Cables To Go - 40324 - 3-Play Component Video Digital Audio Selector

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

Excellent performance!

I bought a passive component switch (no power supply) and returned it because I was losing HD signals when viewing HD channels. I then got this unit and it works as advertised. No HD signal lost at all, excellent build (does not weight or look cheap), easy switching between devices with the remote.

I have a SONY BRAVIA LCD HDTV and only have one component input so I needed this unit to switch between my HD Cable box and a progressive scan DVD. When watching HD cable channels, my Bravia tells me the signal input is 1080i. When watching a DVD progressive scan, it tells me I'm getting a 480P signal. So the unit works perfectly!!! Great buy!

This is the most reasonably priced unit compared to other "powered" component switches I have looked at. You can't go wrong with this one.

(5 out of 5)

Affordable; works as advertised

Having an older Harmon-Kardon AVR with only 2 component inputs I needed a way to expand the inputs to allow component input from the Xbox and PS2. I was using a manual A/v selector but the lack of digital audio in/out was annoying. Replacing the manual box with the Impact Acoustics 3-Play was a great solution. Using affordable TOSALINK digital audio cables allowed me to spend more on quality component cables. The Impact Acoustics A/v selector itself was less of an expense than a premium set of component cables.

I am impressed with the ease of setup and use. I do not have the equipment to test the functioning of the unit but regarding visual and audio capability I find no discernable difference from a direct hook up to the AVR. Obviously any interconnect will have some effect, but I can't tell the difference. It leaves me wondering how they did it, with comparable units costing twice or even four times as much.

The caveats are the lack of coaxial digital audio in/out, and the tiny credit card sized remote. I have no issue with the function of the remote; it works well from across the room. I'm just afraid of losing the darn thing!

(5 out of 5)

Excellent value in a fine component video switcher

If you're adding high definition sources to your system and are running out of component video inputs, the Impact Acoustics (Cables To Go) Component Video Switcher may be just what the home theater doctor ordered. Its 50 MHz rated video bandwidth supports the full resolution of HD video sources as well as standard video devices such as game systems and DVD players.

Its credit card remote is perfectly functional and the fact that it offers direct input access via the remote for each of its three component video inputs means that it's easy to integrate with a universal remote control.

Don't let the low price fool you. This little switcher is a great way to add high definition and standard definition component video sources to your system without having to upgrade your TV or home theater receiver.

Check out the complete review on Big Picture Big Sound.

(3 out of 5)

Image Degradation Visible

I took a chance on this unit with all the great reviews I'd read, however I found that this product does not live up to the hype. When running a component video source (Xbox 360) through this device I noticed a decrease in image clarity, specifically, the image looked out of focus. It could be that the 100" image I'm throwing from my projector amplifies the imperfections caused from this switch. I was greeted with a crystal clear image once I reverted back to my original setup of plugging the Xbox 360 directly into my A/V receiver. For smaller TVs this may be an OK unit but I suggest a pass if you have a large TV or projector.

(3 out of 5)

Mine did not work at 480i.

I bought my switch based on the price and the Amazon reviews. I used the switch to hook up my xbox, xbox 360, and my PS3 to my Onkyo NR 801 receiver. When testing the original xbox, which defaults to 480i resolution in the dashboard I noticed two large green horizontal bands that marched up the screen every 5 seconds or so.. Switching to the PS3 and setting it to 480i had the same effect. My tv does not support 1080p, so I could not test that. I tried several different cabling configurations, and the only way I could get rid of the green bands was to bypass the switch. I also tried bypassing my receiver and connecting the switch to my TV, just in case the receiver and the switch were not "playing nice together", but I still got the bands.


I looks like I'm the only one out of a ton of people who've had any problems, I guess I got a bum switch. I could not find any evidence on the web that anyone had any problems with this switch, so this issue has me baffled.


One other _minor_ gripe is that it always defaults to channel 1 when you power it on, rather than the last channel you had selected.

On the positive side, the 480p, 720p, and 1080i resolutions did look great, I didn't notice any *unusual* tearing as another review had mentioned. (As someone who has worked in 3D/games, 'tearing' will occur on many games/and systems as the developer disable 'vsync' to keep frame rates up, so it's usually not your TV/AV, it's the game/console. Many 360 games do this, and I see it on the ps3 as well. The alternative, with vsync on eliminates tearing, but causes frame rate stutter, which is much less aesthetic.)

I also used both toslink and the analog stereo audio inputs on all three channels with no problems.

I'm getting an exchange from Amazon, I'll give it another chance, since it seems like my case is a fluke. I'll update this review when the next one comes in.

[Update]
I received the new switch today and it works fine. If I'd have received a good one in the first place, I'd have given this 5 stars. Still, I will probably buy another one in the future if I run out of component connections again.