Post by: twistedsymphony on March 28, 2006, 03:46:00 PM
I saw the the "SCORE System Selector Pro 2.0" for sale at nearby GameStop a while back for $100, I didn't think much of it till now. It looks like a nice unit, Hi-Fi looking case, it's got a remote and an LCD display as well as 5 component inputs AND Optical Audio switching. I can't find ANY information on it though. I had to dig around just to find out the above.
Also Here is the best info I've found on it: http://store.videogamecentral.com/pesyseprocwa.html
the few sites I've found that carry it all charge $99 and the one site I found that charges less seems REALLY shady.
Just wondering if anyone else is using this or has any experience with it. I'll probably order one soon unless someone come to me with a horror story.
I'm open to suggestions if you have any alternatives but keep this in mind
-Price around $100
-at least 5 Component video inputs
-Perfer to have it switch optical audio (but not a deal breaker)
-Perfer to have it look like a piece of Hi-Fi equipment to match my other stuff (again not a deal breaker)
for reference my other stuff looks like this:
(IMG:http://www.marantz.com/hifi/america/news/press_releases/sr6200.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.ahanix.com/images/Upload/ImgTech/27_20056211927317110988234.jpg)
Post by: jtom617 on March 29, 2006, 12:14:00 AM
Post by: twistedsymphony on March 29, 2006, 04:01:00 AM
I'm not too concerned with performance so long as it doesn't add massive amounts of interference or something. I've pretty much accepted the fact that any switching device short of a $400 SIMA will probably suck performance wise by comparison.
IMO having Ethernet ports on there is pretty useless but meh, to each his own...
Post by: twistedsymphony on March 29, 2006, 11:20:00 AM
from here: https://www.shop4tec...8&cata=&s_cata=
The site has a fantastic review rating, it was $20 cheaper, with free shipping, on AND they carried it in Black
Not to mention they had a couple of customer reviews and they were all really high...
I'm sold... it couldn't possibly be worse then the pelican POS I'm using now.
If anyone else is interested in this let me know and I'll write up a mini review once I get it... if no one cares then I'll just use it and be happy
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on March 30, 2006, 02:35:00 PM
You'll want to use a different set of component video cables to connect it to your tv. The ones that come with it are cheap. Monoprice.com has some decent cables at a good price.
Post by: twistedsymphony on March 30, 2006, 08:19:00 PM
QUOTE(autoxerFSP21 @ Mar 30 2006, 05:50 PM) 
Mine is excellent. I don't notice any static in the picture and sound quaility is fine. The only problem I have with the system is that the buttons on the remote don't feel right. I picked up the Harmony 360 remote and it is able to control it though.
You'll want to use a different set of component video cables to connect it to your tv. The ones that come with it are cheap. Monoprice.com has some decent cables at a good price.
Cool, yeah monoprice is a great site, I order all my cables from them. I'll be using all my own cables and I have a learning remote that I'll be using in place of the one it comes with so if those are the only problems it sounds good to me
Post by: ikecomp on March 30, 2006, 08:43:00 PM
QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Mar 29 2006, 01:27 PM)
I ended up ordering it...
from here: https://www.shop4tec...8&cata=&s_cata=
The site has a fantastic review rating, it was $20 cheaper, with free shipping, on AND they carried it in Black
Not to mention they had a couple of customer reviews and they were all really high...
I'm sold... it couldn't possibly be worse then the pelican POS I'm using now.
If anyone else is interested in this let me know and I'll write up a mini review once I get it... if no one cares then I'll just use it and be happy
I would like a mini review since I'll be getting my HDTV and sound system next month. I was looking for something to handle all of my inputs in a nice neat package
Post by: edwinmcdunlap on March 30, 2006, 08:59:00 PM
Post by: miggidy on April 03, 2006, 01:37:00 PM
I have the much cheaper Pelican system selector ($20 at Circuit City) and it looks great.
Even with the cables they supply with it.
But I'm getting pretty tired of getting up and manually pushing the select buttons.
Plus I'm concerned that the constant switching will wear my selector out.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 03, 2006, 02:57:00 PM
QUOTE(miggidy @ Apr 3 2006, 04:52 PM)
Hey Twisted I won't ask for a review or anything, all I need to know is if you noticed any difference in picture quality?
I have the much cheaper Pelican system selector ($20 at Circuit City) and it looks great.
Even with the cables they supply with it.
But I'm getting pretty tired of getting up and manually pushing the select buttons.
