video hookup options

[wurm]

We bought my daughter a Chromecast because her Sony Blu-Ray player is pretty much useless for Netflix. Her Sony HDTV has only two HDMI ports. So she has her FiOS set top box/DVR hooked into one HDMI port and we pulled the Blu-Ray player from the other HDMI port in favor of the Chromecast. So to allow her to view any of the three sources, here are the two options I see.

1. Keep the FiOS box hooked up to the TV via one HDMI port and get an HDMI switcher to use for the Blu-Ray and the Chromecast.

2. Hook up the FiOS box via Component and use the two HDMI ports for the Blu-Ray player and Chromecast.

I'm reading lots of comments that Component can often actually look better than HDMI from the "cable" box and that the biggest advantage is one cable versus five. I suppose I could try option #2 tomorrow, since I already have the Component cables, but I'm curious as to whether there's a definitive answer or if your collective experiences can make a strong recommendation.

FWIW, The TV is a 32" Sony HDTV that she views from about 5-6' away, and she doesn't have a fancy surround-sound setup. The audio is the audio coming put of the built-in TV speakers.

[Catzilla]

If you have the cable give it a try, I would be interested to hear how it works.

[heap1]

I would vote for option number one. I also have a television with only 2 HDMI inputs and use a 3 port HDMI switcher for my Apple TV, Blu-ray player, and WD box. The switcher seamlessly knows which device I am using and automatically goes to that device.

[MikeF]

Just try it:

[Catzilla]

This is very interesting to me. I have a HK AVR 7300 monster 7.1 receiver which doesn't have HDMI. I will have to try hooking up my FIOS DVR via component. I wish my Roku had component.
Thanks for the link MikeF.

[wurm]

Well, it was an easy enough hook-up, and my aging eyes can't really tell any significant difference in the picture. I haven't decided yet if I'll tell my daughter what I did or wait to see if she notices anything. :wink:

[Catzilla]

wurm wrote:
Well, it was an easy enough hook-up, and my aging eyes can't really tell any significant difference in the picture. I haven't decided yet if I'll tell my daughter what I did or wait to see if she notices anything. :wink:

Component?

[Robert M]

Wurm,

Your thread just solved a dilemma I had in my office. We have a little 19" Sharp 720p TV. An HD cable box is conencted to it via HDMI. The TV has one HDMI pot. The wife wants an AppleTV for the office. We have two AppleTVs and a Roku 2 XS. I may switch the cable box to analog connections and throw on one of the AppleTVs via HDMi or keep the cable box on HDMI and connect the Roku via analog. I'd completely forgotten I can still use the analog outputs of either the cable box or the Roku - lol!

Robert

[wurm]

Catzilla wrote:
[quote=wurm]
Well, it was an easy enough hook-up, and my aging eyes can't really tell any significant difference in the picture. I haven't decided yet if I'll tell my daughter what I did or wait to see if she notices anything. :wink:

Component?
Sorry. Yes, component.

[wurm]

Robert M wrote:
Wurm,

Your thread just solved a dilemma I had in my office. We have a little 19" Sharp 720p TV. An HD cable box is conencted to it via HDMI. The TV has one HDMI pot. The wife wants an AppleTV for the office. We have two AppleTVs and a Roku 2 XS. I may switch the cable box to analog connections and throw on one of the AppleTVs via HDMi or keep the cable box on HDMI and connect the Roku via analog. I'd completely forgotten I can still use the analog outputs of either the cable box or the Roku - lol!

Robert

Yep. Not only can you use them, but you probably won't even notice a difference.

BTW, I did tell my daughter (just so she'd know to select "Component" to watch TV). Her immediate reaction was concern that she wouldn't get "HD". I explained, then had her look for herself. "Oh, okay. I guess it is HD. Thanks!