With the imminent return of my CLD97 from Seattle, I realized that I am not only out of 'S'Video inputs but also digital. As good as my TAG AV32R processor is it is lacking inputs. Only four CVNS and for YC exist, plus four SPDIF and two TosLINK. I have finally decided to rectify my laziness and sort out running Sky+ and the XBOX using RGB. Doing so would free up the two 'S' Video and both TosLINKs, but After a while I know I will need them filling and be back in the same predicament. I then began to wonder whether any of it was worth it as it won't belong before I can work again and starting earning money to buy myself an HDTV. Once I have one I will need HDMI 1.3 switching, but that is some way off. I didn't want to build anything too fancy as it would have a short lifespan. Having said that my gear is too good to use crap accessories.
I built a 4 input @S@video switcher around the simple LT1024 video switcher. I don't have PCB making equipment and as a consequence no ground plane. Using veroboard provided me with too much video noise. I bought a £20 'S' switcher and that too has too much noise. My display is quite old but very clean even near 5.8MHz, so noise is obvious. I tried using a relay and found this much better. A relay stuck to undeveloped copper clad PCB board as a ground plane with short wires was amazingly good. So this is what I am settling for. I am using miniature medical grade sealed relays with low current switching contacts. Arranged in groups to match a 2 bit binary drive the switcher will provide 3 RGBCs and 4 'S' plus 3 TosLINK and one SPDIF Coax input. A 7 segment LED display provides indication of what's happening.
Although still a mass of wires and relays on a bench, I thought I would share my diagrams so someone else can try for themselves. The electronics and not my design, but are a series of three blocks taken from different places during research and changed to suit my needs. A 7 output IR reciever will control everything using custom codes from my MX3000 remote.
For those interested, watch this space.
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Topic: Switching Audio And Video (Read 39 times)