Plus I'm concerned that the constant switching will wear my selector out.
I haven't got it in yet (due to be delivered on the 6th). but I'll be writing some comments here after I test it out for the weekend.
The current selector I'm using is the same one you have the $20 Pelican from circuit city. and while I get no interference either it has worn out and one of the inputs no longer works.
I'm also starting to see some slight interference one on of the channels when more then 1 is on (started when the first channel went out). Which is what prompted me to go hunting for a new system selector.Also I'm with you, it'd be nice to be able to just remote switch, once I get the selector in I'll probably pick up a learning remote and program all this crap in.
Post by: miggidy on April 03, 2006, 03:15:00 PM
I went ahead and ordered one anyway,
like you I figured it can't be any worse than what I already have.
One of the reviewers in the link you provided said that he didn't notice any pq loss so I'll go with what he said.
A learning remote sounds like a good idea at this point.
I've never owned one because it always felt to me like I'll only be adding to the pile I already have.
But I'll be damned, I no longer have room for a drink on my coffee table. It's covered with remotes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
Post by: lostboyz on April 03, 2006, 04:45:00 PM
http://www.woot.com/
I just have this 4 component input switch it was $15 at walmart and so far it only has displayed interference when im using my xbox, which was weird I could see an image of something that didnt come from any of the other inputs. No optical switch though, only downside ive seen.
Post by: fahrenheit on April 03, 2006, 05:15:00 PM
Joytech are overdue to deliver this piece of vapourware any day now. http://www.joytech.net/products.php?sectio...&lang=1&catID=4
I can't stand the styling personally and I hope that the delay in this product coming to market has been because of a design rethink, but what is interesting is if you note the back panel, there is what looks like a 360 AVIP plug.
This unit is the successor to this flawed product, http://www.joytech.net/products.php?sectio...&lang=1&catID=9 which has far better styling but had issues with progressive scan sources that made it fairly useless. For non-progressive sources it is an excellent unit.
Look forward to reading your comments twistedsymphony.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 03, 2006, 07:58:00 PM
QUOTE(miggidy @ Apr 3 2006, 06:30 PM)
A learning remote sounds like a good idea at this point.
I've never owned one because it always felt to me like I'll only be adding to the pile I already have.
But I'll be damned, I no longer have room for a drink on my coffee table. It's covered with remotes
My Receiver (Marantz SR6200) came with a learning remote, it's great in that it has buttons for every possible function you can think of, but it's literally a rectangle with over 100 buttons all exactly the same shape and no back-lighting, so it's very easy to get lots. in the dark. Ideally I'd love something like a Logetec Harmony or one of the Sony Touchscreen remotes, but I have a hard time justifying paying that much for something I've never used and have no idea if I'll even like it.
QUOTE(lostboyz @ Apr 3 2006, 06:52 PM)
if your quick woot still has some for cheap
http://www.woot.com/
I just have this 4 component input switch it was $15 at walmart and so far it only has displayed interference when im using my xbox, which was weird I could see an image of something that didnt come from any of the other inputs. No optical switch though, only downside ive seen.
QUOTE(fahrenheit @ Apr 3 2006, 08:30 PM)
Great thread
I'm in the market for something like this.Joytech are overdue to deliver this piece of vapourware any day now. http://www.joytech.n...&lang=1&catID=4
I can't stand the styling personally and I hope that the delay in this product coming to market has been because of a design rethink, but what is interesting is if you note the back panel, there is what looks like a 360 AVIP plug.
This unit is the successor to this flawed product, http://www.joytech.n...&lang=1&catID=9 which has far better styling but had issues with progressive scan sources that made it fairly useless. For non-progressive sources it is an excellent unit.
Look forward to reading your comments twistedsymphony.
yeah that definitely looks like an AVIP, I saw something JUST like that at EB games the other day, probably not the same one but it mimicked the 360's shape and had an LCD just like that one. While I'm not the too picky about looks, I do prefer black to match my other stuff, and 5 inputs is a necessity
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 06, 2006, 08:52:00 PM
But first the pictures (because everyone loves pictures)
The Well Packed Box inside a box from shop4tech.com
Looking at the input on the box picture it's pretty obvious who this product is geared towards
The stuff that came in the box (except for the remote which I forgot to take a picture of)
OK
First things first, The build quality of this unit seems to be pretty good, you've got your standard steel case with (what I believe to be) a real aluminum front face. a nice looking LCD screen, and oodles of ports on the back. Pushing and prodding it seems like it's a pretty sturdy device. The Buttons all have good action (they looked cheap in the pictures so seeing and feeling them in person was a pleasant surprise) And all the ports on the back are mounted strong against the steel. The top metal piece flexes a little as it seems it's not bolted anywhere but the sides and back, so when pushed it can move up and down under the front panel (like the freshness bump on the top of a jar). Not a big deal though. The remote is also much nicer in person then they seemed in the pictures, again the buttons are nice and the remote is actually made of aluminum, it's also a little larger then I expected too be (maybe 2"x4.5" and 3/4" thick though I didn't measure). Overall it had a good feel to it.
