Component Pass through solutions?

[pgrillo]

I am real new at this. While i have had a simple set up for a few years, i haven't touched it.

Anyway, i have a 6 year old pioneer HDTV that supports Component (not HDMI), works great. It has 2 component inputs (along with other various non HD).

I have a Receiver, DVD, and Cable Box. Receiver is an Onkyo, it does mostly just my 5.1 audio. Has some composite, but no component.

My problem. I just bought a HD200 Standalone because i want to play videos from my network. Thats all i want for now, knowing i can expand.

But .. is there any way to wire this together with what i have? The DVD and Cable Box have Composite going to the TV and Audio to the Receiver.

I'm out of inputs on the TV. Is there a way i can pass the cable or dvd through the HD200 when watching cable or DVD? or am i going to have to replace my TV or Receiver (yechh.)

I'm homing there is a simple answer, other than simply buying another receiver.

thanks for any help.

[QueOnda]

You need a component video switch: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...t=1#largeimage

There are many varieties around. I don't recommend the one above (never used this brand). But I used one (can't remember the brand right now) and allowed me to connect components or s-video and for audio had or optical or analog digital.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by QueOnda

You need a component video switch: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...t=1#largeimage

There are many varieties around. I don't recommend the one above (never used this brand). But I used one (can't remember the brand right now) and allowed me to connect components or s-video and for audio had or optical or analog digital.

Does your Onkyo have S-video AND composite switching? Odds are, if it does, and if it's anywhere near the age of your TV, then you can actually use it as a component switcher.

Component is 3 75ohm coaxial cables.

Composite is 1 75 ohm coaxial cable.

S-video is basically 2 75ohm coaxial cable.

You can, in most cases, get an S-Video->2RCA cable, and use that as 2 of your component lines, and then another single rca-rca as the third. This would allow you to only have to change inputs on your reciever, and video will be switched as well. It's actually a relatively simple solution, and eliminates the need for switcher.

[pgrillo]

Thank you both very much for the solution.

The switch looks pretty easy and i can set it up with my harmony.

The solution SVIdeo to RCA solution is good too. I don't currently use my Onkyo for this, but that would be easy. Suppose it's now a matter of cost. Wish they sold those splitters a bit more cheaply at mono, but they don't seem to carry them.

Thanks again, so much for your help. At least i don't have to replace my receiver

[CollinR]

For optimal use move the cable box to a SageTV server this can be any PC on your network probably the one with the videos you already watch. Just add the SW and a capture card.

Then connect the HD200 to the TV via component
Connect the DVD player to the TV via component

Use the TV's audio output to the Onkyo and have the TV do the switching leaving the Onkyo on Video1 all the time.

[pgrillo]

well, the notion of moving these components onto a sage server is a little enticing, my issue is that i use my cable box mainly for encrypted HI-DEF programs and use of that cable box PVR.

While i would "love" to get rid of the program guide and recording from my cable box and cable provider, from what i can tell from this forum and others, trying to get that box on a server, with channel guides and HIDEF capture of an encyrpted signal is, if not impossible, something i'm not ready for or personally capable of doing.

thank you for your input.

i'm sure glad i went with sagetv, even starting here - the community seems to be so very helpful.

[QueOnda]

Originally Posted by pgrillo

well, the notion of moving these components onto a sage server is a little enticing, my issue is that i use my cable box mainly for encrypted HI-DEF programs and use of that cable box PVR.

While i would "love" to get rid of the program guide and recording from my cable box and cable provider, from what i can tell from this forum and others, trying to get that box on a server, with channel guides and HIDEF capture of an encyrpted signal is, if not impossible, something i'm not ready for or personally capable of doing.

thank you for your input.

i'm sure glad i went with sagetv, even starting here - the community seems to be so very helpful.

Look into the HD-PVR. You will need your cable box to the HD-PVR and the HDPVR will be connected to your computer via USB2. To control the cable box either IR from the HD-PVR or USB-urt or Via Firewire if avail on cable box.

