Scart switch boxes - recommendations?

norderney

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Can anybody recommend a good scart switch box suitable for the following equipment:

Panasonic DVD recorders - HS1
Panasonic VCR
Sky+ satellite receiver
Echostar motorised satellite receiver

the above equipment to connect to my Loewe TV.

I would like to be able to record from VCR, Sky+ and Echostar onto DVD recoder.
I would like to be able to record from DVD to VCR.

I would like the scart box to handle automatic switching from 4:3 to 16:9 and vice versa.

With RGB connections and RAC audio out connectors.

Many thanks
Andrew Smith
 
Many rave about the Quintro scart switcher (index catalogue for 80 quid) Vivanco also do on for 70 - although functional - they do look a bit cheap a tacky - Holdan also do one, which is more expensive - checkout their website 4 details.
 
Trilogy2 (£59.95 from Maplin but I think you can get it cheaper from cpc.co.uk) or for more connections the Trilogy1. Both do RGB on all and automatic switching.
 
Links to SCART switch boxes....

All minimum 3 x SCART RGB compatible and from the cheapest places that I have come across.

---MANUAL---

B-Tech BT21 Mk3
http://www.beyondhifi.net/shopping/moreinfo.asp?ProductID=286

'Argos jobby' which I think is a B-Tech B21 Mk3 clone
Item code 534/2361
Argos link

B-Tech BT21-S
http://www.beyondhifi.net/shopping/moreinfo.asp?ProductID=277

---AUTO/REMOTE---

B-Tech BT945 Quintro+
http://www.beyondhifi.net/shopping/moreinfo.asp?ProductID=565

Vivanco and Trilogy are clones of this one.

Holdan HSR1000
http://www.keene.co.uk/cgi-bin/bigcodesearch.pl?HSR1000

Keene Scart Commander
http://www.keene.co.uk/cgi-bin/bigcodesearch.pl?KSC

Joytech AV Control Centre
http://www.playserver4.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=GADG&title=142733


Moderator, might be a good idea to make this one a 'sticky'.
 
Cheers for the Links Kevo, I currently have 2 x Quintro+ Boxes (2 different set-ups) but I am suffering horrible sound distortion on both of them. :(

I am interested in the Joytech AV control centre as a replacement, has anyone had experience of this unit?
 
I have just bought the Quintro+ from Keene, and I am having a problem.

I am connecting the following equipment:

Echostar AD3000IP satellite receiver
Sky+ satellite receiver
Panasonic DVD Recorder DMR-HS2
Panasonic NV-F710B VHS Video Recorder

The above equipment is connected to a Loewe Vitros TV.

The Loewve TV supports widescreen switching.

When all the above equipment is connected and I switch on either the Echostar or Sky+ units the picture is displayed on the TV but it starts switching between 16:9 and 4:3 constantly. This makes it impossible to watch!!!!

The DVD Recorder will play back ok without any problem and it does not constantly switch between 16:9 and 4:3. I have tried connecting the Echostar and Sky+ boxes to different scart sockets on the Quintro without success.


Is there a fault with my unit or am I doing something wrong.
 
I had a quintro and it introduced video noise. :(

The Keene scart commander, however, works perfectly.
 
I went ahead and bought the Joytech unit (after returning the Quintro+) and I am very impressed. Although it does require you to manually change the input (via remote or front panel) there is no visible loss in picture quality or any sound distortion.

Recommended :)
 
Originally posted by Rushy
I went ahead and bought the Joytech unit (after returning the Quintro+) and I am very impressed. Although it does require you to manually change the input (via remote or front panel) there is no visible loss in picture quality or any sound distortion.

Recommended :)

Ah, I think this could be just the thing I've been looking for, was gonna put a post about this myself, seems you saved me the trouble:)
So would I be right in saying that with this box i would be able to plug in my PS2/Xbox/Gamecube and DVD Player and run them all through my single tv RGB scart socket? Would be perfect, and at that price:clap:
 
Originally posted by Tetlee

So would I be right in saying that with this box i would be able to plug in my PS2/Xbox/Gamecube and DVD Player and run them all through my single tv RGB scart socket?

