So anyway...

[Resident Loser]

...coupla' weeks ago I posted my quandry re: connecting a VCR and a DVD to my teevee, which has only one set of inputs...everything from "get a new tv" to the bleedin' obvious was suggested...ho-boy...I realized that application of the K.I.S.S. pricinciple was in order...

I strolled into my friendly neighborhood Target and found just what I was lookin' for...a GE UltraProGrade(yeh, yeh...chuckle chuckle...) A/V source and game selector switch...went to HD and CC and BB and Lowes...found Terk and Recoton and Philips...all of the stuff two to three times the price of the GE thingee with bells and whistles I didn't need; all much bigger and bulkier.

The GE is a quite compact three in-one out affair with a small footprint...It has a three position rotary knob coupled to a three position multi contact slide switch mounted directly to a PCB with clean, crisp traces terminating at nicely soldered RCA jacks(I wonder if they used eutectic). Very straightforward design IMO, no pushbuttons requiring interlocking devices, springs etc. for button restoration...no converters, no s video, no headphone jacks...just three sets of two audio inputs(L+R) and composite video...price $14.95 + tax.

For anyone interested, I also came across(at Target) a "DVD for Dummies" hookup kit for those out there who have a set without any input jacks...

So now I can plug in the VCR and DVD and my cheesy little digital camera...no switching transients audible or visible and all is well in my non-HT world.

jimHJJ(...I knew you were all on the edges of your seats...)

[markw]

..(as markw ducks for cover behind the bar as a flying Captain Morgan bottle barely misses his head).

Seriously, ain't it great to know that solutions to common problems can be had for less than a Saudi prince's ransom?

I woulda chimed in when you posted before but other wise contributors already had you on the path to true enlightenment, grasshopper.

[Resident Loser]

...Jack Daniel's, empty of course. But, that was then and this is now, that avenue of enjoyment is no longer...oh well!

Re: cables, I am using the finest of OEM inclusions for both the media units. One set is a lovely battleship gray and the other a quite complimentary jet black. On the latter I took the liberty to perform a minor tweak and zipped-off the S connector cable for fear that it's continued existence would somehow run afoul of the best in A/V performance. I also utilize(I could have used the word "use" but "utilize" sounds far more impressive) a set of RCA metre-length( note the Brit spelling variant) ICs(an earlier Target purchase) for the output to the teevee. Lovely pieces, they have gold(golden? gold-plated? fool's gold?) connectors and a visible shielding braid revealed by the clear sheathing...packaging claims to have superior coverage and blah, blah, blah...Actually bought them to do some testing vs. the OEM bits...my strictly anecdotal results showed no audible or visible difference. Other than build quality, one is as good as the other...but then again I don't have a laundry list of components and tweaky stuff to post, so what do I know? BTW, the cables were about ten or twelve bux...For digital camera I also use the OEM inclusion. It's a low rez unit so anything else would be a waste of space...sort of like this post.

jimHJJ(...thanks for your response, your continued interest is important to us...please call again...)