[CollinR]

Look at the HD PVR, as your capture source. SageTV has it's own guide so you won't need or use the one on the box.

As a bonus you could add an HVR2250 and instantly have a 3 source setup with encrypted HD, clear HD and regular cableTV tuners.

You might also notice the ATSC version is higher quality compared to the QAM your cable box provides.

[pgrillo]

hmm, i guess i missed that. And it is the only reason i haven't considered expanding. What i want is a more highly functional program guide and recording for encrypted and premiere channels. If it can do it, i'm interested.

so the HD PVR selects the program using IR aimed at my cable box, and then records the decrypted stream, or i guess can direct it to my HD200 if i'm watching it live?. I guess i missed it.

Any special requirements (other than the attached video stuff like the PVR and disk drives) that this PC must have? That is, i would need to build one because my cable is not near my server/desktop. But i could probably add a small PC to my closet where my router and cable comes in.

again, thanks for the input!!

[Fuzzy]

If you are only watching the video on your HD200, the Sage Server (the PC doing the recording) does not need much power at all. Just enough Harddrive space to record your content. The only reason you might want a fasterPC for this use would be if you were going to have it running Comskip or ShowAnalyser to detect/skip commercials, but you could technically set this up to run on your desktop instead.

I have heard good reviews on using Windows Home Server for this use, which would actully gain you some other nice advantages (the backup system), and is priced nicely.

[pgrillo]

i almost hate to ask for more help. I've been so obsessed with ensuring i have video support on my old onkyo for 3 devices, i just realized that i only have 2 digital inputs for audio (cable or optical). I'm assuming i need digital for all 3.

Any similar solutions for audio? Or am i back to having to buy a receiver.

-------------------------------------------------------
As for adding a server and an HDPVR, it looks very enticing.

The only thing i think i might be missing is recording 2 Encrypted HD channels at once, or watching one while recording one, which the cable box does. But i'm still considering.

[pgrillo]

sorry for my haste, i answered my own question. the onkyo, thankfully provides digital coax1 and optical1 and coax2 and optical2, but allows me to direct all four of those ports to any input source - unlike its handling of video inputs. So, i'm all set.

[pgrillo]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Does your Onkyo have S-video AND composite switching? Odds are, if it does, and if it's anywhere near the age of your TV, then you can actually use it as a component switcher.

Component is 3 75ohm coaxial cables.

Composite is 1 75 ohm coaxial cable.

S-video is basically 2 75ohm coaxial cable.

You can, in most cases, get an S-Video->2RCA cable, and use that as 2 of your component lines, and then another single rca-rca as the third. This would allow you to only have to change inputs on your reciever, and video will be switched as well. It's actually a relatively simple solution, and eliminates the need for switcher.

For the record, i purchased the cables for this approach. SVideo to two female component cable. I then had all 3 of my video inputs using it, and one coming out for the monitor.

It looked good, on the surface. Upon closer inspection, the picture while playing DVD or TV or anything gets color distortion. If there is bright red on the screen, the red bleeds to the right of where the red is. If you were to look simply at a channel guide where a portion of a channel is highlighted in red, that red bar will continue off the screen, albeit very very light.

I don't know if this is the cable, the solution, or my Onkyo, but i can't get rid of it unless go directly from (tv,dvd...) direct to the tv with component.

I'll have to see about purchasing the component video switch, or a new receiver

[ChuckSchick]

You've got the HD200, I'd say it's time to ditch the DVD player!

Start ripping and don't stop!

The only DVD players in my house anymore are on PC's.

You can put the HD200 and Cable Box on the two components, and the DVD on the poorer quality composite input. You won't be using the DVD player anymore. If you're new to DVD ripping, just ask, but your google search is "DVDShrink" IMHO. Hard Drives are dirt cheap.

(also, apologies if you're already an old hand at this)