Customer Reviews

RCA VH920 Video Source Selector

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Frustrating to teach it codes, get a power failure and you have to re-teach it. Pilot lights are so dim you can't see them in daylight. Branded RCA but not really, built by someone else. This is a waste of time and money. We need a really good switch but this isn't it.

I have this unit hooked up to my home theater since Christmas and I'm very happy with it. I'd like to clear up some slight confusion about what previous reviews here have stated about using either S-video OR composite video, but not both at the same time. I have tested it extensively, and you CAN hook up both at the same time. However, it is also true that this box does NOT do conversion. So how does this box handle this delema??? Very simple. Whatever video you put in, that's what you get out. IF YOU PUT BOTH S-VIDEO AND COMPOSITE VIDEO IN AT THE SAME TIME, THEN YOU GET BOTH S-VIDEO AND COMPOSTIE VIDEO OUT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. S-Video comes out of the S-Video, and Compostite video comes out of the composite video port. There is NO conversion from one to the other. That means that any composite video IN devices will not go out the S-video OUT port, and vice versa. If you hook up both and you have a TV that dectects which one is currently sending a signal, you won't notice any problem. I personally have a tv that S-Video over rides the composite. So I only use this box for S-Video because EVEN THOUGH THIS BOX IS SENDING THE COMPOSITE VIDEO, MY TV ISN'T ACCEPTING IT. You'll have to see how your equipment works and decide if you need a box with conversion ability.
About using the remote, it AUTOMATICALLY works with all of my RCA devices. I didn't have to even program it!! If you have RCA then great, if not then I can't comment personally.
This unit is also nicely labeled, very attractive in appearance, and has SIX inputs which is nice. If it performed conversion and had an second output (it has One output) I'd give it 5+++ stars. As it currently is, it's a solid 4 stars in my book (as long as you calculate ahead of time if it's abilities are consistent with your equipment and your needs of course).

Good luck trying to get the device to recognize your hand-heldremote controls. The documentation is badly written and evencontradictory is some spots. On page 8, Step 5, it says "Repeat step 3 & 4 for additional devices". On the very same page, after Step 6, it says "Repeat steps 2,3 & 4 for additional devices". OK, folks, which one is it? I taught a ReplayTV remote to learn how to control 3 devices, set up all the cabling, and had no trouble running a complex TV, 2-VCR, ReplayTV set up until I got to this product. It's been over one day now, and I still have to select devices manually.... There is nothing on the RCA website of any technical help. Also, you will not find any description in the documentation of how this product is supposed to work with your remotes after it "learns" the codes. How do you know it's working then? Don't waste $80 on this kludge. Go get a cheap manual switch. It will work with a lot less aggravation.

To begin with, I have not purchased this product but have had a lot of experience with this type of item over the last several years. I was glad to see a home router system that includes inputs for Standard Video or S-VHS (although most people who are concerned with these options, probably have this capability through their A/V receiver)but I was very disappointed to see that the only output was to the television set. Have we forgotten the attachment of videotape machines or the forthcoming recordable DVD machines. I am looking for a quality system (which RCA usually is) with the versatility of not being outdated within twelve months.

Overall for the price, I think this is a worthwhile purchase. The sheer fact that it handles 6 s-video and composite inputs is worth it. I noticed no signal degredation in use.

I've read some reviews of people saying you can use s-video or composite, but not both-something I don't entirely understand. I used the 6 inputs for both, some are used for s-video (DVD player, Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64) while others were used for composite (VCR, original NES system). I had no problems with this.

I select the item I want to use and it works fine. Are some people trying to hook two items into the same single input? Or are some people trying to run both s-video and composite into the same source on their TVs? Well my Sony TV won't allow this, and it has nothing to do with the switcher.

If I have an s-video connection in say input 1 on the TV, then I can't have a composite source connected to input 1 as well, I simply have input 1 on my TV be for the s-video out feed from the switcher and input 2 on the TV for the composite video feed from the switcher. Audio is output to a receiver, so all set.

Overall I am very pleased with this item and feel it is a worthwhile purchase. Now I haven't tried the programming feature yet, but I can sure handle manually switching it if it doesn't work for me. It's not that big of a deal. I say, don't buy this unit for that feature, buy it because there are very few quality switch boxes that handle 6 inputs. And yes you can get cheaper switchers, which is fine for lower quality interlaced TV sets, but once you get a HDTV, you will want a higher quality switch box to keep signal degredation to a minimum.

This unit is ok, but the main problem with it is that the programing features is none but JUNK! Unless you take your universal remote and go through each code until it works, For me the only remote codes that worked was RCA and ONKYO. It is really too bad they didn't have a seperate remote. Overall if you own all RCA products in you home theater get this!!! But if you are like me and own mosty Sony you might wanna pass unless you want to get up every time to switch it.

The RCA VH920 is great for hooking up numerous s-video devices, but forget the claims that it will learn your remote. I have tried two different VH920's with no luck. Sometimes it will learn a code, but selects the wrong device. It won't work with my pronto, tivo, or DSS remote. Sometimes it would recognize my DVD remote, but if I tried to teach it another code, it would select the wrong input. Sometimes it would lock up.

RCA doesn't list any phone numbers to call for help. RCA customer support needs to address this issue on their website pronto! Don't waste your money unless you can talk to RCA about these issues.

George

Buy a cheap universal remote. I have no Zenith TV, but taught the VH920 that inputs 1 through 6 were the Zenith TV channel buttons 1 through 6. It is not likely that the power buttons from your six devices will all be properly learned by the VH920.
But the User's Guide should point out it doesn't matter! If I have a power failure it will take me less than 60 seconds to reprogram the VH920. I don't care that a device power button doesn't select the corresponding input. It is only six to remember and the cheap universal remote has lots more use than as a dedicated remote for the VH920. I now get CONSISTENT infra-red
input selection from anywhere in the house as I also have home video distribution with infra-red repeaters. Video output seems
equal to input and with only one output could be passive switching (but I don't think it is). I might actually prefer passive because too many active stages (AV receiver, Video processor, etc.) can cause abberations. In direct comparison to bypass, audio is slightly veiled and compressed but most people would not notice unless comparing. The input indicators are very
dim and other reviews' criticisms are true, but with one easy button push by remote who really needs to see the display.

This is an OK unit, and if you want the nifty remote control learning feature (it switches source whenever it detects you using a remote for a differnt source) BUT it forces you to have all s-vhs or all composite/rca connection NOT a mixture as is the case for nearly all of us. For example, your DVD player will have s-vhs but your vcr is 99% likely to only have composite/rca. This box does not convert composite/rca to s-vhs. (...)

If you get stuck - dont scarafice your digital sources quality (...).

this box has s-video inputs wich really made the difference when i decided to buy it. you get a much better picture with s-video than regular rca cables. i have a dvd player and a satellite system along with a playstation 2 and i wanted to make sure they were all able to deliver quality pictures to my tv. the only reason i didn't give it 5 stars was the learning remote part of the system, it didn't learn any of my remote codes, it didn't come with a remote and i had to manually change from input to input. peace