Multiple problems with Audio Authority Component Switch...

[bobrocks95]

It's a little surprising that something that originally cost $2,000 is causing me such grief in my setup. It's an Audio Authority 1166 and I have two major problems with it:

1) Using component, the video will sometimes desync on bright screens. I've heard about this with XRGBs and other processors, but never a switch, powered or otherwise. The weird thing is that it doesn't happen with a solid white screen from the 240p test suite, or some white screen transitions in games, but certain screens will always cause issues (The Kingdom Hearts intro with the copyright text for instance). No problems with anything when connected directly to the TV.

2) The switch also features an ADC and outputs DVI. Over DVI, there interestingly aren't any de-syncing problems, but the conversion causes black crush, like an RGB Range mismatch. I first noticed this in the 240p test suite, then tested to make sure it was the switch causing the problem by booting up a 360 game (with the console set to full range RGB), using a built-in brightness pattern, cranking up the TV's brightness, and seeing when the darker image was cut off by the game settings. Component all the way through the chain and HDMI/DVI all the way through were fine, but component into the switch and DVI out cut off information a lot sooner than all the other configurations (which were consistent with one another).

So it's kind of a catch-22 between the two outputs. I'm feeding the output into a plasma that's supposed to have better color processing through the digital input, but of course right now it definitely doesn't look better with colors cut off.

Is there any solution to either problem? The desyncing seems the strangest to me given how infrequently it happens and not on pure white screens- does this match any other devices' problems with desyncing? If analog worked perfectly I could just add a component to HDMI converter at the end of the chain (or marqs' scandoubler/digitizer when it's done).

[CkRtech]

What firmware are you using? Looks like their website is listing "AVX-561 Firmware v. 2.7" as the latest. Some of their products have dip switches - I don't think your device does (right)?

Assuming there is no power issue, grounding issue, fault with the device, etc, I wonder if you can tweak ...something. (I love being vague. It is so helpful, isn't it?)

I had an issue when playing Skyward Sword on my Wii with component out. I don't recall if I picked up official component cables with my Wii or 3rd party (scored a Wii near launch. Bought whatever cables were available, and that was it) Whenever I would fly and encounter a lot of bright sky, the top of the screen would bend/distort like sync was going nuts. Coincidentally, I was running it through an Audio Authority 1154a at the time. I assumed I just had bad quality, 3rd party cables, but perhaps it was something odd about the intensity of that signal & the AA switch? Interesting. It is the only instance I can recall that happening.

[BazookaBen]

The Wii does a few weird things for me.

For one, the audio is a little too loud. The initial noise it makes when you enter the menu clips on all my speaker systems. Also, transitioning between bright channels in the menu can cause my Extron RGB to lose sync for a moment.

[Josh128]

Strange. My old Hitachi Ultravision Digital used to do this on GC via component during bright flashes. It would lose sync very briefly without any switch-- very annoying, occured on Metroid Prime quite a bit.

My current AA 1154A switch has never lost sync on any of my systems during gameplay. It has lost itself at times when turning more than one system on at a time, rarely though.

[Josh128]

The AA switches apply a bit of amplification to the signal dont they? Just out of curiosity, you could try to split the Y into a different display/load or add some resistance to it and see if that eliminates the loss of sync. Its output may be a bit too hot for your display.

Did you try setting the Xbox to RGB limited or YCbCr 709 to see if that fixes the black crush?

[bobrocks95]

What firmware are you using? Looks like their website is listing "AVX-561 Firmware v. 2.7" as the latest. Some of their products have dip switches - I don't think your device does (right)?

Assuming there is no power issue, grounding issue, fault with the device, etc, I wonder if you can tweak ...something. (I love being vague. It is so helpful, isn't it?)

I had an issue when playing Skyward Sword on my Wii with component out. I don't recall if I picked up official component cables with my Wii or 3rd party (scored a Wii near launch. Bought whatever cables were available, and that was it) Whenever I would fly and encounter a lot of bright sky, the top of the screen would bend/distort like sync was going nuts. Coincidentally, I was running it through an Audio Authority 1154a at the time. I assumed I just had bad quality, 3rd party cables, but perhaps it was something odd about the intensity of that signal & the AA switch? Interesting. It is the only instance I can recall that happening.

I did a firmware update right when I got it, which may have been a mistake since they removed AutoSelect in a firmware update, as entirely asinine as that is. I think it was on 2.7 when I got it though.

