Newbie in need of S-Video advice...

[JFD62780]

Hey, folks! Before you rip on me for making a topic just for my first post, this topic actually has some backstory to it. You see, I actually took advantage on one of Target's extremely low-priced TV's (a Phillips 19PS50S for $160; how could I go wrong?), taking the good (S-video, and a cool sound system) with the bad (rounded corners in the image). Yes, I purchased the TV, so I'm proud. :p

Anyway, I even bought Monster Cables for my PS2 for the thing, them actually getting rid of dot-crawl as advertized. Even the No-Frills Gamecube S-Video cable I bought at K-mart got rid of dot-crawl (Mostly). Then I babysat for a kid that got addicted to videogames at an early age. Being that the TV had only one S-video input (Which I insist on using), and the kid frequently wanted to play games for different systems, forcing me to switch cables as much a five times in a day, I was prompted to buy a switchbox. The first one I found was at Radio Shack (Cat. No. 15-1976), and luckily, it was on sale for $25 at the time. I hooked mp PS2, my Gamecube, heck, even my old NES to it! I then learned, the hard way, that the switchbox is only as good as the weakest cable; it re-introduced the dot-crawl to my once-perfect S-Video connection. (Heck, it switches input sources, but that's a moot point now. )

Being that I used another No-Frills cable for the main hookup to the box, I decided to get used to the dot-crawl and wait until I had enough to pony up for some more Monster Cable, both for the switchbox and for the Gamecube. Being that both cables together'd cost $90, I figured I'd settle for the main cable only for now. Somehow, I did get enough money one week, to buy the $50 cable, and still have $20 left over for a movie to test the new cables out on. I took advantage of getting Finding Nemo for $16 the first day, BTW!

Upon getting home, right after an immediate viewing of Finding Nemo on the 36" living room TV (Yes, we deserved the viewing after such a big purchase! ), I finally hooked the new cables up, only to find out that it still won't get rid of the blinkin' dot-crawl! The box is weaker than the weakest cable...

So here I am, asking you guys at DVDFile, for some help in finding a switchbox that will get rid of dot-crawl, keeping in mind, it must be S-video, no component, I'm not lucky enough for that to be on my TV. And I'm not that rich a guy, even though I want the best for my TV. Thank you for your time...

[Hayrab]

na

[snipsnapsappy]

Also, if you can, especially for S video, do not get Monster Cable. It ia a complete waste of money. Buy the cheapest form of cable you can find. No offense, but if your TV costs $160 and is S-Video only, you should not be spending $50 on video cable. $3-5 cables will look exactly the same on your display. Even on a high end HDTV, the difference between $20 cables and $500 cables are not very important.

Cables are a marketing gimmick that stores use to get you to spend an extra $200 at their store. If you can, take all the monster cables back. Then buy the cheap ones.

[videoworx]

using an active, rather than a passive, input switcher (with shielding) will prevent "dot crawl". An active switcher uses a power supply to distribute amplification to split signals. This helps prevent loss of signal, and the shielding prevents signal leakage/crossover.

These tend to be a lot more expensive, however. I think JVC makes some inexpensive ones, even some with component in and outputs

[JFD62780]

Originally Posted by videoworx

using an active, rather than a passive, input switcher (with shielding) will prevent "dot crawl". An active switcher uses a power supply to distribute amplification to split signals. This helps prevent loss of signal, and the shielding prevents signal leakage/crossover.

Oh! Like this? (Note the power button all the way to the left.)

Originally Posted by videoworx

These tend to be a lot more expensive, however. I think JVC makes some inexpensive ones, even some with component in and outputs.

I checked JVC's site, and even the least expensive ($149) has components. Oh, how I wish I had 'em on my TV, but oh well...

Anyways, thanks for your answer, V-Worx!

edit: Dangit, I need a rear-view image of the box in question; I later read that it too has component inputs... I desparately want to see what makes this box tick...