# Home theater types - does this exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932 "2004-05-25T03:35:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/1 "2004-05-25T03:35:12Z")
I’m looking for a “splitter” type thing that will allow me to connect multiple devices to the 3 RCA plugs on my TV. The TV only has one set of inputs and the TiVo & DVD player are competing for them. I’d like to have some kind of “A-B” switch that allows me to switch between the DVD player and TiVo as inputs. (By RCA inputs, I mean the red/white/yellow sockets). I’ve tried piggy-backing one device on the other but they don’t have the “through” connectors necessary. Does such a device exist? I was hoping to find some really cheap ($10) gadget to do this. I found loads of Y cables and audio splitter type things, but not this. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/2 "2004-05-25T03:39:57Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > Does such a device exist? I was hoping to find some really cheap ($10) gadget to do this. I found loads of Y cables and audio splitter type things, but not this. Yes… I believe the term is “A/V switch”. I bought a 4-input switch at Radio Shack for $20 last week. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/3 "2004-05-25T03:44:08Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > I bought a 4-input switch at Radio Shack for $20 last week. That would probably be [this](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1983). A little bit more than the $10 that **DarrenS** was hoping for, but not by much. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/4 "2004-05-25T03:49:00Z")
Should you wish to go mail order, [http://www.mcminone.com/](http://www.mcminone.com/) sells what you’re looking for. Item #32-4420 is a 4 input selector for $16. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/5 "2004-05-25T03:49:22Z")
I got a less-elegant one at Radio Shack for $15 (CDN) a while back. Crap-brown, all right angles, and four squat buttons on the front of it. It makes a big CLUNK sound when you push a button. You know it’s quality. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/6 "2004-05-25T04:23:02Z")
Switches designed for Home theater are pretty common, but I’d like to direct you to an alternative: I got an X-box switch on eBay ($13 + sh) for 5 devices. Each button is linked to a separate component video, s-video and dual-RCA stereo sound input. Since I’m not a gamer, I’d never have looked into that, if I weren’t looking for a cheap switch to do a hardware experiment. I’d never have expected the quality I got, but the output is about as clean as my more expensive but less versatile 4-input switch, marketed for Home Theater. I don’t know why they made such an overdesigned switch, but based on similar auctions at the time, they’re not uncommon Oddly, the one thing it lacked was SVGA (15-pin DIN) ins/outs–which I’d expect from a gamng switch. Though I wasn’t looking foe SVGA I/O, it would have been very useful in hindsight since my output device is an LCD projector, and my only ATSC tuner is an HTPC (Home theater PC) with a MyHD HDTV tuner card . Time to hit eBay again. I bet there’s one out there with the SVGA, too. Though I’ll be damned if I know how they would fit more connectors in back! ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/7 "2004-05-25T04:40:00Z")
For the record, the “real” way that home theater types do this is with their receivers. Just run all the inputs in, and run one video line out and a bunch of amplified speakers lines. It switches the inputs for you. But that is a bit pricier than $10. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/8 "2004-05-25T06:08:32Z")
**Joe Random** : Yup, that’s the one. It comes with a bunch of stickers and cable wraps to identify the devices, including blank ones so you can make your own labels. > [@SmackFu](#): > > For the record, the “real” way that home theater types do this is with their receivers. Just run all the inputs in, and run one video line out and a bunch of amplified speakers lines. It switches the inputs for you. I use a receiver, but it doesn’t have enough inputs. I’ve got a DVD player, TiVo, VCR, and satellite radio hooked up to the receiver, and my living room PC, PS2, and GameCube go into the VCR through the A/V switch. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-types-does-this-exist/246932/9 "2004-05-25T06:11:49Z")
How do you guys do it?! Thanks! The one **danceswithcats** mentioned looks very promising - it doesn’t specify whether the inputs are coax or RCA though? The description is this: > [@](#): > > Perfect for the entertainment center. ?Combines four different video devices (VCR, laser disc player, etc.) into one output. ?Compatible with both mono and stereo devices. ?Four audio/video inputs, one audio/ video output. ?20Hz~10MHz frequency range ?Isolation 30dB minimum. Does the fact that it says “audio/video inputs” mean we’re talking RCA rather than coax?