Is this possible?

Community Forums/General Help/Is this possible?

ubergeek(Posted 2010) [#1]
I'm attempting to hook up my Xbox 360 to my computer monitor and speakers (a Samsung XL2370 LED LCD and a Logitech X-540 speaker setup), but I need to be able to toggle between them with a switch box of some sort as it's on my main PC. I've run into two problems:

1) For the video, the DVI input is being used by my computer, so there's only the HDMI input free. I would use the HDMI connection directly, but there are no speakers in this monitor, so I'm trying to see if this would work:

Xbox VGA cable -> VGA-DVI converter -> DVI-HDMI converter

[edit]: and these links aren't being converted into links for some reason. Moved them here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Microsoft+-+Xbox+360+VGA+HDAV+Cable/7479604.p?id=1126591946321&skuId=7479604&st=xbox%20vga&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23174%3B+-+DVI-to-VGA+Adapter/7960986.p?id=1153336299169&skuId=7960986&st=vga%20dvi&cp=1&lp=3
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Rocketfish%26%23153%3B+-+DVI-to-HDMI+Adapter/9205745.p?id=1218058779564&skuId=9205745&st=dvi%20hdmi&cp=1&lp=6


That way I can use the audio cables for the speakers.

The second problem is the speakers, since they have three inputs and my computer is using all of them. I can use a Y adapter to convert the red and white RCA outputs from the Xbox VGA cable, but I can't find a switch that would accommodate all three of the computer's outputs... Are there any KVM switches that do this? (I'd rather not have a full KVM switch since it's kind of overkill for this, since I'm not switching keyboards or video). I've used RCA switch boxes such as this before, but I can't find a similar one for audio cables.

Any ideas?


xlsior(Posted 2010) [#2]
You can't go from VGA to HDMI using those converters: you can go from VGA to DVI, because the DVI cable carries both a full digital AND an analog signal over seperate pins.

The HDMI cable only carries the digital pins, so if you would go DVI -> HDMI you'll lose the analog signal.

you can get converters that go from VGA to HDMI, but they actually convert the signal from analog to digital in the process, and are expensive. (it's not just a signal-redirection cable, but some computing components built-in that actually generate the equivalent digital signal)


ubergeek(Posted 2010) [#3]
Ugh. Well I could just use my second monitor with the free DVI input instead... Thanks for warning me though.

So now the problem is a switch for the audio input. Anyone know about that?


BlitzSupport(Posted 2010) [#4]
This ought to do it:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=9328

I couldn't find a picture of the back (as it looks like there are only 3 input sockets from the picture), but it does state "A 4-way switch box connecting three stereo pairs of input phono sockets to one stereo output pair", so they're probably arranged in pairs vertically.


Brucey(Posted 2010) [#5]
I just bought a DVI switch box to connect my PS3 and Mac to the same Samsung 24" screen.
I simply connect the PS3 HDMI->DVI and the Mac DVI->DVI to the little box, and then connect that box to the DVI port in the screen.
There are two buttons on the box to switch between the sources.
:-)


ubergeek(Posted 2010) [#6]
Thanks guys!

@BlitzSupport: That's better than what I've found so far, but those are pairs and I need three input/outputs. I haven't been able to find anything searching for it, so does this not exist?

Alternatively, would getting (lots) of converters and converting the phono cables to RCA, putting them through my current RCA switch box, and converting the output back to phono work? I'm not sure if that would degrade the quality though.

@Brucey: That sounds like a good idea! What make/model is it?


ubergeek(Posted 2010) [#7]
I just picked this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Microsoft+-+HDMI+HD+A/V+Cable+for+Xbox+360/8479158.p?id=1185267959809&skuId=8479158&st=xbox%20hdmi%20av&cp=1&lp=1) up so my video troubles should be solved. Now all that's left is to figure out audio...