Connecting multiple game consoles to your TV, how do YOU do it?

So at this point, I have 16 game consoles I'm trying to hook up to my TV. The modern ones aren't too bad, since I use HDMI and have enough ports on my AV receiver for them. For older consoles, it's either YPbPr or RGB SCART. I don't have enough spare ports on the back of my AV receiver for all these consoles! And in the case of SCART, I don't have any, I've got a SCART to YPbPR convertor box that's connected to my AV receiver.

So my issue is I have too many SCART and YPbPr connections and not enough connectors on my AV receiver. Would a switch of some kind be the solution? I've tried a few SCART switches and they've been crap, they either mess with the picture or the the signal from another connected console comes though at the same time. Are there any good SCART switches out there? I'm thinking a digital one would be better than one with actual physical switches, but I'd need one with a whole crap-ton of inputs.

For component, I'm thinking something LIKE THIS would do the trick. It appears to use digital switching, not analogue and it has support for 4 devices, which for me would be SCART to YPbPr converter, Wii, PS2 and Xbox. No TOSLINK connectors though, would a splitter be OK, since I only have two consoles that support optical? For SCART, I have no idea. As I said, I've had a run of crap quality ones and I haven't found any with LOTS in input connections.

Any advice guys?

 

for scart i use RGB scart switch blocks, but i've got 4 tvs at the min i use to hook everything up to. i use a manual scart switch block but it only has 3 inputs and 1 output also has rca outs for audio and composite video works perfectly,

i have seen scart switches with a whole lot of inputs, but as for TOSLINK and Component, i dunno i dont use either.

 

RGB scart switch blocks? Like, those boxes with the SCART plugs and buttons on them? I haven't had much luck with the quality of those, which one do you use?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-WAY-SCA...ion_Video_Cables_Adapters&hash=item2c73167c9a

that one looks exactly like mine, but mine was a lot cheaper than what they charge, it works perfectly and the RCA out's come in handy too especially for audio

EDIT: read the blurb on that one it says not rgb compatible which is odd, but yeah mine is and it looks like that.

 

I can recommend the Bluedelta Smart SCART. It has automatic switching and built in video amplifier. I got mine off eBay for £3 a while ago.

 

Sixteen consoles!!! I thought I was bad, with only six...

I have five of mine connected up (N64, original XBox, PS2, XBox 360, and PS3), and at the moment my Gamecube is not connected, though it's still in it's place near the TV, as I don't have a spare connected.I also have a satellite box, DVD player (I don't use consoles as a DVD player, as it's cheaper and easier to buy a new, standalone, DVD player than to replace the drive in a console), plus one of my laptops is connected to the TV too.

My PC has three HDMI socket, which are taken up with the XBox 360, PS3, and laptop. The TV only has one USB socket, sadly, from which a complicated system of leads connects to two switcher boxes and thereby connects everything else to my TV. Not ideal, but at least it works.

Edit: I forgot, the TV does have RBG input (the red, white, and yellow wires, I think?), so one of the items is connected up that way, but I can't remember what (can't check now, as I'm at work).

 

I'd need more inputs than that though... Also, the description is weird, it says "RGB compatible" then "please note, unit is not RGB capable" below that :\

Couldn't find that one, do you have more information about it?

The red white and yellow cables are composite, not RGB

 

I am fortunate to have a TV that still carry many types of inputs/outputs:

• 2 HDMI
• 2 Components
• 1 Composite/S-Video
• 1 Composite
• 1 VGA w/ 3.5mm audio in
• Optical audio ou
• Analog RCA stereo audio out

Still I need the following devices to hook it all up:

• Manual VGA switch boxes. One 4:1 and one 2:1 with audio. They work great with a laptop even at 720P. I never tried a 1080P VGA source.
• Generic chinese HDMI switcher 4:1 that strips audio from HDMI feed. That's because even if the TV have Optical out, it'll down convert every audio feed to 2.0 stereo, even if input is 5.1. It does not switch inputs automatically...

4:2 TOSLINK switcher is a device I made a while back:


It works really great and I willl need to cascade a second one when I mod my GameCube and Dreamcast for Optical audio out. Plus I plan on buying a PS3.

