AV Control Centre at Play

[DaveJP]

Has anyone bought one of these (http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=GADG&title=151372) or do they have any details of where I can find the technical details?

Primarily I would like to know if it passes the w/s switching? Second question is: how may optical inputs can it switch? (If indeed it has any! It does say: "Digital Optical Master output "

Thanks

Dave

[DaveJP]

Found this at Dabs (http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/gaming/gamecube/productView.htm?quicklinx=3160)

Still, it may be of interest to others!

And it doesn't mention w/s switching.

Dave

[ji]

Think this is the same thing that ths thread http://www.thedvdforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64943 is about (from page 5/6 onwards)?

[nwgarratt]

I have had one since Xmas (they had black ones) and it has been perfect. I have two DVD players and a DVD recorder on it. One of the players and the DVD recorder is attached by optical digital ouput.

When you switch devices the right optical is switched as well. Eacghh input has a optical connection.

I had a three DVD's playing at once and switched between them, and got digital fine through my AV amp from each one.

The blue light on the front is very bright but doesn't bother me. I have auto switching on my devcies but some don't get it. I think it depends on the equipment attached.

Bargain at £39.99.

Small pic of what it looks like in my stack.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/dvd/HS2.jpg

[Faythur]

THere is a picture of the connections at the rear here if it helps anyone http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/slideshow.asp?title=Joytech%20Silver%20AV%20Control%20Centre%20&productcode=AC5512&platform=MIS&image_no=2

[Taz69]

Hi all, am I right in assuming that this will only switch from s-vhs to s-vhs out, etc, not s-vhs in to scart out, scart in to s-vhs out?

Cheers

Taz

[nwgarratt]

Hi all, am I right in assuming that this will only switch from s-vhs to s-vhs out, etc, not s-vhs in to scart out, scart in to s-vhs out?

Yes. Scart to Scart, S Video to S video etc.

Something that converts the connector type, is going to be a lot more than £40.

[DaveJP]

Thanks nwgarratt, that's answered all my questions and thanks to faythur for the pic of the rear, very useful.

Dave

[rgfinch]

nwgarratt

does it really pass all widescreen switching signals properly?

some people on the other thread said it didn't

[nwgarratt]

does it really pass all widescreen switching signals properly?

I read the same thing. It does with my equipment.

[mickl]

Originally posted by rgfinch
nwgarratt

does it really pass all widescreen switching signals properly?

some people on the other thread said it didn't

passes through fine on mine.

have a Sky+, Philips DVDR, Arcam DVD player and a Tosh DVD player. All passes through widescreen switching fine

[rgfinch]

I bought one and it doesn't work properly - it seems to be telling my TV that everything is anamorphic and needs stretching. Joytech customer service less than helpful so far.

[nwgarratt]

I bought one and it doesn't work properly

What equipment are you using? It switches fine with my stuff.

Are you using a 16:9 mode on a 4:3 TV? That would make the TV stretch as it expecting to be used in 16:9 mode.

[rgfinch]

I have Pioneer DVD and Sky box and PS2 with VCR looping through the sky box. Nothing unusual to trip it up. Everything did w/s switching fine on my old manual switcher. TV is a widescreen JVC with zoom set to auto so that 4:3 signal shows as 4:3 on screen, letterbox signal is stretched vertically and horizontally, anamorphic is stretched horizontally. The joytech box puts my TV into the last mode regardless of the picture content. I have to change the zoom setting manually using the tv remote. There's a guy on www.avforums.com (see general hardware forum page 2) who has the exact same problem as me.

[saltysam]

silly question but how do these things work?how would i use it to set up the following-widescreen tv one rgb scart/sky+ box/vcr/dvd combo and philips dvd recorder?currently have a daisychain skybox-vcr-dvd recorder-rgb tv scart.

[nwgarratt]

They have four scart inputs which connect to the equipment. Then it has one scart output which goes to the TV. The scart is RGB enabled.

I used to have DVD Player - DVD Player - Freeview - DVD Recorder - TV. Th second scart on the Freeview was causing picture problems on RGB so I didn't get a decent DVD picture (came out in pink/red).

I know have perfect picture on all my equipment. I even had three DVD's running at the same time and switched between them (along with the digital audio).

It also has composite and s video inputs along with phono audio.

A bargain for £40.

[rgfinch]

"A bargain for £40."

If it works !!!!!

[nwgarratt]

If it works !!!!!


It is a bargain for me. It has worked since last Xmas.

[tips4tnt]

Ohhh - very interested in one of these, as I've got a manual switch at the moment and it's a pain having to flick between them all :D

I use a combination of s-video and RGB scart, so could I plug 2 s-video leads in and 2 scarts in (filling up the 4 inputs) and then run a scart and a s-video lead from the output to the relevant sockets in the TV?

Or, to put it another way, can I mix which type goes into the inputs and still get the correct output (of the same type)?

Cheers!

[nwgarratt]

I use a combination of s-video and RGB scart, so could I plug 2 s-video leads in and 2 scarts in (filling up the 4 inputs) and then run a scart and a s-video lead from the output to the relevant sockets in the TV?


Yes.

It isn't automatic switching between devices. That is what the remote/ selector button on the front is for.

I even had a s video and a scart on the same input and just put the TV on the right input.

It is scart in - scart out and s video in - s video out. Some people think this can convert s video to scart which is can't.