I've looked through all the settings and nothing seems pertinent to video output.

I don't have any official component cables for any systems, but the problem isn't there when I connect directly to the display, so the switch is definitely the problem. And the same thing happens when it desyncs, the top of the screen bends to the left really bad and then the whole signal kicks out for a second.

The Wii does a few weird things for me.

For one, the audio is a little too loud. The initial noise it makes when you enter the menu clips on all my speaker systems. Also, transitioning between bright channels in the menu can cause my Extron RGB to lose sync for a moment.

Might be Wii-specific, but it happens with my PS2 as well. My original Xbox is broken so I can't confirm that one as well...

The AA switches apply a bit of amplification to the signal dont they? Just out of curiosity, you could try to split the Y into a different display/load or add some resistance to it and see if that eliminates the loss of sync. Its output may be a bit too hot for your display.

Did you try setting the Xbox to RGB limited or YCbCr 709 to see if that fixes the black crush?

Couldn't find the one RCA splitter I have, but I did have some couplers and put together a really long run of cables, which didn't help. That leans me in the direction of the switch being at fault internally instead of what it's outputting, but I can't think of a way to verify that for sure.

For RGB range, I don't really know if it's even a factor over a component connection (just ignorance on my part), but I'll check and see what comes up. The black crush is only an issue when I let the switch convert from component to DVI, and the 360 I hooked up to test with was the only thing that let me set the RGB range, so it won't be too helpful unfortunately.

[bobrocks95]

A very late bump, but I was able to get a monitor with component inputs in the room where everything's hooked up.

I determined that the switch must be boosting the signal too much, and it's too hot for my plasma display, since it desyncs on it but not on a 1080p monitor, and not with a direct connection bypassing the switch.

So, is there anything that can be done? I planned on getting marqs' scandoubler/digitizer when it's out anyway; would the fact that things work through the digital input imply this will solve the problem or is there white crush too and that's limiting the peak brightness?

[Fudoh]

you can always add an Extron RGB interface to the output. These work fine with component as well (in SoG mode) and if you get one with peaking controls you should be able to tune the signal, so it doesn't cause sync drops anymore.

[ZellSF]

I read about this problem on another switch, and I think the manufacturer fixed it by shipping out a adapter with a resistor in it.

I also had the problem with one of my switches, which is why I changed it to a passive (passive in terms of switching; still remote controlled) switch.

And as said, the Wii is especially bad when it comes to equipment with this problem.

IIRC, the 360's gamma curve is all sorts of wrong and you shouldn't be using that for testing image quality.

[bobrocks95]

you can always add an Extron RGB interface to the output. These work fine with component as well (in SoG mode) and if you get one with peaking controls you should be able to tune the signal, so it doesn't cause sync drops anymore.

Do any of those have BNC inputs as well or are they all VGA input with BNC outputs? Do you have any recommendation? The 202 looks to be the one I see the most, and it has a knob for peak rather than a 3-state switch. Unless I understand it wrong, that would allow for more fine control, right?

I read about this problem on another switch, and I think the manufacturer fixed it by shipping out a adapter with a resistor in it.

I also had the problem with one of my switches, which is why I changed it to a passive (passive in terms of switching; still remote controlled) switch.

And as said, the Wii is especially bad when it comes to equipment with this problem.

IIRC, the 360's gamma curve is all sorts of wrong and you shouldn't be using that for testing image quality.

I'll contact Audio Authority again- was it them in particular who sent out a resistive adapter, or another company?

RE the 360, I was just using it to confirm there was black crush, not for any other PQ assessments. I know the RGB range for the picture viewer is fubar, so I stayed away from it. Either way, regardless of its gamma problems the issue is definitely with the switch and not that I used a 360.

[Fudoh]

Do any of those have BNC inputs as well or are they all VGA input with BNC outputs?

they all have HD15 inputs and BNC outputs.

Do you have any recommendation? The 202 looks to be the one I see the most, and it has a knob for peak rather than a 3-state switch. Unless I understand it wrong, that would allow for more fine control, right?

the 202 is old and has a 9-pin RGB input. You don't want that. 201 and 203 are great. 203 has a 3:1 switch built in.

[ZellSF]

I'll contact Audio Authority again- was it them in particular who sent out a resistive adapter, or another company?

No, it was some crappy shovelware company. Think it was Joytech.