2010-09-17, 08:33 AM
First off, you need to isolate the input channels and break it out into 2 streams, audio and video. This can be achieved ranging from what Canbambo posted above, to a multimedia amplifier depending on how complicated you want to go.
To start off, look at what kinds of inputs you're going to put straight into your TV? Some of the choices are:
- AV (yellow RCA cable for video, white and red RCA cable for audio)
- Component (red, blue, green RCA for video, white & red for audio)
- DVI
- HDMI
- PC analog
Make sure you get a box that can support all the necessary devices and has that many number of devices. Eg: If you have 2 HDMI and 2 Components, then make sure it has that many switches. Some of these boxes might have scaling as well, so be aware of them. HDMI for example can render up to 1080p, whereas AV is only 400? and component is only 500?. Not sure of my numbers, but it's around there. What you want in a box is that its video output will match the highest input, with possible upscaling on the rest, or just another output for those lower qualities.
NOTE: one of the reasons you need an external device is because HDMI (and maybe DVI too) has an all in one cable, which is quite tricky to demux otherwise
.
Once you have the box, plugs everything into the box and plug its outputs into the TV. That will get you pictures, but no sound. Now, we need to get some sounds. Since you didnt have any speakers, you would need to consider whether to buy a package or to get the parts yourself. You will also need to consider whether you want surround sounds or not. Once you have your speakers, just plug the outputs from the above box into the inputs of your speakers and you should be set.
To start off, look at what kinds of inputs you're going to put straight into your TV? Some of the choices are:
- AV (yellow RCA cable for video, white and red RCA cable for audio)
- Component (red, blue, green RCA for video, white & red for audio)
- DVI
- HDMI
- PC analog
Make sure you get a box that can support all the necessary devices and has that many number of devices. Eg: If you have 2 HDMI and 2 Components, then make sure it has that many switches. Some of these boxes might have scaling as well, so be aware of them. HDMI for example can render up to 1080p, whereas AV is only 400? and component is only 500?. Not sure of my numbers, but it's around there. What you want in a box is that its video output will match the highest input, with possible upscaling on the rest, or just another output for those lower qualities.
NOTE: one of the reasons you need an external device is because HDMI (and maybe DVI too) has an all in one cable, which is quite tricky to demux otherwise
.Once you have the box, plugs everything into the box and plug its outputs into the TV. That will get you pictures, but no sound. Now, we need to get some sounds. Since you didnt have any speakers, you would need to consider whether to buy a package or to get the parts yourself. You will also need to consider whether you want surround sounds or not. Once you have your speakers, just plug the outputs from the above box into the inputs of your speakers and you should be set.