Exactly, comes with a free scart to, but its a bit cheap and wouldn't recommend using it.
 
Can someone tell me if the Joytech control unit is plugged into the mains please?

Also, where can you got hold of them?

Cheers,
Ali
 
Yes the Joytech control unit does require a mains supply.

Its available (in black and silver) from www.play.com for £39.99
 
I would get that one that auto switches like the Quintro. You don't realise how useful this is until you have it.
 
i got that cheap £10 argos one for my consoles, it is fully RGB, it''s even got a switch to turn off RGB(and you can tell the difference between rgb and compsoite with it)

for £10 it is very good value for money, mine was different in design though, a metal body.

great value for £10 i can't see the point in spending £60 on one unless you have £2k+ worth of av stuff.
 
Originally posted by mt50
i can't see the point in spending £60 on one unless you have £2k+ worth of av stuff.

It's more for convenience regardless on how much you spent on your equipment.

I used to have a manual switch box for several years and thought that would serve all my needs. That was until I discovered the auto switching type.
 
Are these Quintro one's fully RGB wired?
 
I have the Vivanco version and the only problem I have is it played to my PJ ,a dropout of the signal otherwise connected to the TV no problems & yes the are fully wired ...Jim
 
Hm, just discovered a pretty good price for that there Quintro :smoke: £69.00 + delivery at http://www.keene.co.uk/system/keene.htm
Very very tempted! Gonna have to think about this before I order one of these babies, the Quintro, or the Joytech?
But how about the cheap options like that Argos one for instance, I thought they would only carry one RGB signal and the others were just scart adaptors? The main thing is that I get RGB x4 through one RGB tv socket:)
 
Actually, reading back through this thread I think it's gonna be the Joytech for me, it seems to get rave reviews elsewhere aswell. I just read in another forum that Game carry these in stock for the same price as Play.com so I'm gonna pop into town and see if they have any. Never like waiting for things to arrive :laugh:
 
Bear in mind that with the Joytech you will have to remotley switch between sources where as with the Quintro you don't, whic DOES make a difference.
 
Lots of this talk of autoswitching has got me thinking - I'm soon to tidy up all my AV gear with new scart cables and a switchbox however I leave my VCR, Sky Box, DVD Player (or recorder hopefully) turned on all the time, not playing obviously, just on! If a switch box automatically changes between sources are they going to be fighting for supremacy all the time and causing me to have to get a particular combination of ons and offs to get the right bit of kit? If it was manual, either switch or using a remote control, this wouldn't be an issue would it? It's only 1 click of a remote!

Maybe I'm missing something - please enlighten me!
 
If you leave your devices turned on all the time then no, you won't benefit from autoswitching. A remote switch will suffice.

Although the Quintro doe sallow for both types of switching.

I have 4 x RGB devices connected to my Quintro and only two(cable & Freeview stb) are turned on all the time.
Just the DVD player and xbox are turned off.
Two devices that you wouldn't normally leave turned on anyway.

Believe me it's a godsend autoswitching, as also when you turn the current device off, the Quintro reverts back to the previous used device. EXCELLENT STUFF!
 
I do like the sounds of the Quintro, I'm just a little put off by the earlier posts of a few people in this thread, sounds like they suffered a loss of picture quality and had background noise:confused:
Game didn't have the Joytech's in stock so back to decision board for me.
 
Ok Kevo - maybe I'm still missing something but if you have your two TV boxes connected and on all the time, what use do you get out of autoswitching? Does it only happen when you've had your X-Box on or something and then when you turn that off it defaults back to your TV? If that is the case I can see the attraction - can you set the default connection at all so it always goes back to 'say' the Sky box, rather than the last active connection?

Oh and one other thing - at the moment I don't have Scarts between all my gear. I have audio linked up to my stereo using phono leads from each piece of kit plugged into a phono source switchbox which is in turn plugged into my stereo. If I got a scart switchbox and connected everything up with Scart,could I dispense with the audio switch and take a single output from the audio-out of the scart switch? Does this take the audio from all the inputs automatically? I think I'd still need to connect my PS1 via RF as it doesn't have scart, unless you can buy a new 'aerial' lead for it that terminates in a scart?
 

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