Bringing the unit down into my basement it was very light weight. Setting it on top of my Marantz receiver it matched it's width exactly as did the color and brushed aluminum pattern. Looking at the back panel it hit me that it used an un-grounded wall wart for power. The first thought that came to mind was that I would have preferred a grounded connection of some sort, particularly for a powered video switch an earth ground would help with reducing interference and noise. Maybe it doesn't need it... The next thing I noticed was the the inputs closest to the power were the optical ports. This I thought this was cool and it made me feel like who ever designed this actually thought about where they were putting things.
There are 5 inputs on the back all of them support Component video, S-Video, Composite Video, Stereo RCA Audio. The first three inputs also support Optical and Coaxial Digital Audio. There is a 6th input on the front panel but it only supports S-Video, Composite Video and Stereo RCA Audio. There are also 3 Ethernet ports on the back but they're set up rather interestingly Basically you'd still use an external switch to connect all of your devices too, but the system selector will allow you to connect them to two different LANs. Not only that you can switch which LAN you're using on the fly via the remote. I don't have any use for that but I thought it was kind of cool none the less. (I suppose you could leave one disconnected and use it for "unplugging" your Xbox from Live if you didn't want to be connected for whatever reason).
Swapping over all the wires from my old selector There was adequate spacing between the jacks, enough that even the large headed monster cables I had fit without squeezing or even rubbing like they did on my old selector. Also there is no shroud around the back which makes things easier as well. All the plugs felt very sturdy and even plugging in the very stiff Xbox 1 cables I use (the official Advanced HD AV Pack V2) the stayed stiff and strong. Actually the Xbox 1 cables are what broke my last switch as I tried to switch some things around and the pressure I had to apply to get the plug onto the jack just pushed the jack into the switch instead of the plug onto the jack
...but that wasn't a problem here.I also didn't anticipate needing another Optical cable as I have 3 optical devices (Xbox1, PS2, and Xbox 360) and one cable for each, formerly going into my receiver. Now that all 3 are going into the switch I need a 4th to go from the switch to the receiver, no big deal I just didn't think about it.
Turning the unit on the display looked exactly like it does on the box picture. Bright Blue with white text. the manual was pretty clear on how to set the text to the input number. Interesting enough it can only be set by the controls on the unit itself, not by the remote. At first I cursed because that meant I had to get back up off the couch
but then I realized it's a good idea considering that meant no one would accidentally mess with it via remote. Input 1: Xbox, Input 2: PS2, Input 3: Xbox 360, Input 4: GameCube, makes sense to me It even offered 3 different ways to display Playstation: PSX, PSOne, PS1...Turning off the lights and firing up the projector I realize the remote offered no back-light. not too big of a deal considering each input has it's own unique button on the remote, so aside from Power, LAN1 and LAN2 (the first 3 buttons) you could just keep pushing stuff till the display on the console had what you wanted.
So now for the real test... What does the picture look like?
Well I just sat back with the still image of the dashboard up looking for something to move. In the past interference has shown up in the form of random strings of pixels going slightly off color momentarily here and there like static. I didn't see any of that, The picture looked free of interference completely. Even walking up close to my screen I didn't see any.
... but something seemed not right ...
Looking around trying to figure it out I noticed that a lot of the text on the screen was shadowing, that is to say had a ghosted version of itself duplicated a few pixels to the right. Upon closer inspection everything was shadowing but depending on the colors some were more visible then others. It's most easily distinguishable with text (black text on a mid-tone seemed to be the worst) but even the "A" button icon at the bottom right had a faint ghosted green shadow 3 or 4 pixels to the right. NOT COOL. I fired up GeoWars to see if I could see see the shadowing there (simple shapes on a black background), I figured it would also be beneficial to test for any lag possibly introduced. Surprisingly I didn't notice any shadowing or any lag at all (good, and good). Though the lack of shadowing could be due to the colors being used, as the darker the background the less apparent shadows were.
