it that you hit whenever you want to change between connections.

Doesn't lower visual quality in the slightest.

As for -Spectrum, Commodore 64, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, Xbox, and Xbo360.

Spectrum and commodore 64 just get a high quality av splitter. That'l be the two of them going into the one connection.

Dreamcast, ps1, ps2 and xbox can all be plugged into a multi scart connector. Again, make sure you get a decent quality one so there's no loss of quality. If you're worried about that, I suppose you could get two double scart connectors. Just make sure you buy a tv with two start connections.

Then the xbox360 can go into the HDMI.

Easy peasy

um7y1h83ge06nx · 11-10-2008 01:18PM

If your TV has component, connect all the more modern consoles to this using a component switchbox and component leads.

It will result in better picture quality than Scart.

Play Asia is a good place for switchboxes and cables.

You could get a VGA box and cable for the Dreamcast if you have VGA input. I bought a cheap DC VGA box from Play Asia before.

CiDeRmAn · 11-10-2008 08:40PM

I have a setup in my games room something like what you are looking for.
I have the Xbox, DC, GC, Snes, Nes and a bunch of others going into the TV via scart and a bunch of other machines, the Jag, 2600, 7200, Master System, Megadrive etc, going in via RF.
Now, what I did was rig three cables all the way around the room, punctuated at regular intervakes by a phono out, you guessed it, one yellow, one red and one white, and at each access point I hook in the respective cables, with the RF it's really simple just jacking in enough good quality RF splitters to plug in enough machines.
Now, I know the video quality isn't always the very very best but for these older consoles the highest fi isn't as important consideration.
The audio is run through a digital surround amp, with enough options for every stereo/prologic/digital sound processing required!

It's nice and neat too, and means all I have to do, to play one of my collection of machines, is turn on the switched socket, pop a cart/disk in and switch the machine on, no messing around setting a console up every time the urge to play Powerstone comes upon me!

royaldutch · 30-05-2009 05:22AM

....... but I noticed that ALDI are selling a SCART Selector/Lead Set for €8.99 from next Thursday on.

120_Minutes · 03-06-2009 12:47AM

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I have a setup in my games room something like what you are looking for.
I have the Xbox, DC, GC, Snes, Nes and a bunch of others going into the TV via scart and a bunch of other machines, the Jag, 2600, 7200, Master System, Megadrive etc, going in via RF.
Now, what I did was rig three cables all the way around the room, punctuated at regular intervakes by a phono out, you guessed it, one yellow, one red and one white, and at each access point I hook in the respective cables, with the RF it's really simple just jacking in enough good quality RF splitters to plug in enough machines.
Now, I know the video quality isn't always the very very best but for these older consoles the highest fi isn't as important consideration.
The audio is run through a digital surround amp, with enough options for every stereo/prologic/digital sound processing required!

It's nice and neat too, and means all I have to do, to play one of my collection of machines, is turn on the switched socket, pop a cart/disk in and switch the machine on, no messing around setting a console up every time the urge to play Powerstone comes upon me!

pics please!

CCCP^ · 08-06-2009 12:05AM

Get the one Royaldutch recommended.

6 devices ... One Monitor/TV ... can it be done ?

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