[Francis]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but seemed the most relevant.
Anywhere doing these at a reasonable price currently? Play still have them but both black and silver are listed as waiting for stock and have been for a fair while, probably not going to get them back in?
Also spotted the new version AV Control Centre 2 (http://www.joytech.net/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=79) due out in a few days according to Gameplay (http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/productpage.asp?productcode=PT1788&title=joytech_av_control_centre_2_-_silver) for £65. Like the look of 2 ethernet to 1 output, could potentially connect up the Xbox and PS2 for online play (stick a wireless bridge on the output)? Shame it's dropped to 2 optical inputs though.

[cervaro]

Still looks like you get a lot in one package though. Worth the money?

[Flimber]

AFAIAW, The CC1 has not been dropped and presumably will be stocked at Play again (eventually).

Mike.

[nwgarratt]

I am still very happy with the old version. Looking at the back of the new version it only has two optical inputs. That wouldn't be any use to me as I need at least three. All the inputs on the old one has a optical input.

The new version still looks very nice though.

[Francis]

I'm torn :( I like the look of the new one and the extra inputs are nice, especially the RJ45's. As it is, it would work perfectly for my current setup,but I'm due a DVD upgrade soonish (it's on its last legs). DVD uses digital coax now, chances are any new one is going to use optical which will leave me short of optical inputs, amp has one coax for dvd and optical in for the AV control centre. The AV centre has the opticals on the same inputs as the rj45 which would ideally be for Xbox and PS2 (:brickwall
Could use one of the optical to digital coax convertors (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-582776-10297371), but have no experience of them. Are they any good, no quality loss or strangeness like delaying the audio any :shrug:

edit - http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29291&TabID=1&source=15&WorldID=&doy=12m4 is the convertor I'm talking about, the affiliate defaults to the home page, or is there a way of making it work :shrug:

[nwgarratt]

Those converters work fine. No quality loss.

[Francis]

Ordered one of the new Joytech centre's off Gameplay.
Will worry about the optical connections when I need to, at least I can use the convertor if necessary :thumbs:

[Francis]

It turned up this morning :eek: The email to say it was dispatched arrived after the package :D
Pleasantly surprised so far, spent best part of an hour tackling the cabling to re-route things, but mostly setup now and all seems good.
Know bright lights were an annoyance with the first version, in standby this has one red pin point light at the left hand side, slightly brighter than my DVD player, but not too bright. When powered on the display lights up softish blue but goes out after 15ish seconds of no activity.
Sources don't autoswitch that I can tell which would have been nice.
No problems with widescreen/fullscreen switching for me, saying that it seemed fairly hit and miss who it worked for with the first version?
The cables seem decent quality, all longer than the average and have gold-plated connectors. Only one I'm using so far is the Scart and it's about 3metres long.
The display itself is fairly blocky LCD style, has the source number at the left and you can enter a 5 digit name alongside it.
6th input is behind a flipdown panel under the display and has stereo, composite and s-video ins.

edit - oh, and my DVD player has grown an optical out. Shows how long it is since I checked behind it :)

[nictry]

Could always go for a Quintro only a little dearer and autoswitches etc. Works a treat!
http://www.av-sales.com/html/quintro.html

[mikezero]

Got two from Play this week as they received more stock.

Black (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://playcom.at/thedvdforums^QS^DURL=http://www.play.com/play247.asp^QS^pa=sr^QA^page=title^QA^r=ELEC^QA^title=171031)

Silver (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://playcom.at/thedvdforums^QS^DURL=http://www.play.com/play247.asp^QS^pa=sr^QA^page=title^QA^r=ELEC^QA^title=171036)

[andymc]

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=AV09359&N=411

Quintro+ only £70 inc VAT and next day delivery here...

[DeadKenny]

As I said in the other thread in regards to issues with all these devices... I think with all these devices it very much depends on the equipment you've got. The problem is the switching signals are based on a voltage level (I think) and the tolerances in each bit of equipment varies. With some combinations they work fine and others they don't.

The thing I've found with the Play one is...

a) Whatever source you pick it will default to widescreen/16:9 mode when you choose the source. You can override it though on the TV and it will stay in that mode until you change source.

b) If the source you are watching changes mode from non-wide to wide it will generally switch okay.

c) In some cases when the source goes back to non-wide it will switch okay.

d) If you are on input source 1 but there's a signal being fed into input source 2 and that source changes mode, the mode on source 1 will change!! :eek:. Sometimes my TV changes AV source too when using it which is weird (e.g. suddenly jumps to AV-2 instead of AV-1 for no reason).


Basically, the box works best for me with my TiVo where it switches nicely. On Sky and my DVD player it always defaults to wide and with my VHS player it gets confused by signals from other sources making the TV change AV channel and change widescreen mode :oh-hum:.

The Quintro was an option but someone I know tried it and had similar problems with their TV. A lot more expensive with no guarantee that it will work with your set up.

Oh, and one of the LEDs on the Play box is on the blink :oh-hum:.

Looks nice, and is cheap, plus has optical switching, but it has problems. I don't know if any other electronic switching boxes are any better though. At least with mechanical switchers they're more reliable, just you have to get up and press the buttons.

[nwgarratt]

After owning the Play one for over a year. I still think it is a brilliant switchbox and I still don't have an problems with it. I only got it because I had all my devices looped through by scart and it caused problem with my DVD picture (it kept going pink). It is one of the best xmas presents I have had and haven't had any similar picture problems since.

[spiderman123]

Hi Francis
silly question but what are the 2 rj45 for, do they act like a 2 port swicth or something.
I'm considering getting one of these babies having had it a few weeks would u still recommend it

cheers