At this point my GF came home and I asked her if she noticed anything different, she couldn't after staring at it for a bit and I pointed out the shadow. She saw them but said she'd have to go out of her way to notice it.
I went and put the Xbox 360 cables and the output cables back onto the old switch to see if maybe this shadow had been there all along and I had just never noticed it before. Examining the picture through the old switch I did see some shadowing but it didn't seem as apparent. At this point I noticed the colors were slightly different too. I put the connections back onto the new switch and the shadows hit me like a ton of bricks. They were definitely more noticeable with the new switch. I thought maybe it's because the new switch is carrying the signal better and everything has been tuned to the old switch, maybe I have some settings cranked way too high or something. So I went into the projectors menu and started fooling around. If anything it only served to make it worse. I fired up a game of bankshot billiards and the balls all seemed to have little ghosts hanging out to their right.
I had to shut it off before my head exploded.I'll say this... I'm still going to be optimistic. The cables I'm using from the switch up to the projector are total JUNK (a really crappy 25' VGA to component cable that came with the projector, 3 Radio shack barrel plugs and the component cable that came with the crappy pelican switch), I actually have really nice replacement cables sitting and waiting to go (50' 4x shielded oxygen-free gold strand SVGA cable, and a similar 3ft VGA to component adapter), I ordered them from monoprice a short while ago and just haven't got around to putting them up yet. Also through futzing around with the projector setting the colors and everything are definitely messed up and way out of whack so it could still be my own fault the ghosting is there. Also since I moved to this house I've had that old switch and I haven't compared the new switch to NO SWITCH at all, which would be the best baseline. I also never checked any of the other inputs. Not to mention I wouldn't mind adding an earth ground to the case to see if that helps any.
All of this stuff I plan on tackling this weekend.
In the mean time I've tried to do some research into what causes shadowing like that but I couldn't find anything AT ALL. I know I've seen it before but only when a low res image gets upscaled or just blown up. I see it a lot on composite inputs when going into a projector. (and yes it was still outputting at 720p I checked the signal with the projector).
So if anyone can give me any insight as to what can cause shadowing let me know. In the meantime I'm really luke-warm over this switch, but remaining optimistic.
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 07, 2006, 05:29:00 AM
The adapter for the pelcian switch is plugged into my power conditioner.
I'm using good quality component cables (monoprice)
I'm not converting any video signal to a different kind of input (straight component to my CRT HDTV).
Good luck man. I'm really happy with the switch. Hopefully your problem gets solved with the new cables.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 07, 2006, 06:15:00 AM
as for the cables. it's not actually "converting" anything, the projector only has a VGA port but it double as a component input, it just needs something to adapt the component cables to VGA, a lot of projectors are like this.
Post by: miggidy on April 07, 2006, 10:00:00 AM
I must say, my picture looks a lot cleaner now.
But then again, that could've been because I used a different component (monster) cable instead of the supplied cheapish stuff these selectors come with.
Oh but wait, it looks even better than it did with my X360 plugged in straight to my Sammy LCD.
Perhaps these units filter out noise, or gives you a signal boost? I'll have to look up its documentation.
Something's up.
I got started pretty late last night, so I'll look more into it this weekend.
I did notice some shadowing/bleeding of scrolling black text on a bright background.
It was only noticable when ever the text moved.
I'm not sure how bad it is in comparison to just plugging the 360 into my LCD directly.
It could just be common motion blur associated with every LCD.
The funny thing is that it never jumped out at me in the past which leads me to believe that this is a new problem. However the irony is that my picture looks much better overall.
I'll get to the bottom of this, hopefully tonight or some time tomorrow.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 07, 2006, 11:45:00 AM
QUOTE(miggidy @ Apr 7 2006, 01:15 PM)
...
I'll get to the bottom of this, hopefully tonight or some time tomorrow.
Yes I'm hoping that the image is actually better and I'm seeing defects that were masked with the muddy old switch somehow...
Post by: fahrenheit on April 07, 2006, 04:08:00 PM
If you guys could give 480p a good going over, I'd like to hear the results. I believe that highly bright areas such as the 360 boot sequence with all its white are problematic, causing loss of sync.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 07, 2006, 11:34:00 PM
first thing I did was pop in my DVE DVD and re-tuned my screen.
as for having trouble on bright images I tried booting the 360 in every mode (480p, 720p, 1080i) it didn't pose any sync problems on any of them. I also tired running my Clerks DVD as on of my old TVs had lots of trouble with bright white images and always wigged out on the menu of that DVD, I experienced no problems with that either.
