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Connecting up that Mess of Equipment

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Hello,
Over the past few years, my TV-watching environment has grown to:
* A Sony 61" rear projection TV with three video inputs, one of which supports S-video
* A Uniden 4800 C-band satellite receiver with four analog stereo/composite video inputs & outputs.
* A Toshiba DVD player with every conceivable type of output, from channel 3 RF to Svideo and digital audio
* A TEAC surround sound receiver with a multitude of inputs and outputs for sVideo, composite video, analog audio, and PCM digital audio, both coax and optical
* A DISH 4922 receiver, for watching Russian TV, with analog & digital video & audio ouputs
* A VHS VCR, with analog audio/composite video inputs & outputs
... I have come to the conclusion that there is no possible way to
hook all this stuff up such that one can do everything that it is capable of without swapping cables. I fantasize of a many-to-many
audio/video switching box, with a bunch of inputs, a bunch of outputs,
and the ability to switch any input to any output. Even to have multiple paths through the switch - so input 3 can be connected to output 4 while input 1 is simultaneously connected to output 2.
My dream box would also support analog stereo, svideo, digital AC3
stereo, and composite video at every single port. It would be controlled by an infrared remote.
Is there anything like this out there?
- Jerry Kaidor ( jerry@tr2.com )

Follow Ups:

Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment Roland 17:46:37 03/27/01 (4)
Should all go into you Reciever, thats what all those inputs are for, then just connect that to your SVHS input of your set. If your set has an RGB input might be worth using your DVD direct into that with just the digital lead connected to your reciever.
The digital video out of your Sat for recieving russian programmes, seems a little irrelevant, bearing in mind that you have no digital inputs for video on your reciever or tv, and if you are hell bent on spending your money, there are switching boxes out there, but you don't have enough problem gear to need them.
- Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment jerryk 20:42:15 03/27/01 (3)
  The receiver doesn't have enough inputs & outputs. It was a really
  cheap receiver. $250 at Costco. It has plenty of analog stereo inputs and outputs, but only two AC3 inputs, one optical, the other
  coax.
  Given that I want to
  * In all cases, use the highest quality signal available
  ( in other words, use AC3 if it's available, use svideo if that's
  available )
  * Be able to tape any video source with the VCR
  ( which has only stereo/composite in/out: I refuse to even consider
  RF )
  * Be able to watch something from one source while recording another
  ...The problem seems to call for a "many-to-many" switch.
  - Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment Roland 07:43:13 03/28/01 (2)
    Sell the reciever then and buy a better one. A decent switching box will cost $150-300 if you spent $1000 on a reciever it would almost certainly have enough outputs. Besides your DVD what else do you have that has an AC3 output?
    Roland
    - Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment jerryk 10:09:37 03/28/01 (1)
      That thought had occurred to me. But I haven't yet investigated just
      how much switching higher-end receivers have. And this receiver is
      perfectly adequate for my needs otherwise.
      As for AC3 sources, there's the DVD player, as you pointed out,
      and the DSS receiver. There is also, believe it or not, another DVD
      player that I didn't mention. This one is a DVD drive in a computer
      downstairs. The reason I mention it now is that I use it to view Russian movie DVD's. Got tired of watching them on the computer screen, and obtained a 50-foot Svideo cable to hook it up to the big TV upstairs. So that's a third source of AC3 audio and Svideo.
      If there is a "many-to-many" switch that does svideo and AC3
      and composite video and stereo audio for a couple hundred bucks, I'd
      snap it up. But no such item seems to exist.
      - Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment Roland 13:32:52 03/28/01 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Connecting up that Mess of Equipment posted by jerryk on March 28, 2001 at 10:09:37:
        
        Would have to look at two boxes, one for the video signal, and one for the Digital signal. But why do you want to use the computer player downstairs to play DVD's as well if you already have a DVD player in your main room? Also I would be inclined to think that you might start to get problems running digital audio on what is probably a very long length of cable.
        I would however look carefully at another reciever/surround amp, should be able to get 8 or more video inputs for $1000 without any problem. Good luck!
        Roland

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