I've aquired one, tested it, and fully evaluated it's design:
General Description:
The switch has 8 inputs, 7 on the rear and 1 on the front behind a door.
Each input has Y, Pr, Pb, Video, Left, Right, and S-video. Channels 1 to 3 also have Toslink and Ethernet.
The output has all of the mentioned signals, in addition to a second left and right audio output.
On the front it reads, "High Definition Component Video", however there is no other mention of this or HDTV anywhere including in the manual.
It has no IR capabilities and is controlled solely by the front panel buttons.
The unit was manufactured in China.
The paint job was slightly thin and inconsistent, but may not be noticable once installed in a home.
Inside the chassis reveals a sinlge sided PCB, and a relay based switching system. The connectors on the rear panel are vertically mounted on a rear panel PCB, and the two are joined by a tab and slot method rather than connectors.
Interestingly there is no circuitry for the ethernet. The ethernet signals are switched through a relay just like video and audio. One would think that with three ethernet jacks on the back there would be a hub inside, but not so. Switching this way would cause the unselected ethernet ports to loose their link.
It appears that the unit can be expanded to switch 8 toslink signals, but the manufacturer left out the last 5, presumably to reduce cost. Also noticed is the second audio output is wire tied to the first output, so this in effect is like adding a Y adapter in line.
Overall the build quality was that of a cheap $69 VCR, but one could expect that for the $99 retail price. The plastic front panel and door assembly operated marginally, and I would anticipate it breaking if used freqently.
Performance:
A 40MHz and 100MHz signal were passed through the switch to measure performance.
Below are the test results.
Loss (Y signal tested on channel 1)
40MHz -2.6dB
100MHz -4.6dB
Crosstalk (Agressor was Y, Victim was Pb, on channel 1)
40MHz -13dB
100MHz -10dB
The loss is bad enough that this device should be used for no greater than 480p.
However the crosstalk is bad enough that this may cause visible picture problems, even at 480p.
Picture quality:
DVD/480p OK
HDTV/1080i Softening of picture, some ghosting patterns
S-vid, Left and Right audio, Ethernet, and Toslink were not performance tested for now.
I have alot of pictures and don't know how to attach so someone tell me how.
For me, my Zektor HDS4 bought on eBay through at www.hdtvsupply.com is the best HDTV switcher on earth right now for my 4-1080i HDTV inputs,