Interesting though... my PS2 though component in 480i showed NO SHADOWING at all. The 360 regardless of what mode it was in had it, no better no worse even running the 360 through the same input used by the PS2 it was there.
There are 2 cables between the switch and my projector, plugging the 360 directly into the 1st cable connected to the projector. the image was PERFECT. So whatever is causing the shadow is either the switch or the short cable coming out of the switch that I skipped.
...and when I say the image was perfect I mean it looked better then I ever remember it being...
I should also note that my receiver has a built in power conditioner as well as fused outlets for other devices, moving the selector from my normal power conditioner to he receiver made no difference. I went and plugged it into a raw outlet too and it made no difference in the shadowing (slight bit of interference there though)
I'll be running the new cables through the ceiling tomorrow morning, so we'll see what happens. If it still doesn't look right after I run the new cables I'll probably be returning it and looking for a new one, I really want this thing to work though, it's really perfect in terms of looks and features... why can't it just work right
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 08, 2006, 06:17:00 AM
Just so you understand what I'm talking about I took some pictures, My camera takes crappy dark pictures so when you look at these understand that the effect is FAR more apparent in person.
With the System Selector:
(IMG:http://web-nine.com/albums/projector/with_switch.jpg)
Without the System selector:
(IMG:http://web-nine.com/albums/projector/with_out_switch.jpg)
I'm sure you'll first notice that the colors are slightly different, this isn't the camera, I took several pictures to be sure, they're actually coming out that different.
Now look at the end of the word "will" and you'll notice 2 ghosted "ll"s off to the right. Then look at every other letter on the page including the title way up top and EVERYTHING has a shadow.
Looking at this I believe that the selector attempts to boost the signal, the result is and abnormally bright picture and shadowing of every object on the screen.
Those of you who have this selector. Take a good close look at yours.
I'd really like to know if this is something that all of these devices do or just the one I got. If it's just mine I'd consider returning it for a new one. If it's ALL devices then I'll probably just return this and look for something new.
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 08, 2006, 08:49:00 AM
Did you run your DVE dvd through the xbox 360 while it was connected through the switch? Have you contacted Pelican or Score about the issue? I beleive it has a 5 year warranty, so you may want to try a new switch before returning your current one.
Post by: Jelly4000 on April 08, 2006, 09:56:00 AM
I doubt it's the power of it though, as my switch is unpowered, it's probably just interferance between the cables.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 08, 2006, 01:45:00 PM
QUOTE(Jelly4000 @ Apr 8 2006, 01:11 PM)
While i don't have a projector, or a system selector, or even the same kind of lead, i have the same problem. I run my 360 into a switchbox with my pc as well out to my monitor. It's a crappy switchbox (10 quid or so). Seems odd that a 100 quid box does it as well. To be fair, my problem is much more pronounced...
I doubt it's the power of it though, as my switch is unpowered, it's probably just interferance between the cables.
hmm, you're probably right about the power, as I mentioned before I get this while using the old pelican switch too, only with that one it is extremely faint and from a normal sitting distance unnoticable.
though even when the 360 was the ONLY device plugged into the switch I get the shadow.
I was fine with component outputs up to this point but now I wish there was a digitial option avaible... you don't get crap like this with digital signals
Post by: miggidy on April 09, 2006, 12:29:00 AM
It looks like I chased some ghost away becuase what ever problem I had with my new LCD is now gone.
I guess the system selector fixed what ever was ailing my LCD because it looks much better now.
I checked both the picture quality via the selector and directly through the components.
I don't see any difference in terms of picture quality.
But I'll admit that I'm an HDTV virgin so perhaps my eyes aren't trained to pick up some of the finer details.
However Twisted there's a chance that you might just have a deffective unit.
I checked the AVS Forum site and many on there who've bought this selector have reported a few deffects. The most common was dead outputs.
I haven't gotten the chance of testing what the picture quality in 480i/p looks like so I can't say much.
You guys might want to check out the AVS forums.
It's a great place for AV equipment info.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/index.php?
