Gamer Accessories
 

Post here if you need hard-to-find items! (or hard to find for you, anyway :D)

I'm in need of an 8-switch a/v box. I have a 4-switch and with the XBOX, PS2, GameCube, 2 Tivos, and a DVD player, it just ain't enough. Anyone know where I can find one?

I also would like recommendations for stands. I'm past the DVD phase so I'm moving the DVDs to the other room to make room for a game stand. Any specificically designed ones that will hold all three plus games, accessories, etc, and with an open back for cables?

two tivos to the same tv. :o

Why do you need a 8-switch box? Don't you have multiple inputs on your TV? I have Xbox, PS2, GC, DVD player, VCR, HD STB, and I don't need any switchboxes at all - and everything is hooked up with component video and DVI (except for VCR). Sometimes you can hook up everything by cleverly using the multiple inputs on your TV and receiver.

Anyway, I have seen some A/V switchers (composite and s-video only) that switch between 6 sources. Not that common, but not that hard to find either. Try checking your local Radio Shack.

Buy another 4 or 5 port switch, and use the output of switch #2 to connect to an input (example, device input #4) on switch #1. Then, when you want to use something on switch #2, select it, and select device #4 on switch #1.

Pelican makes a nice 5 port switch (composite and s-vid) for $19.99 at best buy - use a gamer gift card coupon, and get it for 14.99.

The reason I don't use the TV is because it's a 27" and the back is against the wall. The last time I tried to get back there it fell on me and I started yelling for my mom. She got there just in time - I couldn't have hold on to it much longer.

here is the thing.. You turn the tv around slowly.. ;)

You can't turn the TV because it is literally up against the wall. To turn you have to separate it enough from the wall, and that's when it fell on me.

Ok, I finally got it down. All three consoles going into the 4-switch and a TiVo, and the second TiVo going into the second input of the DVD player (the first input received the switcher feed) and the DVD player going into the TV. I'm out of slots, though, but I can't think of anything else I'd ever need to add (since new consoles are for the most part backwards-compatible).

New question: How do you deal with all the cables? The back of the consoles and TiVos/DVD player have a nasty jumble of cables. It's all our of the way so the floor is neat, but it's an eyesore.

Is this just something to be dealth with? I have 26 unique cables back there. Any ideas?

Twisty ties (like the kind you get with garbage bags) work to help control the wire mess, and I've seen some people who were able to braid them together...

I use those plastic binding coils, like you see on TV. They make all the wires a bit easier to sort out.

Well, it's not really hard to find but i want to get a component video cable for my Gamecube. They're only available through Nintendo's website, which is really poorly designed i might add.

actually what you can do is get one of those brown adjustable tables and set it in front of the entertainment center. just slide the tv on it adjust the cables and presto its done. that's what I need to do for my WEGA 36