by Chris Arndt

DVRs, VCRs, and DVDs—oh my! About 10 years ago, connecting the TV to your VCR and a cable TV box seemed like a stumper. Most of these connected via the antenna jack; few could be connected to baseband A/V inputs on the relatively few TVs that had them. Now, the choice of video sources has exploded. When the number of sources is greater than the number of inputs on the TV, consider adding a video selector.

A video selector takes the outputs from several different video sources, and selectively connects one or another to a single common output. The switching can be manual via front-panel push-buttons, it can be remotely-controlled with a "clicker," or automatically switched by the selector itself.

Don’t confuse a video selector with a video switcher. Generally, a switcher is a device that does TV-station-style special effects like dissolves, wipes and fades between video sources (DVD, satellite, and more). It would do the same job as we want, but at higher cost, and not with a remote control. Sometimes, too, the two terms are confused, however, and selectors are sometimes called switches.

STEP 1: MONITOR INPUTS

Figure out how many inputs you need now and are likely to need in the future. Make sure to include an extra one, just in case. Keep in mind that when we talk about an input or output (as in the VCR output), we are actually talking about three jacks: one for video and one each for left- and right-audio channels.

Our entertainment center has a VCR, DVD player, PC, four satellite receivers and a videophone—eight inputs total. In addition, I like to have one spare for temporarily plugging in a camcorder. So bump that up to nine inputs.

Now, figure out how many inputs your television has. Our new plasma monitor has seven, but only three of them are for regular video. Three of the others are HDTV digital inputs and one is for a PC. That meant we needed another six inputs. However, one of the satellite receivers and the DVD player each have HDTV outputs. Those can connect to two of the HDTV inputs on the plasma, still leaving four without a home.

STEP 2: SELECT A SELECTOR

Video selectors come in different sizes and ways to switch between inputs. Choices range from manual two-input devices to eight inputs with a remote control. In addition, some can convert between S-Video and RCA-type connections. Some high-end ones will even switch optical A/V signals, but those are beyond the scope of this project.

If you rarely need to switch between sources, an inexpensive manual selector might suit your purposes. However, manual operation means a hike over to it and pushing a button. A four-input manual selector can be had for as little as $22. It’s not a lot of effort if you switch it once a week, but you can burn off some serious beer and pizza if you need to switch between inputs often.

Some of the more expensive selectors have a TV-style remote control to add to the pile on the coffee table. These let you pick the input you want to watch from the comfort of your recliner. If you don’t like the idea of adding another remote to the clutter, pick a model that automatically chooses the input that was last turned on.

For this project, I chose a Sima SVS-4D. This unit has four inputs, and converts S-Video to composite video, and analog audio to digital. The two sets of outputs are in parallel, so you can send the same program to the TV and the VCR, and it will switch between inputs automatically or by remote control. I got it online for about $120.

Remember that each source has three jacks associated with it: video and left and right audio. Our four-input selector therefore has 12 input jacks and three output jacks on the back, so it’s a busy place. (Actually there are more jacks than that, because of the S-Video and digital audio connections, but most installations will use three cables and jacks per source.)