This post has been edited by miggidy: Apr 9 2006, 07:39 AM
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 09, 2006, 06:49:00 PM
You must have a bad switch or a cable, IMO.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 10, 2006, 08:07:00 AM
QUOTE(miggidy @ Apr 9 2006, 03:44 AM)
...However Twisted there's a chance that you might just have a deffective unit.
I checked the AVS Forum site and many on there who've bought this selector have reported a few deffects. The most common was dead outputs.
I haven't gotten the chance of testing what the picture quality in 480i/p looks like so I can't say much.
You guys might want to check out the AVS forums.
It's a great place for AV equipment info.
http://www.avsforum....vs-vb/index.php?
I did post about this in both the avsforum and the avforms, I haven't received a response from either
QUOTE(autoxerFSP21 @ Apr 9 2006, 10:04 PM)
I hooked mine to the tv and then to the switch and I still didn't have any ghosting.
You must have a bad switch or a cable, IMO.
It's definitely not the cable, the above pictures were using the same exact cables. The only difference is I replaced the switch with 3 Gold Female/Female RCA barrel plugs to create a straight through connection.
The unit is all boxed back up and ready to ship back. I'm going to try again but this time see if I can find a local store that carries it so If I have problems I can take it back in person. If that doesn't work out I'm going to get the unit from CE Labs... it only has 4 inputs and doesn't do optical but it looks like a really solid unit over all, and they boast their low cross-talk and interference specs. Something I can't even find on the unit I've got...
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 10, 2006, 08:10:00 AM
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 10, 2006, 10:01:00 AM
QUOTE(autoxerFSP21 @ Apr 10 2006, 11:25 AM)
I've seen the score selector in EB, Gamestop, and Rhino.
Neither my "local" (25 miles away) Gamestop nor "local" EB carry it. Though I remember seeing 1 for sale at a Gamestop about 50 miles away a few months ago
I haven't checked Bestbuy but I don't remember having seen it there, I've never even seen a Rhino store before.Though looking over on the avsform there were two other people there citing the same exact problems I'm experiencing.... so it's not just my imagination.
Also the older version of this switch apparently didn't have adequate bandwidth to properly switch 720p or 1080i signals... no tests have been done on this unit but it's said to use similar internal parts so... probably has the same problem.
Also interesting Newegg has stopped carrying this unit. shooting them an email asking where it went they replied that they basically had far too many returns and decided to stop carrying it.
Post by: fahrenheit on April 10, 2006, 03:27:00 PM
I've read many comments of this passive switch working fine with 720p and 1080i with none of the problems of the powered switches. I've got a second component input on the HDTV, so that will cover the four inputs I need. I'll have to use an optical switch aswell, but I really can't see any other suitable solution until Joytech bring their 360-styled switch to market. Even then, I don't particularly want that hideous thing in my rack.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 11, 2006, 06:41:00 AM
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 11, 2006, 10:11:00 AM
I'm not sure how reliable their stuff is though. I have heard good things about audio authority.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 11, 2006, 11:32:00 AM
QUOTE(autoxerFSP21 @ Apr 11 2006, 01:26 PM)
Joytech makes one similar to the score: AV Control Center 240
I'm not sure how reliable their stuff is though. I have heard good things about audio authority.
well it looked promising from Joytech's website, ran a google search and this was the first site to come up
http://www.evilavata...read.php?t=7530
the review didn't seem to have any problems but he also didn't seem to test 1080i very throughly or speak much on the quality past "it looks great!". Lots of the replies are people who have used it with a 360 and extensivly tested HD signals with it and were not very happy at all.
also the unit only seems to be available in Canada.
For now I'm sticking with Audio Authority
Post by: fahrenheit on April 11, 2006, 02:22:00 PM
It is said to be worse than the Score system by people who have compared the two. It suffers loss of sync with bright images, interference lines and heavy ghosting. Joytech have even said to people who have complained that they will have to wait for the 360 styled unit as a suitable replacement.
Post by: Glock.45 on April 11, 2006, 04:05:00 PM
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 16, 2006, 08:07:00 AM
QUOTE(Glock.45 @ Apr 11 2006, 06:12 PM)
I just bought Psyclone Source Selector. I like it so far, but the Ethernet loses connection when you switch to another device. The remote kind of sucks too. So far I have not noticed any picture quality loss. I will post a full review, when I get some time.
I was at Best Buy yesterday and picked up this unit, I was reluctant at first because I hadn't found ANY info on it at all but I decided to buy it because it was a local store so I could just return it if it didn't work out (unlike the Score which I had to pay shipping back +15% restocking fee
).Anyway The unit works FANTASTIC. The picture is flawless and identical to what it looks like without the switch at all.
