2022 was the year I decided to get serious about my retro gaming setup. Tired of his 104-pound CRT taking up half his computer desk with a PlayStation 2 on it. Mr., and all the other consoles I’m currently interested in have always been in my peripheral vision. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that the TV and all consoles would be better off on a wheeled cart. If so, retro karts. It can live in my closet or be moved to wherever it seems fun.
The best form factor ended up being two shelves on the bottom. For the console, his small TATE/PAL PVM-1354Q CRT (sold by a friend recently), and bookshelf speakers. Third, top tier. Both CRTs he can accept RGB or YPbPr/Component video, but which one would you standardize on?Component seemed easy for a couple of reasons, so I went for it. Next, I needed a switcher to not only switch between MiSTer, PS2, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Wii, and Xbox, but to route any of those sources to one of his two screens.
It’s 6 in 2 out. I also wanted optical audio switching for MiSTer, Xbox and possibly PS2. Combined, these requirements far exceed the feature set of the basic switchers you’ll find on Amazon or Ali these days. So I look to the glorious past of the mid-twenties, when component video adoption peaked and specialty A/V products served the esoteric and his YPbPr controversial needs of the era’s home theater enthusiasts. I was.
Several promising candidates emerged. The high-end switchers of the mid-2000s were so fancy that they could actually transcode between analog and optical audio (wow!). But in the end I fell in love with the still fancy but slightly more understated Impact Acoustics Deluxe Component Video/Digital Audio 6 In/2 Out Matrix Switch aka “40697”.You can see it above Not only can you route 6 of them. Input to either screen can output to both screens at the same time…the same source, or two different sources.
A week or two later, I was able to pick up a NOS on eBay. It has proven to perform as expected. The cart project is still in the works as I look for a working Xbox, research a suitable Wii hax, and move to a new display on top (actually, I wish I had used RGB!), but I’m already enjoying everything. My beloved old game in a single, self-contained, uncompromising Tower of Power. I even got a bean bag! yes.
Alexandra Hall, Senior Editor
