# Connecting multiple HD components question.



## alsays (Aug 12, 2005)

I need help!

I have a 55" HD television which I've had for about 5 years now and it has only one HD input which is currently taken by my 622 but I would like to add a Blue Ray Disc player. What do I do? I've looked around for some kind of HD switch/splitter but can't seem to find one. Does one exist? If so... where? and how much? or do I need to buy a new set with multi hd inputs? Mine still works fine and I don't want to spend thousands if I don't need to.

Thanks!


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## heisman (Feb 11, 2007)

An HDMI switch like this one will work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-into-1-HDMI-S...4QQihZ015QQcategoryZ73390QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## alsays (Aug 12, 2005)

heisman said:


> An HDMI switch like this one will work.
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/2-into-1-HDMI-S...4QQihZ015QQcategoryZ73390QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Thanks but unfortunately my television doesn't have an HDMI input. Just the regular old fashioned digital input.


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## DP1 (Sep 16, 2002)

His tv prolly doesnt have HDMI though if it's that old.. he's likely using Component video.

Even at that though of course theres numerous switches to choose from. From cheaper mechanical (push button) to auto-sensing and so on. And of course many even "entry level" A/V receivers have it as well.

Just type in like.. 2x1 Component switch.. into froogle or whatever.

Something like this one.. although you might want to see if people are satisfied with it since it's one of the cheaper alternatives..

http://cgi.ebay.com/PHILIPS-HDTV-4-...1QQihZ019QQcategoryZ73390QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Doues your "regular old fashioned digital input" look like one of these connectors? http://www.cablestogo.com/resources/dvi.asp?


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## alsays (Aug 12, 2005)

CABill said:


> Doues your "regular old fashioned digital input" look like one of these connectors? http://www.cablestogo.com/resources/dvi.asp?


Nope. It doesn't. I paid over 6K when it first came out and at the time it was the best on the market now it's a relic but it works great.

It has 2 component 480i/480p inputs

and one

DTV YPrPbHV/GrBHV 480i/480p/1080i/1080p input which looks like the component inputs

which is where my 622 is connected but if I get a Blue Ray or a play station 3 in order to get the full 1080p picture I guess I would need to use this input as well.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

alsays said:


> Nope. It doesn't. I paid over 6K when it first came out and at the time it was the best on the market now it's a relic but it works great.
> 
> It has 2 component 480i/480p inputs


Those sound like composite inputs, not component.



alsays said:


> and one
> 
> DTV YPrPbHV/GrBHV 480i/480p/1080i/1080p input which looks like the component inputs
> 
> which is where my 622 is connected but if I get a Blue Ray or a play station 3 in order to get the full 1080p picture I guess I would need to use this input as well.


And that sounds like component input. Component input is not digital. It is analog, but more than capable of HD quality video. You may have confused folks by saying you had a digital input prior to HDMI, as there was a DVI digital connector (couple of different flavors if I remember correctly) and also I think a few folks may have had Firewire (IEEE1394) on a few model older HDTVs.

In any event... There are some component multi-input to single-output switches you can get... you also could use a home audio/video receiver to not only serve this purpose but provide Dolby 5.1 surround to your speakers too.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Am I mistaken, but did I not read somewhere that Blue-Ray and HDDVD players only output 480p through component? You MUST have HDMI to get HD resolutions.

Several higher end Home Theater units ($500+) have HDMI/Component conversion. I was looking for one several months ago and dropped it because of cost ( I am a little tight). These units convert composite, S-video and component to HDMI and output it to the display.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Jim5506 said:


> Am I mistaken, but did I not read somewhere that Blue-Ray and HDDVD players only output 480p through component? You MUST have HDMI to get HD resolutions.


Only partially mistaken, depending on how you look at it... but not your fault 

Currently as I understand it none of the HDDVD or BluRay will do upconvert of DVD format except via HDMI. There are some upconverting players that will do it over component, but not many apparently.

HDMI provides a "feature" that allows the movie company to set a flag on the HDDVD or BluRay disc that would also prevent HD 720p or 1080i/p from being output even on HDDVD or BluRay except through HDMI... BUT a lot of people have complained about this so the movie studios have not yet set this flag on currently released movies. I believe they have "agreed" not to set this flag on any releases for a few years to allow folks to upgrade to new TVs that have HDMI ports.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

HDMe said:


> Only partially mistaken, depending on how you look at it... but not your fault
> 
> Currently as I understand it none of the HDDVD or BluRay will do upconvert of DVD format except via HDMI. There are some upconverting players that will do it over component, but not many apparently.
> 
> HDMI provides a "feature" that allows the movie company to set a flag on the HDDVD or BluRay disc that would also prevent HD 720p or 1080i/p from being output even on HDDVD or BluRay except through HDMI... BUT a lot of people have complained about this so the movie studios have not yet set this flag on currently released movies. I believe they have "agreed" not to set this flag on any releases for a few years to allow folks to upgrade to new TVs that have HDMI ports.


Some players upconvert and some do not. And that is independent of the type of connection.


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

Because of some patent laws or something (cant remember exactly), Upconverting DVD players will only upconvert over HDMI. Component cables will only provide 480p... 

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players however, are not bound by this, and will provide HD over component for HD content... regular DVD's however will not be upconverted over component...


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

HDMe said:


> alsays said:
> 
> 
> > It has 2 component 480i/480p inputs
> ...


They could be component. When I was learning and shopping a few years ago, one of my criteria was that the component inputs be able to accept 480/720/1080 rather than be limited to SD or HD as many sets of the day were.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

farleyville said:


> Because of some patent laws or something (cant remember exactly), Upconverting DVD players will only upconvert over HDMI. Component cables will only provide 480p...
> 
> Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players however, are not bound by this, and will provide HD over component for HD content... regular DVD's however will not be upconverted over component...


There is no such restriction. Since it is upconverting they don't care. Some players do the upconvert and some do not. Some do it to for Component some only to HDMI.

There is the ability on these new players to restrict 1080P output to HDMI only, but the flag to force that, so far, has rarely been set.


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

tnsprin said:


> There is no such restriction. Since it is upconverting they don't care. Some players do the upconvert and some do not. Some do it to for Component some only to HDMI.


Unfortunately that is not true, There is a restriction in CSS, that some players are able to get around, but not others... See the article below.... according to CSS all digital content greater than 480p, is restricted to (DVI and HDMI w/ HDCP).....

http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/06/20/ask-hd-beat-dvd-upconverting-over-component/


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

farleyville said:


> Unfortunately that is not true, There is a restriction in CSS, that some players are able to get around, but not others... See the article below.... according to CSS all digital content greater than 480p, is restricted to (DVI and HDMI w/ HDCP).....
> 
> http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/06/20/ask-hd-beat-dvd-upconverting-over-component/


That is if css (or acss) is active. It usually is NOT. The reason is that lots of early adopters do not have DVI/HDMI inputs and would be very mad if it was restrictred output to their 1080i sets.


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