Customer Reviews

Sima SVS-14 4 Input Manual A/V Selector

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Grab this puppy while you can - it's does what it does well for a great price. I have it setup with my DVD player, VCR and SVIDEO out on my Prolink FX5200 Ultra nvidia card and it works like a charm! Not only can you watch your DVD's on your home DVD player, but you can also play them back through your computer if your video card has SVIDEO out - heck playback anything you want from your computer - great product - you could even rip your videos and compress them to have your whole video library on your HD - remove the clutter and have your own video on demand setup on your PC. You can either get the Remote Control ATI All in one Wonder video card, or like myself, get a remote mouse and keyboard for control over the PC while you watch it on the TV.

It's also self-powered, so you won't have the added cost of using power to get this working. The workmanship is done well - a solid product in design.

My setup:
Recoton 25 FT SVIDEO out from Prolink FX5200 Ultra to SIMA
Sound Blaster Audigy line out to Yamaha Reciever (I connect to the reciever because the line out to the reciever allows me to playback stuff on the home stereo as well as the TV.)

Panasonic DVD to SIMA

Sony VCR to SIMA.

As for video quality, the Recoton 25FT gold tipped SVIDEO cable works great - I don't understand the hoopla over the $79 monster cable vs. the $12.00 Recoton cable. Stick with the Recoton for value/performance. Just DONT forget to buy an EXTRA SVIDEO/RCA OUT connector like I did or you'll find yourself all setup but not able to connect the SIMA out to the TV!

FYI: Keep in mind that video quality of general pc output (like using applications, looking at windows) will not be sharp on the TV since it was not designed for playback on the TV - so you'll lose sharpness. However DVD video looks just as good on the TV as it does directly from the DVD player.

This product does not alter the signal so what goes in is what comes out. However it does its switching without degrading the signal. It also works in either direction, so it can take a single input and switch it to 4 different outputs (only one output at a time, however) or take four inputs and switch any one of them to the single output. Should solve many switching problems cheaply.

Solid construction. Solid spring-loaded buttons.
Tested with both RCA and Svideo inputs as well as stereo mini output. Everything works as advertised.

Had it for a while now - no problems yet.

EDIT - 06/16/2011: Still works fine.
EDIT - 07/14/2010: Still no problems. Works fine.
EDIT - 12/25/2009: Still working flawlessly.

I use this device to hook up my gaming systems to my home theater system. The selector is plugged directly into my receiver, which is in turn hooked up to my television.

Currently, I have plugged into the selector - Sega CD, Xbox, Super Nintendo, and my Ipod. Yes, you can hook your IPOD up to your Stereo system with this selector. No need to pay $100 for one of those crappy Ipod speaker systems when you can use your own theater system!

This selector doesn't require any POWER SOURCE, which is a plus for those of us who are already rationing the outlets that we have. Because of this, there aren't any fancy lights or anything on this unit. If you want pretty lights, look elsewhere.

This selector does have a HEADPHONE JACK.

It also has RUBBER FEET on the bottom of the unit to prevent sliding around. I have mine sitting on top of my receiver (it's small, so it doesn't cover any venting holes), and it doesn't move at all.

However, it could be just a bit heavier. I don't use heavy-duty cabling, but for someone who does, you might have a problem with the unit raising off it's front "legs".

No complaints about the QUALITY. It's solid construction with no frills. I switch a lot, and I haven't noticed any wear on the buttons yet.

Extremely easy to use and setup. You only have to remember what number your systems are.

Does not come with its own CABLE, so you'll need an extra one. I got one of those self-rolling(?) Philips cables for like $5 at Wal-mart.

All in all, I love this thing. It's amazing how a simple little box can save me sooooo much time and hassle, not to mention wear on my receiver from plugging and unplugging cables.

Don't be put off by the brand name (which I didn't recognize). This product is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I got this Selector to hook up my Nintendo Wii and my DVD player to my TV using S-video. I just have a standard definition TV, so I can't comment on how the picture looks in Hi-def, but there doesn't seem to be any degradation of the image using the Selector compared to hooking something straight to the TV.

The buttons are nice and springy, and they physically push in so there's no confusion as to which channel you're on.

Basically I don't have any complaints about this product, just remember that you can't use A/V cables and S-Video at the same time, because this isn't a powered switcher.

Also, be sure to remember that you'll need to have one more set of cables than the number of devices you're hooking up. I forgot about that because I already had an S-video cable for my Wii and my DVD player, but then when I connected them to the selector I realized I didn't have anything to connect the selector output to the TV. So check the number of cables you've got!

In the past, I have tried different types of A/B switches for A/V purposes and have been disappointed with their isolating capabilities. This Sima A/V selector is the exception. This unit has met all of my expectations and has been thoroughly satisfactory. One nice feature is the audio output that I use for a small powered subwooofer that is active no matter what input selection I choose. Spring loaded switches are positive and there are no additional power requirements to get this running. What also made this unit attractive is the capability of using either S video inputs or RCA type component cables.

This seems to be a very decent switcher for the price, but it has one major drawback when compared to a very similar device (Recoton DVD1000) that I bought a few years ago - it will not up-convert a composite input signal to S-Video. In my Recoton switcher I can connect any combination of composite and S-Video input sources, and then have one S-Video output to TV. With the Sima one, I have to choose to go with either all composite connections, or all S-Video ones, which is a problem since some of my devices don't have an S-Video out and others have no composite out. Neither the Sima nor the Recoton are "powered" switchers, so there no reason to buy a typically more expensive powered switcher to get this functionality.

I'll be returning my SVS-14 back to Amazon and will try to look for another Recoton (or similar) switcher box.

I have a low-budget tube television with only 1 set of A/V inputs, and this device allows me to use DVD, VCR, X-Box, and a PC, all with the one input. It has very low interference, and looks great on each of the 4 inputs. I have a 5.1 receiver with A/V routing, but receivers tend to add a significant amount of fuzz/static. This is common with budget receivers, so I would recommend this as an upgrade from that specific application. This would work EXCELLENT as a video game switcher for older non-HD systems (gamecube, dreamcast, SNES, etc.)

Have my DVD player, Wii, and audio receiver all hooked up to this. Picture and audio quality are very good. Would recommend this to anyone looking to have a few more av inputs.

I received the switch in a timely manner. I've been using it for about 3 weeks with no complaints. My inputs are satellite dish, cable TV and Xbox. Picture is clear with no bleed through. Using S-Video for the dish and cable, RCA for the X-box.