Seeking advice for a good system selector

[tylerbgood]

I've recently been on a gaming-system-purchasing binge, and am only now coming down from it. Looking around me, I now have 10-12 different systems I need to route into the AV ports of my SD television. A few years ago I purchased a 5 input-1 output AV switcher, which was a fine solution. It is an affordable push button model, nothing fancy, but very reliable. I've been looking around the web for a 10-12 input solution, but nothing has caught my eye. Instead of continuing to search aimlessly, I figured I would appeal to my favorite virtual community of gamers for advice. What is your method for organizing AV cords? Do you display less systems? Buy a fancy $200 remote controlled switcher? Double up on 5 button switchers? Plug and unplug directly into the TV? It's not until I've found an answer to this problem that I can begin building my ultimate gaming storage cabinet. Thanks for the help!

[Unleaded Logic]

I have two 5 switch selectors from Gamestop that I use for switching from system to system for my Saturn Kiosk. I run each box to a seperate input on the TV. For example box 1 uses only composite yellow for its connection and box two only runs S video, it works pretty well for me.

BOX 1:

GENESIS/SEGA CD/32X
PS1
GAME CUBE
SATURN

BOX 2: (S-VIDEO)
NES/SNES DUAL CONSOLE
XBOX 1
PS2
DREAMCAST


The Gamecube and the Saturn will be moved to box 2 once I get my 2600 and Intellivison...well thats granted I can get a composite connection for them. (The 2600 and Intellivision.)

[MrPopo]

For a while I had a setup on my TV as follows:

S-Video box:
SNES
N64
PSX
PS2

Composite box:
NES
Genesis
Saturn

Along with stuff on the component and HDMI ports. They were $40 remote controlled A/V boxes that I used my Harmony remote with. I really feel that ends up being the best solution if you want everything hooked up. Plugging and unplugging is really annoying.

I've since switched things up as I got more system, but I'm still running two switch boxes. It's just now one of them is an S-Video box and the other is an RGB box. I have all the composite stuff hooked up to a second TV.

[Marspants]

I have two boxes with S-Video systems and one with composite and they all only have 4 switches. It works pretty well though because my tv has 3 inputs so I don't have to switch up switch boxes. I display all my systems because I always like to see whats available to play and have a tendency to switch a lot, but I guess it's just a personal preference.

[racketboy]

If you're willing to spend some cash, forget the whole "switcher" thing and get a real AV receiver. Most will let you switch a ton of different inputs via a remote and will be a good foundation in a solid home entertainment system.

Here's a good start:
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory ... =Receivers

[marurun]

I second Racketboy's recommendation, that of a good receiver. If you don't go that route, make sure to get something insulated to control for signal degradation.