 

Indeed as i stated in my edit, i have seen larger multi switchers i seen one on a youtuber's channel during her game room tour

think this is the video it's in


2:10 ish into the video shows it. dont know if you can make out a make brand or model

 

It is discontinued so you probably won't find a new one, but it is usually very cheap on eBay, check the sold listings. Unlike other SCART switches I have used, this one doesn't have any problems like noise, interference or dark picture.

 

That's a pretty wild setup! No RGB SCART though?

No, I can't really make it out, wonder what she has?

You're right, they do seem to be quite cheap! Look like quite a decent quality switch too, I like that it automatically switches for you! Still not many inputs on it though, it's looking like I'm just going to have to face the fact that I probably won't be able to find a switcher with enough capacity to have all my consoles plugged in at the same time. Still, being able to have four plugged in at once is an improvement.

 

another option is add a dvd recorder(or even a VCR) which has scart inputs and use that to add a second switch box.

failing that, build your own like a crazy mad scientist / engineer type kinda guy, i've thought about doing this myself, it's completely possible as show by the guy who made that crazy all in one console box

 

Unfortunately, living in North America makes it difficult to find a consumer grade TV at a reasonable price that haves such input... That's why I bought the GBS-8220. PS1 and N64 are connected with RGBS, the GBS-8220 converts it to VGA. It's not as good as a XRGB but it's a whole lot cheaper too!

 

SCART is rare in Australia too, that's why I use a RGB SCART to component converter. Best way of getting the best video quality out of older consoles I've found.

 

Most of the consoles that I have are mainly for display purposes in my room like my original Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo. Unlike most of the users on here, I haven't rigged up a special setup to run all of my consoles at once because I simply feel like I don't need to seeing as I have 2 TVs and a computer monitor that I can use as my canvas for setting up my consoles.

I have both the FC Twin and the Wii hooked up via my VCR seeing as it has more than one video setting for AV. Granted, it's not the best picture in the world but I'm still using a Phillips Magnavox CRT TV for not only gaming, but for watching TV. I have the FC Twin hooked up to one set while the Wii is hooked into splitters which run to my Dazzle DVC100 and then into the other set so I can record. The DVC100 is quite frankly, a piece of shit but I still use it for recording my retro games seeing as the Wii isn't the only thing I hook up to the splitters. On the other TV, I have my Nintendo 64 currently hooked up in the back with the standard cables it was packaged with, which sits next to my Blue Yeti microphone. Finally, I have my PS3 hooked up via HDMI from where it sits above my CRT to my computer monitor for whenever I want to play a game. It's not the world's best setup in the world especially since I would like to eventually hook all of my consoles up to the same TV (seeing as I want to get a new TV soon and get rid of my media center) but I'm content with it as long as it works for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QEDqVEH31Q

I'd like to take that approach to hook up all of my consoles eventually after I get my new TV and do some clever rearranging with my room (removing furniture such as old shelves and building new ones that can coexist with the amount of space that I have in my room what with two sofas basically).

 

I brought that component switcher I mentioned in my OP, it works great! Not not only does it do what it says it's suppose to, without messing up the signals, but you can also program it to respond to any remote you like instead of just the one it comes with. I've got mine setup to switch inputs using the 1-4 buttons on my TV remote, now I don't need to keep an extra remote, hooray! Definetly reccomend this one if you're looking to add a component switcher to your setup!

 

Everything used to plug directly into my lovely Sharp Aquos, but then it died. So I had to get some switches, converters, etc. I tried keeping it as cheap and simple as possible.

I have to reach behind the TV and physically unplug the blue wire if I want to play my Sega Saturn. This is only temporary, as I plan to RGB mod it.

5.1 Altec Lansing PC speakers are used for audio.

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Sega CD-Genesis, N64, SNES, NES (PS2 when I get my Wii U) hooked to Sony WEGA CRT

 

saturn via composhite!!! blasphemy! saturn puts out such purdy RGB

 

I plan on it. Going to cost and be a pain I think. I'm in the US, so I need to convert Scart or mod it. At least I got a VGA cable for my Dreamcast finally.

 

Saturn natively outputs RGB; no modding necessary. I think it outputs S-video too, but I'm not positive on that one.