This unit AFAIK only comes in Silver, it has a much nicer looking LCD and front panel, it only has 4 inputs but ALL 4 do optical audio (only 3 on the score did). It doesn't have Digital Coaxial but you could use the Composite video port for that since they both carry the same switching and throughput requirements/standards. There's no front panel access, (which is fine by me because I never use that and my receivers got one if I absolutely need it). The unit is slightly larger then the score, it's the same width but slightly taller and deeper and much heavier. It definitely feels like a higher quality unit All the connectors on the back are gold plated too (which is really what sold me on giving it a try).
The remote is slim (like a projector remote) and though it's plastic it feels much better then the big clunky thing the score came with. My only problem is that it only has 3 buttons, Power, Selection up and Selection down. The problem with this is I plan on programing remote macros to control all my devices and without discrete selections it could be very tricky to do so. I'll have to see if I can find out what standard it uses and if I can actually call discrete channel numbers.
One nice thing is it lets you program the LCD to say whatever you want, not just select the name from a list. It takes a little longer but works out better in the end. It's only got 8 characters though so it's big enough for "GameCube" but not "Playstation" or "Dreamcast"
I'd definitely recommend this unit over the score one, any day.
Post by: Perplexer on April 16, 2006, 01:35:00 PM
I do have a Harmony (520) remote which is supposed to remember the state of each device, so let's say my 360 is on port 1, and the DVD player on #4, it *should* know to just send the "previous input" command, which, while not quite a discrete code, may work nearly as well.
No biggie on the ethernet ports; I have my stuff wired to a cheap 5-port switch. While it would have been nice for them to incorporate a true ethernet hub/switch in the thing, it's understandable they didn't at this price point.
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 16, 2006, 05:11:00 PM
Here's some pics of the silver one and proof that no ghosting is occuring on my setup(I hyperlinked them because of their size ~500kb).
Score Pro 2.0
ghost 1
ghost 2
ghost 3
Sorry about the quality on those pics. I'm using a CRT TV and my digital camera is quite old.
EDIT:
Here are some pics with the 360 hooked directly to my tv. Component video @ 1080i on a panasonic CT-26wx15 for those who are curious.
ghost 5
ghost 6
This post has been edited by autoxerFSP21: Apr 17 2006, 12:12 AM
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 16, 2006, 06:10:00 PM
In any case I'm very happy with the Psyclone so far..
oh and to those thinking about the PSyclone, I forgot to mention in my mini review above, it doesn't come with any cables to speak of. Also the power cord is hardwired in and the PSU is internal instead of a wall wort (both which are positive in my opinion). I'd rather they spend the money on a better unit as opposed to including crappy cable that I wouldn't use anyway. Also the lack of a wall wort is not only cleaner but it frees up some space on my power conditioner. The only stuff int he box is the unit itself, the remote, battery, and a manual. It has "instructions" on how to program the names for the different inputs but really its just a confusing flow chart.
Just do it this way:
-Push the "select" button until the selector is on the input you want to program
-Push IN the "edit" button, the screen will say "edit"
-Push IN the "edit" button again, the screen will say the current title with an underline under the first character
-Push the edit button up or down to change the letter in the selected (underlined) position. You can hold it up or down to fast scroll through the available characters.
-Push the edit button left or right to change the selected position
-Once the name has been set how you like it push IN the edit button to submit your changes.
Post by: Glock.45 on April 16, 2006, 07:13:00 PM
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 17, 2006, 07:28:00 AM
QUOTE(Glock.45 @ Apr 16 2006, 10:28 PM)
I'm gald you all like the Psyclone. I like mine more and more. I wish the backlight had a dimmer. When I'm watching movies, I find it distracting. I wish they sold it in black. It is the only componet I have that is silver.
yeah I have the same complaints you do. Aside from the Psyclone and the 360 everything else I own is black
The first thing I thought when I powered it on was "gee I wonder if it has a night mode so I can turn off those LEDs.
But honestly the LEDs in the 360 controller bother me more then the Psyclone does.
Post by: autoxerFSP21 on April 17, 2006, 08:55:00 AM
QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Apr 17 2006, 09:35 AM) 
The first thing I thought when I powered it on was "gee I wonder if it has a night mode so I can turn off those LEDs.
I feel the same about the Score as well. It is extremely bright at night.
Post by: twistedsymphony on April 18, 2006, 03:20:00 PM
Before I bought the Psyclone I found a few auctions for the Audio Authority 1154a, most were around $200 (the MSRP) but there was one auction where the guy left the "a" off the end and it was apparent that it wasn't turning up in searches as it only had 1 bid and was at $60. So I put a snipe in at $130 (because I was eying the CE Labs switch at that price).
Looking around he had another auction for an Audio Authority Model 90, 4 component inputs, no audio, manual switch, but the switch was still electronic and relay controlled. It was only up to $10 and ended at the same time as the other auction. So I put a snipe in at $25 and figuring I could add IR switching support myself and if I won both I could just resell the model 90.
The Auctions ended. someone outbid me by $10 for the 1154a and I won the model 90 at $10.50. Even still I picked up the Psyclone over the weekend and figured I'd just tool around with the model 90 once it came in.
Yesterday morning when I got to work I had an email from the guy with a tracking number saying he'd be shipping out the model 90 that afternoon... cool... I get home from work and there's a package from him waiting for me...
... I open it up and there's the 1154a inside So I go to my computer and check the tracking number he gave me, it says the package is en route and scheduled to be delivered TOMORROW with my address as the destination.
So apparently this guy sent me BOTH switches, even though I only won the cheap one and only sent him $10.
I tried emailing him back but the emails keep bouncing back saying his address doesn't exist (strange considering I received an email from him with the tracking number, possibly he sends using a fake addy).
so now I have 4 switches (since the Score hasn't been sent back yet)
Post by: lowendfrequency on May 15, 2006, 06:04:00 AM
For some reason, whenever I play video through the 360 with the media center extender the screen starts to flicker. Sometimes it happens right away, sometimes it doesn't happen until the video stops... but it's bad. Almost like a mild stobe effect. It seems to effect blacks more than any other colors. After that, if I exit back into the dashboard everything will flicker there as well. The only solution so far is to reset the 360. This flickering is only displayed on the 360 and doesn't carry over to my DTV. Strange thing is, it only occurs while using the system selector. I can play games, dvds and downloaded trailers with no problem, but as soon as I play video through the extender it goes haywire.
Any ideas on what may be going on? Based on the symptoms it sounds like a 360 issue, but since it only occurs with the selector I'm at a loss for solutions short of getting a different selector (which I'd like to avoid).
This post has been edited by lowendfrequency: May 15 2006, 01:06 PM
Post by: twistedsymphony on May 15, 2006, 08:14:00 AM
AFAIK the Psyclone doesn't use said chip.. and it hasn't given me any problems yet...
Post by: lowendfrequency on May 15, 2006, 09:53:00 AM
QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ May 15 2006, 10:21 AM)
Most of the syncing problems has to do with the chip that is used to buss all the signals, based on what I read over on the AVS forum it would seem that a lot of these budget switchers use the same internal chip and because of this they all suffer from similar problems.
AFAIK the Psyclone doesn't use said chip.. and it hasn't given me any problems yet...
Dammit. The Score selector looks great in my setup. Sounds like I'll have to return it. Sooooo... Twisted, do you still have any of those extra switches lying around that you'd wanna sell? I'll take that freebie AA 1154a off of your hands for a good price. 100% profit man
Post by: greengiant on January 19, 2007, 12:16:00 AM
Ive tried 2 different units now, one being the joytech 240 and they both have the same sync problems.
Post by: mike96sc2 on January 28, 2007, 05:16:00 PM
Post by: LESTAT on January 28, 2007, 06:32:00 PM
i do not have any ghosting issues, bleeding or otherwise.
i do not use the LAN ports so i can not tell if the lan ports remain active when that particular device is not active. one of these days i'll give it a try.
i have had other selctors int he past that have had horrible ghosting and color issues. the joytech JS965C does not.
andi couldnt live without it,,,
with HD Cable + Toslink, 360 + Toslink, Xbox + Toslink, Dreamcast, N64 and Sony 300 disk DVD changer, this thing is a must have, and handles all HD up to 1080i just fine and dandy.
one thing you have to watch out for on some of these selectors is when you have more than 1 device turned on feeding a signal into the selector.
this can and has on other selectors caused big time issues as the signal from the non active device bleeds over signal or causes interference with the active device.
so try only having 1 device powered on vs having multiple devices powered on to see if you can see any changes.
This post has been edited by LESTAT: Jan 29 2007, 02:33 AM